DNS and VPN - Change them to get files to download
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I found that changing my DNS settings and sometimes having my VPN on and sometimes having it off with different DNS addresses makes a big difference in files being available for download. I am not sure if this is because my ISP blocks stuff or what but I just know some files I will have in my download with no activity for days and then I change the DNS and sometimes have the VPN on or off and boom suddenly those files are downloading. I know just enough to make the changes but not enough to know what it makes a difference.
These are the three sets of DNS addresses that seem to work the best with and without my VPN active.
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4208.67.222.222
208.67.220.2201.1.1.1
1.0.0.1If anyone who knows more about this stuff has some insight I would love to hear from you.
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@sfbayboy1981-0 each ISP has their own firewall settings that block incoming connections based on different criteria. The ISP and server firewalls are not the only culprits here, as each peer has their own set of firewall rules and, in addition to that, each peer's torrent client has its own policies regarding to how incoming connections are treated.
Having a different DNS might result in the connection performing a different route that will go through different servers (thus different firewalls) and this could impact on the success (or failure) of the connection. With VPNs it is exactly the same principle, a different route, but this time much more aggresively different. Both leads to the same outcome but have different probabilities of having a positive effect.
Overall switching your DNS provider or using a VPN migh end up clearing the way for connecting with peers that otherwise you wouldn't be able to, but the opposite of this is also true, this might end up blocking you from connecting to peers that normally you would be able to reach.