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I've recently migrated to Linux from Windows and I work on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. I am trying to preserve my usual habits of Windows so that I can use Linux more regularly. One of those habits is P2P activity.

On Windows, to get the best of my P2P client (uTorrent), I was proceeding as follows:

  1. Set a static IP to my system and
  2. Forward a port

Do I need to do the same to make Transmission work at its full capacity?

If yes, how to set a static IP in Ubuntu? (hope, its not too complicated for a novice like me)

I can manage with forwarding a port unless its a specific process for Linux.

Sathyajith Bhat
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kamyogi
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3 Answers3

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My transmission works w/o messing with settings. 1 thing you do need to do is to open ports on your router. Transmisson has a button to check if the port is open:

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If it shows 'port is closed' check your router settings. Mine looks like this:

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A BitTorrent client normally associates the TCP port number 6881. However, if this port is busy for some reason, the client will instead try successively higher ports (6882, 6883, and so on up to a limit of 6999). In order for outside BitTorrent clients to reach this one, they must be able to connect to the correct port.

Rinzwind
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In Short and Simple, No, You don't need to change any settings.

I use Transmission without changing any settings. The default settings work very good.

Anwar
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As I understand it, the settings in Rinwind's helpful answer open a port automatically. They set up port forwarding by using UPnP or NAT-PMP implemented on your router to whatever IP address has been assigned, so a static IP address doesn't need to be used. As long as your router implements one of these protocols I think that's the best answer.

If your router doesn't happen to implement either of these protocols you should set the port number in the window in Rinwind's answer, set up a static IP address, and forward the port manually in your router and this will "open the port".

To set a static IP address you should be able to set one in your router's DHCP configuration. Alternatively you can carefully pick a static IP address that won't ever be selected by your router's DHCP function and edit your network connection to set it in Ubuntu (by right clicking the network connection on the top right of your screen). See https://askubuntu.com/a/7082/63886.

Whether or not opening a port helps performance depends on your bandwidth and the characteristics of the torrent when you are participating in it. If your bandwidth is low or the number of peers with open ports is high, opening your port may not matter much. Otherwise having an open port makes it easier for others to connect to you and therefore can provide more peers to download from / upload to.

Community
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John S Gruber
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