Author Topic: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File  (Read 7650 times)

cecilrhode

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LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« on: May 07, 2009, 11:54:52 AM »
   

This problem seems similar and maybe the same as others have reported.

 

The unit will download files via torrents just fine, and after downloading will continue uploading it as long as I wish. No problems there.

 

The problem is when I create a file I wish to seed. Seeding at best is unreliable. 

 

The only way I have been able to get the thing to seed is to copy the relevant file to the Bittorrent folder, and also to the 'Active'folder. Then I add the torrent file (with trackers from the relvant site) through the UI. The client then checks the torrent and progress can be seen 0 to 100%. At that point 100%, the unit sometimes starts to upload the file, but it is erratic. Some of the time it just does nothing, shows no connections at all, no peers etc and does nothing. It shows a blue 'download' icon as if its waiting for something before it can upload.

 

I can take the same torrent and put it in a software client (I use uTorrent) and it works just fine, starts uploading immediately and carries on, so there's nothing wrong with the file or the torrent. There's plenty of bandwidth so the upload isn't being stifled. 

 

Last night I did all this and the Buff refused to start uploading, showing no connections. I put the torrent into UTorrent, and straight away it showed a number of peers and hit 50kB/s. Today, the Buff still shows no connections and hasn't uploaded a single kb, whilst uTorrent has uploaded nearly 1GB using the same torrent file and copies of the source file.

 

Anyone any ideas? I got this particular unit because of the torrent app so I didn't have to keep my PC on and have the torrent activity slow my PC down. But whilst the Buff downloads great (and uploads files it has downloaded), I have to use uTorrent to create new uploads.

 

Port forwarding is set up ok on the router and there is no problem with downloads at all. FW is 107-065 and the router is Netgear Rangemax WPN824, and using XP Home SP3

 

This is a great piece of HW and whilst I can accept the relatively low spec of the torrent function, I can't accept inability to upload.

 

TIA

Message Edited by cecilrhode on 05-07-2009 10:11 PM

Dustrega

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2009, 01:24:16 PM »
Did you try updating the firmware?  Make sure to perform an initialization after doing so in the web admin.

cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2009, 05:16:34 PM »
   

Thanks for your advice

 

I updated the FW to the latest version when I got it (to cure the inability to write to the torrent folder as described elsewhere) and its running 107-065 (not 106 as I first said above)

 

I can't remember if I intialised it, but I followed directions and didn't have any problems with the update.

 

I just tried to update the FW again with 107 but it wouldn't let me (nor would it let it go back to 106) so I then tried to intialise it. It said operation successful but it happened in a second which seems fast, and it didn't restore the default admin password as I selected, nor were any users deleted. In fact, no apparent change... and it still won't seed.


cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2009, 06:17:42 PM »
   

Any suggestions anyone?

 

Right now, the unit is sat doing nothing. The file I started to upload this morning has ul just 7% and hasnt uploaded anything for a few hours.

 

I've just started to seed the same file in uTorrent and straight away it started to upload between 10-20kB/s. The Buffalo shows no UL. In a few minutes, uTorrent has uploaded 2% and at this rate will soon have uploaded more than the Buffalo despite the latter having a head start of 12 hours.

 

With the Buff and uTorrent running simultaneously, the Buff shows 3 peers online from a total of 23, whilst uTorrent shows 21 on line from a total of 38. That's a BIG difference and must impact upload rates.

 

The Buffalo isn't uploading anything whilst uTorrent shows an ul of up to 60kB/s. I expect uTorrent to continue to perform like that whilst Buffalo won't ul anything.

 

So, any ideas? Is my procedure for starting a torrent seed ok?

 

I'm very disappointed with the performance of the Torrent function and it seems poorly conceived and badly implemented. I had a choice of several external drive units but bought the LC CHL specifically so my PC didn't have to be on to use torrents. It seems I could've bought a cheaper disc unit without the torrent (mal)function and used uTorrent as I am forced to do anyway.

 


cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2009, 07:07:16 PM »
   

To show the disparity between the Buffalo and uTorrent, one hour and 10 minutes after starting uTorrent, it has ul 12%. The buffalo, after 14 hours has up 7%. uTorrent shows 31 online peers, the Buffalo only 4.

 

This is lamentable performance......... both are using the same torrent file, and same target file, and the Buffalo has the advantage of connecting direct to the router rather than wirelessly.

