uTorrent

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CNET Editors' review

Small enough to run off a USB key, but powerful enough to download any torrent in a jiffy (if it's got enough seeders), uTorrent 2.0 is easy on the eyes and smart on your network. The memory footprint for uTorrent is very small, and system resources are barely touched. While you're torrenting, you shouldn't be surprised to find that other programs that use your Internet connection slow down, but the latest version of uTorrent has an answer to that. Called uTorrent Protocol, or uTP, it's a built-in throttling that detects network congestion and slows down the torrent until the traffic jam has dissipated.

Version 2.0 includes a transfer cap, so that users who have had limits imposed by their ISPs can keep track and automatically kill torrenting when that limit is reached. Skins have also been introduced, but there's no skins option in Preferences: instead, you must go to the uTorrent site and download and install them yourself. That's unnecessarily irritating.

The most difficult aspect of using a torrent client is still finding the torrents, but included are both a torrent search bar and a handy RSS feed download function. Subscribe to select feeds, and uTorrent automatically downloads files as they publish. Adding, starting, pausing, and listing torrents takes merely a click each. A speed guide helps you test your ports and adjust system settings for optimal performance, although watch out for the opt-out Ask.com toolbar when you install. Combined with Local Peer Discovery and DHT Network options, and Teredo and Ipv6 support, uTorrent should be the torrent program of choice for novices, intermediate, and advanced users.

uTorrent 2.0 looks to the future:

Publisher's Description

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All User Reviews
  • All versions:

    4.1 stars

    out of 1,121 votes

    • 5 star: 594
    • 4 star: 298
    • 3 star: 79
    • 2 star: 31
    • 1 star: 119
  • Current version:

    3.1 stars

    out of 14 votes

    • 5 star: 4
    • 4 star: 3
    • 3 star: 2
    • 2 star: 1
    • 1 star: 4
  • My rating:

    0 stars

    Write review

Results 1-10 of 14

  • 5.0 stars

    "Pleasantly wonderful."

    June 3, 2012  |   By Peque1920

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    It certainly works like a charm with the torrents.

    Cons

    So far, it's the inability to exclude free downloads like the ubiquitous toolbar or underwater sunshine.

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  • 4.0 stars

    "Good program. Simple and fast"

    May 27, 2012  |   By egamabr

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    Fast end simple

    Cons

    Why they insist change my default search engine?

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  • 5.0 stars

    "Simple and effective"

    May 26, 2012  |   By eboutin

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    Simple to set up
    Works well
    Plenty of options to help with bandwidth management

    Cons

    None found yet

    Summary

    A small footprint package that works well.

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  • 4.0 stars

    "Lightweight but powerful"

    May 24, 2012  |   By pruther

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    Light on system resources and simple to use. Gets the job done.

    Cons

    Not the cleanest of interfaces.

    Summary

    Definitely the best lightweight torrent application out there at the moment.

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  • 5.0 stars

    "brilliant super fast"

    May 20, 2012  |   By justjulie1977

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    its super quick

    Cons

    i haven't found any

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  • 1.0 stars

    "Network Nightmare"

    May 15, 2012  |   By bugsquash

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    Great for downloading almost anything you'd care to, client small and simple

    Cons

    For anyone on a network of any sort this software is a total nightmare - generally if you're NOT the user of the software. It makes gaming a complete nightmare - with ping ratings and jitter going through the roof

    Summary

    Great at doing what it says - but it's what it doesn't say that concerns me. On a network this thing makes life a misery for everyone else - and it's often not the case that you can just boot the torrent user off the network. This problem has been going on several years - and utorrent don't seem to be able to/want to address the issue. You won't see much about it in their promos - I just wish I could prosecute them for the misery they've caused me let alone anyone else (try a search on the subject -there basically isn't an answer short of shooting the torrent user)

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  • 3.0 stars

    "Used to be way easier."

    May 11, 2012  |   By Simcity123c

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    Hardly, I think it's a scam when you buy it. Once you buy it they probably won't give it to you.

    Cons

    Hate it. I HATE IT. ARGHH. These days people take people's jobs into craziness!

    Summary

    Right now. These updates are annoying. Extensions, Toolbars, Homepage. NEARLY EVERYTHING IS WORSER NOW!
    I remember uTorrent used to have a diffrent logo. The old logo was way better then then the new one. You guys should keep the old version which is more better then this crappy updates

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  • 1.0 stars

    "deceptive adware"

    May 9, 2012  |   By wigra6

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    does its job very quickly.... BUT

    Cons

    installs toolbars and other unwanted staff even you opt out

    Summary

    deceptive adware. who likes to be fooled ?
    DON`T EVEN TRY TO INSTALL THIS.

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  • 3.0 stars

    "Adware Adware Adware Adware"

    May 6, 2012  |   By donok11

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    The program is still simple enough

    Cons

    Adware Adware Adware. What alse to say?
    It hard to noticed the adware install noticed and even that I didn't mark the search engine option it still changed my search engine.
    It also hide from the add/remove option and I had to google it for uninstalling!
    ADWARE!

    Summary

    Find your self another program

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  • 4.0 stars

    "Good program but their support on "forums" suck"

    May 5, 2012  |   By urje808

    Version: uTorrent 3.1.3

    Pros

    Its a good program. I may change back to Azerus Vuze due to the forum support tho. Utorrent has a bad admin mod named DreadWingKnight.

    Cons

    DreadWingKnight admin moderator. He banned me for suggesting 3 items in the "Feature suggestions" which is kinda what its there for. He said I should know protocols prior to suggesting things which is kinda dumb. Some of the things I suggested, are already on Azerus Vuze. He banned me prior to me explaining that. He has probably also intercepted the 3 emails I sent in to complain about him as he is an admin and utorrent has probably not set up any controls to protect against that. How can you let someone take a complaint about themselves? If this guy is the "front man" for utorrent, I see them losing more and more people just from word of mouth alone. I only changed from vuze to utorrent as a suggestion from a friend.
    When you upload or are fully seeding a torrent, it will not show you the other actual seeders only who is connected (due to queing and possibly stopping the torrent they may not be actually uploading). Vuze shows this.

    Summary

    I would normally recommend this program, but I dare you to go to the utorrent forum and deal with DreadWingknight and see how he will close a topic after he replies rather than debate or answer follow up questions as he is not explanitory on his answers. His lack of knowledge of other products and lack of tact and ability to hide his own bad acts on the site will infuriate you as utorrent will probably never see this information. Good luck. As long as you dont need to go to the forum, and are not aware of what other programs can do and this one cant, you should be ok.

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Results 1-10 of 14

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