DSL Modem questions

[jmebonner]

For starters: I have an SMC 7401BRA (modem/router)that my dsl company provides. I pay for 1.5MB/256KB service.

My problems are mainly when it comes to downloading. Particularly torrents.
I can connect to the torrent, but the speeds are painfully slow. Like 15-20 kb/s downloads. uTorrent says it can't open the port like it should.

I went through all kinds of stuff to set up a static ip and when I tried to forward the port on my router it won't work. The "virtual server" box I need to check in the config is not there.

To make a long story (and question) short, would I gain anything by buying a different modem? Would it be compatible, would it let me forward the port needed?

Fwiw, I am almost exclusively downloading TV shows. LOST is one I'm really after. I have bought the first season. This season I've missed a few shows and d/led them from iTunes for like $1.99 each. I can't get them to work throught the TV, and watching on the computer is a pain.

[davidw]

1. What kind of firewall are you using on your system?
2. Have you checked into a port sniffer to see what kind of traffic is hitting your computer? It may be possible that you have issues on your system that is taking your bandwidth.
3. Have you checked for adware/spyware/virii on your system?
4. Has this problem always been like this or did it recently start? Some broadband providers watch users uploads/downloads and set a limit on certain applications - we have a cap on how fast someone can upload/download using certain protocols where I work.
5. 256k upstream isn't very much. You can have 10,000 down, but with 256k up, you are limited to the "handshake" that you provide in your upstream (this is also dependant on your protocol as well).

[jmebonner]

1.) Nothing, just XP's built in firewall
2.) Nah, I'll do it. Fresh install of xp though, and I don't go anywhere that picks up junk like that I don't think...
3.) Yeah, always. :) I'm clean
4.) Seems like it's been this way for this isp, but sometimes I can leave it on for hours and get results, sometimes it just kills everything, internet and all. Programs like limewire seem to have unlimited bandwith, I can routinely pull speeds of 120-140 kb/s d/l.
5.) Yeah, and that's advertised, I haven't been able to get over 140 up today.