 

Is there an offical comment from Buffalo regarding the non-functionality of this product, or, if my procedure is incorrect, is there an official instruction as the supplied help regarding the Bittorrent function is abysmal and clearly an afterthought.


cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2009, 12:42:19 PM »
   

So,several days after mt last post and no more comments.... Does that mean Buffalo don't have a procedure for starting seeds? Does it mean no one knows if there is a procedure, or does it mean everyone accepts that this is a rubbish torrent client and everyone has given up on it? Or does it mean Buffalo accept they are ripping people off with such a product and are keeping their heads down?

 

Personally, the torrent function was a big factor in my choosing it. I could have chosen from a number of external and network drive products, all of them cheaper, but I chose this one because I thought it meant I could turn my PC off and leave the buffalo downloading and seeding...... how wrong I was. Download yes, upload no. By simultaneously seeding with both the Buffalo and uTorrent, I can see that the software has uploaded more than 10x the Buffalo, and has registered 25% more peers.

 

As I need to use uTorrent to upload, I've now switched all torrent activity to it, and the Buffalo is just a drive. By using uTorrent, I get better specifications and better performance............ and for free. How come uTorrent and other software is free but works fine and has better specifcuation, wehn bBuffalo charge a premuim fdor their proyucts whjoth a torrent function that doesn't work? An important question that I think EVERY purchaser of this equipment should have answered.

 

Admit it Buffalo, this product just does NOT work and you are ripping people off. Well, some of us have long memories about such treatment and don't come back for more.

 

Anybody like to deny any of this?


Colin137

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2009, 05:59:06 PM »

Sorry for your troubles and the time it took for this answer. I'll test this out to see if it's an issue with your particular product, or something wrong with the software on it.

 

Could you post what trackers and indexing sites you're using so I can check that too?


cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2009, 03:31:22 AM »
   

It's completely tracker, file and site independent - the simulataneous seeding against uTorrent showed that the latter outperforms the drive significantly with varying files and sites. File size seemed irrelevant also. I think there are others on this site that have reported similar if not the same problem.

 

One factor is that sometimes, the unit will start to seed, and then stop after a short while and show no connections. That could mislead someone to think there was no demand for their file, whilst my comparison against uTorrent showed that the drive doesn't report or seemingly make, available connections. The problem could be very unreported because unless a user makes simultaneous seedings, he won't know if the Buffalo is performing adequately and may just think there is little demand. A simultaneous seed showed that there was demand and that the Buffalo just wouldn't connect. It's nothing to do with bandwidth or anything, even restricting the max UL in utorrent to 1Kb/s showed that the software will happily make connections and seed whilst the drive wouldn't - same torrent, same target file, same internet connection etc.

 

The unit appears to download ok, but I haven't made any comparison. It's possible that the unit under-performs on downloads as well.


misthematrix

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2009, 04:49:45 AM »
   

Dear all

I have same problem can't download some torrent  program from LS CHL 500 (see pic this link

http://www.uppic.net/show/796085762196de9d3b9f94005d0a62f4)   files "Yi San_10_DVD5.nrg" nothing happen not found pear and seed

I compare with down load from utorrent found 14 seed and 2 pear (see pic this link 

 http://www.uppic.net/show/a8bfa2c2d45f5bb77d4ec7f8a0c80254 ) please help and advice.

Message Edited by misthematrix on 05-14-2009 05:19 AM
Message Edited by misthematrix on 05-14-2009 05:46 AM

cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2009, 05:54:14 PM »
   I don't think you problem is the same as mine. You cannot download, I cannot upload. I would suggest you check your router forwards the file to your Buffalo (Port Forwarding) it is a common and easily fixed problem. Try a search for PORT FORWARDING

Colin137

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2009, 03:24:25 PM »
cecilrhode, I believe I've nailed down the issue. The bittorrent software that is included on the device was recently updated with a fix to the seeding issues. We'll get that new version in a firmware update ASAP.
Message Edited by Colin137 on 05-19-2009 04:13 PM

cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2009, 06:42:09 PM »
   

Thanks for your comments Colin. The only thing I have been disappointed about in this unit is the Torrent performance. Not only is the uploading of new torrents abysmal, I suspect the DL perfromance is affected by the ability to make connections.

