P2P programs and ISP bandwidth Throttling

First off sorry if this is in the wrong area but it does have something to do with networking...

On rare occasions I'll use P2P's to download large files like trials of 3dmark and some sharewares can only be downloaded via trorrents or other p2p means. I know that there is probably no effective way to get around an ISP's throttling/packet sniffing. The reason I write is because I believe my ISP (comcast/timewarner) may actually have (somehow) installed something on my pc without my knowledge or they may be "testing" a different kind of tactic in my area.

I see many posts all over the net about poor speeds due to throttling by ISP's, but in my area (where comcast/timewarner is the ONLY service provider other than 56k/dsl) when you use a p2p program your speed don't get throttled your net connection is effectively severed.

I tried to use a torrent client to download my latest install of the 3dmark demo. Everything went as normal (as i remember from not having used a p2p in about 3 yrs) and the torrent started downloading once it reached 1% it dropped to 0kb/mb a second so I closed it and decided to surf the net for another torrent of the 3dmark trial (thinking the one I had was dead), and guess what my IE wouldn't connect to the net got the "cannot find page error". So I went into my network connections and did a repair connection, and it failed due to being unable to renew the ip. So then I figured it was the ISP and unplugged the modem for about 3 mins to reset it. Once I powered it back up I still could not connect to the net. Once I rebooted however everything was fine (this is why I suspect they have placed something on my end. I mean how would they know that only the modem was rest and not the pc?)I then repeated the above with the same exact outcome.

How legal is this? I mean I know throttling bandwidth wile using a p2p client is questionable, but you regain full functionality after closing the program, We however get completely disconnected from the net, which can only be remedied by a complete reboot not just a modem cycle. Isn't this effectively censorship of the net on the ISP's part, since we don't get to access the information even at slower speeds?

Any advice on how to remedy this, or a way to find out if they have actually "installed" something on my PC would be great. As I remember in the TOS it didn't say anywhere that they could install anything on my pc without my knowledge. Even if they didn't isn't this type of "censorship" illegal?

 

(I mean how would they know that only the modem was rest and not the pc?) easy they can tell if a modem is on or not by pinging it and they log all most stuff your ip rember your modem's MAC is unquie to your account with them and no they can't install software to the pc its self

but that can push firmware into the modem new settings bandwith caps ect

I have timewarner and they Throttel ya like a *(&*( when your useing p2p best to just change isp fios

 

http://broadband.mpi-sws.mpg.de/transparency/bttest.php
Check and see

 

Well that is strange it seems from this test that TW/Comcast in this area isn't throttling at all on any of bittorrents ports...perhaps I just had a bad install or something...