@Don Veach If you are using any kind of antivirus or security software other than what is native to your operating system, you might need to go into that software's settings to specifically whitelist your torrent client. (I had to do this with Norton after I installed that on my Mac, for instance)
I am also assuming that you are trying this on your home network. Something to be aware of is that workplace networks can be different from home networks. If you are trying this at your workplace, it is possible that their IT has decided to block all torrenting traffic.