 

Attention to being able to set UL and DL limits to individual Torrents, encryption, scheduling, and having the unit maintain settings when it is restarted so it doesn't change port, UL/DL limits or start all Torrents even when they have been paused would really enhance its performance................ any chance?

 

And of course, the all important question........... when will FW V1.08 (I assume?) be available?


Colin137

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2009, 10:51:45 AM »

It looks like the issue was a problem with the particular version of the Bittorrent client we were using, and possibly an incorrect configuration setting. Our development team knows about the issue now, thanks to your extraordinary patience with experimentation. Thanks for your help.

 

I'll forward your feature requests to our corporate office. The firmware should be available fairly soon, but as per usual, I cannot give an accurate estimate on a release date. 


cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2009, 09:07:00 AM »
   

Colin

Last week I tried to download a torrent. The Drive showed zero connections. uTorrent immediately detected peers and intiated the download. It was only a small file (148MB) and uTorrent completed the download before the Buff even started. By next morning, UTorrent had seeded about 500x, and then, mysteriously, after mpre than 12 hours inactivity, the Buff started to download! Now, thats the same torrent file using the same tracker, and teh Drive, and uTorrent started at the same time.

 

I also noticed a similar thing a day or so ago when I noticed again that the Buff wouldn't UL/DL a torrent whilst uTorrent would, but they showed different numbers of Seeds and Leechers. Whilst Buffalo showed available peers it wouldn't connect. Hence I don't think this problem is restricted to uploading of new files.

 

I also suspect that the number of ongoing torrents may affect things. When there is a large number of active files, it seems the Buffalo won't accept new connections. It seems for example that with an UL limit of say 50KB/s it won't divide that bandwidth between say 25 connections and give some activity to each, it seems to want to give larger bandwidth to a smaller group, eg one connection of 20KB/s, one of 15, one of 10, one of 4.9, one of 0.1, whist uTorrent will have a more even spread of bandwidth. Maybe that's intended, maybe uTorrent has it wrong, but the effect with the Buffalo is that a file will sit there for hours or days with no activity even when it shows available peers.

 

I have also found in some instances that there will be a 'greedy' torrent that slowly edges out the other active connections and increases its bandwidth at the expense of others - eg, in the example above, the 20KB/s connection will increase to 45, leaving one connection fighting for the other 5KB/s whilst the others cease.Again, maybe this in intended, maybe not, but if you're trying to seed 5 files, and only one works, or if the same thing happens when downloading, it is very frustrating. It happens less when DL because bandwidth is geater, and there is a finite amount to DL so that when the torrent completes the DL, the capacity is avavilable for others, whilst with UL, there is no limit unless you choose one.

 

Of course, there is more information with uTorrent - you can see connections that are refused by the peer for example, so not all peers are able to make connections and that does explain some inactivity of a torrent when there are only a few peers.

 

I hope the new FW solves all these problems and gives us the Torrent function that is obviously in demand and that we get the overall unit performance that enhances Buffalo's reputation. I'd also like to be proud of my purchase and what it does for me.

Message Edited by cecilrhode on 05-24-2009 11:57 PM

cecilrhode

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Re: LS CHL500 Torrent Won't Seed New File
« Reply #14 on: June 30, 2009, 09:17:45 AM »
   

Colin, any news of a fix for the Torrent function? It's getting on for a month and a half since you mentioned the cause had been identified, and not withstanding the team's involvement in other design and development work, they should recognise the ill feeling created by buying a 'turkey' that cannot perform as expected, and in the case of the torrent function, this unit would find it hard to escape the 'turkey' label.

 

For my own part, I don't use the Torrent function any more as the performance is so poor. As I specifically purchased this unit because of the Torrent function (as have many others), my frustration is easy to understand. If the bug fix is not going to be available very soon, I think your company owes me a refund, and I should like to discuss that matter. 

 

As I have said, the only thing that disappoints is the Torrent non-functionality, but it was the only reason why I bought this unit rather than any of the many external drives on the market, many of which were significantly cheaper.

 

My drive was bought in April, and I experienced problems immediately. Nearly 3 months later, I still do not have the functionality expected.

 

Please understand that myself, like most other purchasers, simply want to use the unit in the way we epected to, and as described by your product literature. If we cannot use it in that way, it is somewhat redundant. So, either give us the unit you told us we would get, or give us a refund so we can buy a more suitable unit.

Message Edited by cecilrhode on 06-30-2009 03:19 PM