Adjusting Steam Radiator
I've not lived with a steam system, though I have some understanding of them.
Air vents (and your picture) imply that you have a &quot;one pipe&quot; steam system, where the pipes are sloped to allow condensed water to flow back to the boiler while steam flows to the radiators above that. The air vent allows air out of the system and then closes when it heats up as steam gets to the radiator.
A search on Hoffman Adustable Valve comes up with
Adjustable port for true proportional venting v 6 port settings from slow (1) to fast (6)
Which appears to be &quot;1 is less and 6 is more&quot;
The supply valves (as you suspect) should be fully open (unless someplace is so overheated you don't want that radiator to heat at all.) Do check that the upstairs control valves (on the steam pipes) are fully open.
It is possible that (some of) your air valves may not be operating as they should, and need to be replaced with ones that do. You could certainly try moving some of the &quot;too warm&quot; rooms from 2 or 3 to 1 or 2. It might be worth trying turning the upstairs air valves down to 1 and then back up to 6 - but they might need to be replaced. You should hear air coming out of the vents when the boiler starts up.