What is the HASH symbol?
 

In the search box there is a HASH symbol with a number beneath it, usually less than a hundred - I guess this is the number of people uploading but if it is why am I am I not downloading from a similar number?

The # column shows you the number of hosts sharing an identical file.
If you have LW basic, you can download from 8 hosts (10 if you have a T3 connection).
If you have LW Pro you can download from 10 hosts (14 if you have a T3 connection).