If you have used the internet before the advent of online streaming sites, you are probably more or less familiar with torrents. You may have visited a torrent site before to download a movie, music album, or video game, or you may have heard of people using it. This article also discusses what torrent is and how it works.
What is a torrent?
A torrent is a file sharing through a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing network. P2P file sharing allows users to exchange files without uploading them to a server. The term may also refer to the filename extension or metadata that tells trackers or programs coordinating the transmission of torrents where to download torrent files.
What is torrenting?
Torrenting is uploading or downloading components that connect a it file from multiple peer networks or computers. The shared nature of torrenting makes this process faster than uploading or downloading a large file to a central server. Why?
The following checks and balances system is in place to make the torrenting process somewhat error-free:
A torrent file (.torrent) contains information that tells users which computers are part of the file-sharing process. It may also provide details about the files and folders the user downloads.
The torrent client connects to a tracker that keeps a group of devices’ IP addresses. The tracker sends IP addresses to all torrent clients to ensure that all peers are connected.
The torrent client starts downloading. Once it receives enough bits of data, it starts uploading the file for the benefit of other users.
What is BitTorrent?
We mentioned BitTorrent at the beginning of the article, but let’s see what BitTorrent is.
BitTorrent is a P2P sharing protocol, meaning that all torrent clients use it to enable the uploading, sharing, and downloading of torrent files. Bram Cohen designed this program in April 2001. Bram put this title on the first torrent client, which was released to the public on July 2, 2001.
BitTorrent (client) is currently the most popular torrent client worldwide, with over 2 billion users.
Is it illegal to use BitTorrent?
Using BitTorrent is not illegal. Several legitimate companies, including Netflix, Meta, Google, Twitter, and Lionsgate, use it.
This is the unwritten rule about BitTorrent; As long as you’re not sharing files that you obtained illegally or didn’t own via BitTorrent, your work isn’t illegal.
What are the positive functions of torrents?
Although torrent sites have become a hotbed for digital thieves and trespassers, they can be useful for synchronizing large file segments and sharing media files you can access. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter use a similar protocol to upload large files to their servers to save bandwidth. A torrent client, such as Starcraft, may also be considered for running software updates. Some government organizations also use torrents to share large images and documents with the public, which may otherwise put pressure on their servers.
Is torrenting illegal?
The short answer is no. Sharing files through torrent sites is not illegal in itself. It only becomes illegal when a user downloads or uploads copyrighted material through a torrent client or website.
Are torrent files safe to download?
Most torrents are relatively safe to download if you know where they are from. In addition, malicious agents who try to change torrent metadata will corrupt the corresponding file and render it useless.
However, torrent files infected with malware are also numerous and are mostly offered as illegal versions of TV series episodes. Torrent users should also be wary of executable (.exe) or batch (.bat) files, as these files usually come with scripts that install malware on computers.
What is a torrent tracker?
Torrent Tracker is a server that helps users communicate faster with other peers by monitoring which peer machines are holding specific files. It works like Tinder and other dating apps that match users based on the preferences they enter. When two people decide to meet in person or connect through another platform, they can do so without Tinder.
Similarly, when a torrent user requests a specific file, the torrent tracker connects him to the appropriate peer device. After starting the P2P download, connecting to the tracker is no longer necessary.
What is the difference between private and public trackers?
What is a public tracker?
As the name suggests, a public tracker is open to anyone and usually has a large user base. Anyone can download a shared file from such a site, even if the user is not registered or logged into the tracker site.
What is a private tracker?
On the other hand, private trackers can only be accessed by registered users who have been verified to be trustworthy (meaning they are not online thieves or sharing copyrighted material) before joining…
What is the difference between these two?
Due to the difference between public and private tracker user bases, downloads from public trackers may be slower, especially if a popular file is being downloaded by many users simultaneously.
Also, since private trackers have fewer users, their members may be required to upload more files than public tracker users.
What is Seedbox?
Seedbox is a dedicated server located in a high-speed data center. This box has a public IP address, so anyone can download torrent files anytime, anywhere, as long as they are connected to the internet.
All sites that host torrent files use seedbox if they want to increase the upload and download speed of both public and private trackers. A Seedbox usually offers speeds between 10 and 100 Mbps. Users can pay for the subscription of this box monthly or annually.
How to use torrent
In the following, we will discuss the step-by-step method of using torrents.
Step 1: Choose and download a torrent client
Before sharing or downloading files, you must choose and install a torrent client. Choose carefully, as there is an adware that can cause problems for your computer or device. It is better to download directly from the client’s website to avoid downloading malware from third-party sites. Although there are free clients to download, if you want your security not to be compromised, go for a good client.
Step 2: Install a tracker site
Once you have installed a torrent client, you must also download a tracker site that contains a list of torrent files. They are just a source for torrent files and have no content on their servers.
There are two types of tracker sites. One is a public tracker site that is accessible to all users. Another is the private tracker site, which includes specialized torrent websites hosting individual files. Registration on a private tracker site is often exclusive and by invitation only. Users are also asked to save torrents after each download.
Step 3: Search for content to download
Next, you can search for the content you want to download. Usually, several files appear in the search results; choose the ones with more Seeder users so that your download is done faster. Before downloading, check if you can run the file.
Step 4: Download the content
Once you find out if the file is compatible with your installed programs, you can download the content. You can download multiple files, but it is better to prioritize your downloadable files.