eMule's nightmare with Telefónica: Zyxel router and UPnP break P2P
eMule problems with Telefónica ADSL and a Zyxel router: UPnP fails, over 100 pending downloads. The fix? Dreamule, torrents or manually opening ports.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
eMule's nightmare with Telefónica: Zyxel router and UPnP, the combination that breaks P2P
Switching to Telefónica can be hell for eMule users. The Zyxel 660hw-B1a router becomes an peine wall. A user with more than 100 pending downloads reports that his "favourite mule" stopped working after signing up for ADSL with Telefónica. The diagnosis is quick: UPnP fails to forward ports and the automatic IP prevents the connection. Over a dozen replies try to fix it, from recommending Dreamule to opening ports manually, along with suggestions to switch to torrents and JDownloader.
The Zyxel 660hw-B1a router, the problematic piece
The exact model supplied by Telefónica turned out to be the Zyxel 660hw-B1a, a version with menus and settings different from earlier ones. The guides available for the P660HW-D1 were useless, and the user kept getting the message "Ports could not be forwarded via UPnP". The solution involved fiddling with a static IP, but doing so cut off his Internet connection. A dead end that only time and the community could resolve.
The fix? Dreamule or taking the middle road
Faced with the router's resistance, some advocated switching clients: Dreamule, an improved version of eMule that installs with no extra configuration. Others simply recommended abandoning the eDonkey network and moving to torrents, arguing that "the MULE is no longer a thing". The debate reflects the tension between those loyal to classic P2P and those who have already migrated to more modern methods. The shadow of the SGAE (Spain's music industry anti-piracy body, called "SINDEvergüenza" in the thread) looms over the conversation: once direct downloads are blocked, the herd will return to P2P.
Under these conditions, the mule is dying, but as long as there are unreleased works out there, someone will keep it alive.
Related discussions in the forum
Switching to Telefónica can be hell for eMule users. The Zyxel 660hw-B1a router becomes an peine wall. A user with more than 100 pending downloads reports that his "favourite mule" stopped working after signing up for ADSL with Telefónica. The diagnosis is quick: UPnP fails to forward ports and the automatic IP prevents the connection. Over a dozen replies try to fix it, from recommending Dreamule to opening ports manually, along with suggestions to switch to torrents and JDownloader.
The Zyxel 660hw-B1a router, the problematic piece
The exact model supplied by Telefónica turned out to be the Zyxel 660hw-B1a, a version with menus and settings different from earlier ones. The guides available for the P660HW-D1 were useless, and the user kept getting the message "Ports could not be forwarded via UPnP". The solution involved fiddling with a static IP, but doing so cut off his Internet connection. A dead end that only time and the community could resolve.
The fix? Dreamule or taking the middle road
Faced with the router's resistance, some advocated switching clients: Dreamule, an improved version of eMule that installs with no extra configuration. Others simply recommended abandoning the eDonkey network and moving to torrents, arguing that "the MULE is no longer a thing". The debate reflects the tension between those loyal to classic P2P and those who have already migrated to more modern methods. The shadow of the SGAE (Spain's music industry anti-piracy body, called "SINDEvergüenza" in the thread) looms over the conversation: once direct downloads are blocked, the herd will return to P2P.
Under these conditions, the mule is dying, but as long as there are unreleased works out there, someone will keep it alive.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (22 replies).
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