Step-by-Step eMule Setup

Post any eMule-related questions and FAQ's here.
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goku33
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

Post by goku33 »   0 likes

Heyana wrote: Fri Jun 10, 2022 7:25 am |Step 4. Adding a killswitch (To prevent traffic leakage to your ISP, Optional) |
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Spoiler:

*Note; this may or may not work with port forwarding, if anyone tests this please let me know how it went.
While not everyone cares about leaking their traffic, for those that do, here's a way. Note that this only works with Mullvad and will add a slight speed penalty.
Mullvad offers a SOCKS5 proxy for all of its servers - if you don't know what that means, it basically routes your Mullvad traffic a second time, to another server. What has this got to do with leakage? Well, it only works when you're connected to Mullvad, so if you aren't, the proxy wont work, and eMule won't be able to connect to the internet.

Head to the "Proxy" tab and check "Enable Proxy", set the "Proxy type" to SOCKS5.
Now head over to the Mullvad website and click its "Servers" tab (or mullvad.net/en/servers)
From here, untick the boxes "OpenVPN" and "Bridge". Choose the server you'd like your connection to be routed to (choose one close to your VPN server location for optimal performance) and click on it, a drop down menu will unfold, copy the "SOCKS5 PROXY ADDRESS" and paste it into the "Proxy host" text field in eMule, delete this part from the address ":1080". In the "Proxy port" field input 1080. That's it, done! A neat fallback mechanism. It's worth noting that, since your connection is being routed a second time, a speed penalty will happen, I'm not sure how big it will be, but it probably wont be noticeable since eMule isn't the fastest thing around. :p
So this kind of killswitch is a different one and in particular for eMule compared to the in-App feature Mullvad GUI App offers? („Killswitch: VPN always-on“) (Linux version of Mullvad app)
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Night457
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

Post by Night457 »   0 likes

goku33 wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:18 pm So this kind of killswitch is a different one and in particular for eMule compared to the in-App feature Mullvad GUI App offers? („Killswitch: VPN always-on“) (Linux version of Mullvad app)
Hello, just making a quick post even though I do NOT have an answer to your question. I am glad you discovered this addition to the guide, and I thought it unfortunate that Heyana disappeared from FLM soon after.

If you are setting up emule for the first time, I suggest you probably do not need to concern yourself with ALL the options right away, such as killswitches. I have never used them. Just getting emule up and running can be a big accomplishment, and it can be tweaked later.

Perhaps someone else DOES have an answer to your question, however.
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mimzy
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

Post by mimzy »   2 likes

I don't know the details of Mullvad, but yes, VPN and SOCKS5 proxy are different features that can be used independently. Basically, if you are sure that the VPN always-on feature works as expected, you don't need SOCKS5. SOCKS5 just adds some security, since the whole communication (incl. DNS) would be done via SOCKS5 proxy (assuming that the eMule client does not have bugs), which itself would not be reachable if the VPN is off (assuming that the proxy has some sort of private address).
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

Post by goku33 »   0 likes

Thank you guys! Mullvad‘s killswitch has always worked for me, meaning even if I disconnect the VPN or even close the entire app I won’t be able to connect to the Internet (because mullvads killswitch modified the Firewall of the Linux System).

@night457 thank you. Security is very important to me. Don’t want to worry about letters from dmca lawyers cause I downloaded a copyrighted film/tv series :)

Interestingly enough: I never had to open/forward any ports with Torrents and Mullvad. I assume UdnP thing worked automatically - I even seeded torrents and the torrent client shows the outgoing Mullvad IP address. This is why I give them my money. With their software everything „just works“. (protonvpn‘s app were really buggy to me, even the installing process is a hassle and messed up some of my systems)
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

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Maybe a dumb question: But does eMule often work without portforwarding, port opening and vpn enabled? I know everyone always mentions the highID you don’t get without doing that.
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

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goku33 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:40 pmSecurity is very important to me. Don’t want to worry about letters from dmca lawyers cause I downloaded a copyrighted film/tv series :)
Fair enough. You seem to have a good handle on the technical aspects of security. Mimzy can speak knowledgeably on the subject but I can not. (I have not been dragged off to jail yet.)
I assume UdnP thing worked automatically
Yes. The "standard" eMule Setup will let your eMule client make its own choices, you are simply giving it permission to do so. Ports WILL be opened or your computer just does not download or upload at all. With port-forwarding, YOU are choosing the specific TCP and UDP ports.
goku33 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:00 pm Maybe a dumb question: But does eMule often work without portforwarding, port opening and vpn enabled? I know everyone always mentions the highID you don’t get without doing that.
Yes, eMule DOES work with only LowID. There are probably hundreds of LowIDers who get files from me. You are NOT required to have HighID for emule to work, but it is VERY difficult for two LowID peers to IDENTIFY ("find") each other on emule and share files. It is generally only possible if they are on the same server. The most popular server for LowID members is emule Security. LowID to HighID transmission (and vice versa) is very easy, even if they are on different servers.

