What is the best rtorrent.rc config for seeding?

Question

My ~/.rtorrent.rc looks like this:

min_peers = 10000
min_peers_seed = 10000
encryption = require
dht = on
peer_exchange = yes

How can I configure my rtorrent.rc so that I could seed better? (or other tips?)

Solution

You should not enforce encryption, otherwise you will not be able to seed for those who don't want or can't use encryption.

But most of the "best" seeding settings are in fact about knowing how your ISP deals with the connection: setting up NAT and opening firewall ports if needed, avoiding commonly blacklisted bittorrent ports, knowing if the ISP is screwing with non-encrypted bittorrent traffic, and so on.

The vuze wiki has a nice list of ISPs and their quirks, a good place to look for information on your ISP, if it's there, of course.

There is also a blog post with some patches to tweak the magic rtorrent does behind the curtains — although I never used these suggestions, and one of these is not even recommended (a change to lie about the seeding ratio), the others sound interesting.

Comments

[Patrick]

Yes please do enforce encryption. Everyone should use encryption, and if seeders require it more leechers will enable it as well.

[kmacdonald]

leechers will enable it if they support it, the encryption overload is bearable and if the user there wants encryption. As the OP is asking for ways to seed more, I doubt restricting who can leech to a subset of all the leechers is going to help...

[maxschlepzig]

@Patrick, why should everyone use encryption?

[Patrick]

Some people are living in backward countries with ISPs throttling P2P, regardless of the content shared. This forces those people into using encrypted bittorrent traffic only. If only a fraction of other users are allowing encryption, this results in very bad speed for those needing encryption. If everyone uses encryption, those who depend on it will get much higher speeds, and it will compel new users to activate it as well as they want to be compatible with as much seeders as possible. EDIT: If someone is unable to use encryption, they should simply use a client that supports it.

[kmacdonald]

@Patrick: You realize some clients, such as rtorrent don't offer only a binary choice, right? You are telling the OP to enforce encryption, when the OP can just enable (but not enforce) encryption.

[Patrick]

You are right, the choice doesn't have to be binary. As I already explained before, if everyone uses encryption, those who depend on it will get much higher speeds, ---> and it will compel new users to activate it as well as they want to be compatible with as much seeders as possible.