Hello all!! I have been reading some of the posts on this forum, and people seem to know more about Macs then I will ever know.... so I hoped that I may ask a question..

My girlfriend got a MacBook a little while ago, and we love it! Not using Mac's very much in the past, I am still trying to get better acquainted with it. We have been trying to use BitTorrent and Vuze to download files, but it goes extremely slowly. I have been looking for info, and from what I understand, we need to open a port for the program to use to exchange information.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I am not excessively computer savvy, so any help would be greatly appreciated. links to how to's... a walk through... anything!

We live in Winnipeg, and our internet service provider is Shaw. We have the Airport Express wireless router.

Thanks everyone!
Rob

I don't torrent so I'm not sure exactly what you mean.

If you mean open a port on the firewall on your router you may be able to do that using the Airport Configuration Utility. You should be able to to type in the port you need to forward. Apple's help menu might tell you how.

If you are talking about opening a port in your own firewall that's under System preferences> Security in 10.5 or Networks in 10.4.

Hope this helps.

Have you thought about just buying the programs you need? That's generally the way we do it on the Mac side ...

Have you thought about just buying the programs you need? That's generally the way we do it on the Mac side ...

Chas, you're starting to sound more Canadian every day eh. Are you sure you're not from Saskatchewan?

Margaret

Have you thought about just buying the programs you need? That's generally the way we do it on the Mac side ...

Vuze annoys me, but it has a lot of legitimate shared files. Perhaps you should ask what the purpose of the download is before you assume the worst. That way, people might at some point afford you the same consideration.

I'd suggest, as a general policy (http://www.ehmac.ca/mac-ipod-help-troubleshooting/67368-mic-mac.html), that Chas first reads the questions he's responding to - this way his requests for clarification might make sense.

To the OP: check in your System Preferences, click on the 'Sharing' icon, then the Firewall tab inside that pane. Start there to open ports thru your firewall. As for forwarding, I would make sure your modem is agreeable to that proposition, i.e. not a Bell-crippled modem.


Edit: UBB

I'd suggest, as a general policy (http://www.ehmac.ca/mac-ipod-help-troubleshooting/67368-mic-mac.html), that Chas first reads the questions he's responding to - this way his requests for clarification might make sense.

You might want to look in a mirror on that one, Nostradamus ...

To the OP: check in your System Preferences, click on the 'Sharing' icon, then the Firewall tab inside that pane.

Where exactly in the OP's post is the information that he is even USING Apple's software firewall? Hmmm?

I was at least responding to something that was actually in his message, to wit:
We have been trying to use BitTorrent and Vuze to download files, but it goes extremely slowly.

My reply invited the poster to explain more specifically what he's trying to do. If it falls outside of the rules of this forum, then we can't help him as I'm sure you're aware. Since his post indicates at least the possibility of illegal activity, it's a good idea to clear up exactly what he's doing.

Thanks for the response everyone, I have been away, and just looked at the suggestions last night. I'll try some responses here in order:



If you are talking about opening a port in your own firewall that's under System preferences> Security in 10.5 or Networks in 10.4.
.


Already done, didn't seem to help too much...


Have you thought about just buying the programs you need? That's generally the way we do it on the Mac side ...


An acquantaince at work was telling me to download legal South-by-Southwest (Welcome to South by Southwest 2009 | SXSW.com (http://www.SXSW.com)) torrents, so it's not "programs" I'm intersted in. Most programs I can buy cheaper through university I believe.


Vuze annoys me, but it has a lot of legitimate shared files. Perhaps you should ask what the purpose of the download is before you assume the worst. That way, people might at some point afford you the same consideration.


Vuze is starting to annoy me as well... I have no problem with the movie trailers, and this (http://azureus-zudeo.en.softonic.com/) review indicated to me that this is legal.



To the OP: check in your System Preferences, click on the 'Sharing' icon, then the Firewall tab inside that pane. Start there to open ports thru your firewall.



Not at the computer at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that was one of the first things I tried, however, I could not actually open ports, per se. I found out where I can see the ports already open.... maybe I just need to look harder to find where to open them!



My reply invited the poster to explain more specifically what he's trying to do. If it falls outside of the rules of this forum, then we can't help him as I'm sure you're aware. Since his post indicates at least the possibility of illegal activity, it's a good idea to clear up exactly what he's doing.


I hope that I have cleared up some of the misconception in regards to this point. I certainly was not asking for assistance in criminal activities.


I found this (http://www.ehmac.ca/mac-ipod-help-troubleshooting/68244-need-help-opening-port-s.html) thread, and actually have read other references to that portforward.com page. Perhaps that will assist me in my endeavors.

Thanks again all! (..but still open to suggestions..!)

Rob