I have not figured out how some people seem to get HighID without portforwarding on their router or on a VPN, but it sounds as if pillowbaker does. I myself had to do router adjustments with my old ISP. That was not even possible with my newer ISP so I had to use a port-forwarding VPN. I could have just gone with LowID but I did not want to do that.

I have HighID, so I get files from LowID members and then other LowID members get them from me. Some of those LowID members have VERY fast upload and download speeds, so it sure seems that their eMule WORKS.
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

Post by mimzy »   3 likes

Night457 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 3:19 pm
goku33 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:00 pm Maybe a dumb question: But does eMule often work without portforwarding, port opening and vpn enabled? I know everyone always mentions the highID you don’t get without doing that.
Yes, eMule DOES work with only LowID. There are probably hundreds of LowIDers who get files from me. You are NOT required to have HighID for emule to work, but it is VERY difficult for two LowID peers to IDENTIFY ("find") each other on emule and share files. It is generally only possible if they are on the same server. The most popular server for LowID members is emule Security. LowID to HighID transmission (and vice versa) is very easy, even if they are on different servers.

HighID to LowID works, but is AFAIK slightly less efficient than HighID to HighID if the source has long queue (because HighID cannot notify a LowID user). Moreover, a LowID cannot use Kademlia (DHT) and only relies on servers to find sources.

LowID to HighID works if the LowID users connects HighID first (ie., when LowID connects a HighID to download a file, the HighID might ask files from LowID). Maybe a server can tell LowID users which HighID users to connect, but I'm not sure. Again, there is no way to connect to a LowID user directly.

LowID to LowID almost surely will not work, because that would requre some kind of proxy in between.

In sum, having LowID means downloads will be a little bit less efficient, but uploads (sharing) will be very inefficient. And I think eMule gives higher priority to users with better up/down ratio.

At least that is my understanding. I've never tested LowID operation myself.

Night457 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 3:19 pm I have not figured out how some people seem to get HighID without portforwarding on their router or on a VPN, but it sounds as if pillowbaker does.

eMule can use UPnP to open ports automatically if supported by the router. Maybe this works with some VPN apps too.
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

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mimzy wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 9:04 pm eMule can use UPnP to open ports automatically if supported by the router. Maybe this works with some VPN apps too.
Yes, this must be how I was able to use torrents with Mullvad a while ago without modifying anything on my router OR computer and firewalls. Deluge just used and showed my vpn‘s outgoing IP address. I did not forward any ports. I always wondered if this was I could still also created and seed my own torrents cause up until now I had only leeched and seeded other peoples torrents.

It’s kind of confusing for a beginner like me when you read everywhere online how crucial port forwarding is for being able to use torrents but then it just magically (UPnP) works without having to do anything!


@Night457 So with your old ISP, You did use eMule without any VPN protections?
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

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goku33 wrote: Wed Oct 19, 2022 8:14 pm It’s kind of confusing for a beginner like me when you read everywhere online how crucial port forwarding is for being able to use torrents but then it just magically (UPnP) works without having to do anything!
I had never even heard of port forwarding until after I started using emule less than 3 years ago, but I used torrents successfully for a long time before that. I installed a torrent client and if it worked, it worked. When it stopped working I installed a different one. I never CREATED a torrent, however.
@Night457 So with your old ISP, You did use eMule without any VPN protections?
Correct. I got the VPN for port-forwarding, but I also REALLY like that I can get around much geo-blocking by switching server countries. That is all that interests me personally, though I do understand the other VPN purposes.
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Re: Step-by-Step eMule Setup

Post by mimzy »   3 likes

I'm not a huge torrent user, but I've downloaded several torrents successfully with closed ports. It works analoguous to LowID, and since each torrent is associated with one or more trackers, finding the right "server" is not an issue. Trackerless torrents work similar to Kad and I assume you cannot download those easily without port forwarding.

Once I did consider using commercial VPN, but there were too many VPN providers and too difficult to choose. There were too many aspects (payment options, cost, privacy, security, transfer speed, supported protocols, port forwarding, etc.) and none of the providers was ideal. Realistically, dmca or mpaa won't bother if you download foreign movies that are at least few years old.
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