Torrenting is a popular method for sharing and downloading files over the internet, but it works quite differently from traditional file downloads. Instead of downloading a file from a single server, torrenting allows users to download and share pieces of the file simultaneously from multiple sources.
This process is facilitated by a peer-to-peer network, which makes file sharing faster and more efficient. In this guide, I'll explore what torrenting is, why people use it, and how to torrent safely.
How do torrents work?
When you download a file normally, you're connecting to a single server that has the whole file. You make a request to the web server, the server sends back a HTTP response and streams the file across to your device until it’s complete. Multiple users can request the same file simultaneously and each download is completely independent of the status of any other download. This is the client-server model.
By comparison, torrenting uses a peer-to-peer model for file transfer. Instead of downloading a file from a single source in one continuous stream, torrenting breaks the file into smaller pieces that can be rapidly distributed between peers in the "swarm". Each peer in a torrent swarm is responsible for uploading and downloading parts of the file simultaneously. Instead of file transfer being limited to the upload speed of the server as in the client-server model, each peer in the swarm can use their full bandwidth to distribute the file.
This increases the speed at which files can be distributed amongst a group of clients and makes file distribution more resilient. If a server goes down midway through several users downloading a file, for example, there's no recourse for the users who could not finish the download, even if one of the users has the complete file.
With torrenting, even if there isn't a single user in the swarm that has the complete file, as long as the complete file can be formed from all of the pieces available from each peer, these pieces will be distributed amongst the swarm until everyone has 100% of the file.
There are a few things you'll need to download a file by torrenting. The first of these is a BitTorrent client. This is software that manages the downloading and uploading of torrent files. A torrent client connects you to the P2P network, allowing you to find and connect with other peers who have the file you want to download. It also handles the complex task of downloading pieces of the file from multiple sources and reassembling them to ensure that you get a complete, usable file.
Additionally, torrent clients manage the uploading process, enabling you to share pieces of the file with others once you have downloaded them. This sharing is crucial for maintaining a healthy torrent ecosystem. Some torrent clients even allow you to stream video files by prioritizing sequential pieces of the file, combining the power of the torrent protocol with the convenience of on-demand video streaming.
Once you have your torrent client, you'll need to find something to download. A torrent file contains the metadata you’ll need for the files to be downloaded, such as file names, sizes, and structure, as well as the servers you can contact to request a list of peers to connect to. There are also Magnet links, which contain the same data in a long hashed string of characters instead of a file. This provides a direct way to download the torrent without needing a separate file. You can load either of these into your torrent client. There's no real difference between the two except convenience.
Once you have the torrent file or magnet link loaded into your client, it will begin importing the metadata and contacting the other peers on the network to download your file. When you're connecting to a peer swarm, you'll notice that peers are divided into two categories: seeders and leechers. Seeders are users who have the complete file and share it with others, while leechers are users who are downloading the file.
As you download pieces of the file, you also become a seeder for those pieces, contributing to the network. A healthy torrent has a high number of seeders, ensuring that the file is readily available for download.
The distributed nature of torrenting means that it's much tougher to remove access to a file by denial of service or legal action. This is why some torrent users distribute copyrighted material across BitTorrent, such as movies and video games.
Torrenting has a bit of a bad rep as only being useful to access content illegally, but this isn’t all true. Torrenting is really useful if you’re downloading large files that are community-driven.
For example, people who want to contribute to an open-source project but don't have the expertise or time to work on a code base might instead choose to help the developers reduce hosting costs by participating in a torrent swarm. This is how many Linux disk images are distributed, allowing development teams to spend their limited resources on costs other than hosting.
Cons of torrenting
The distributed nature of torrenting means that there are a few things you should take into account before using the software. The most important is that your IP address is visible to everyone sharing the same torrent file.
Your IP address can reveal your general location, be used to track your online activities, and provide an opening to hackers attempting to break into your machine. When you join a torrent swarm, you're shouting from the rooftops that you're downloading this specific file.
Copyright holders and anti-piracy organizations often monitor torrent networks to identify and prosecute individuals downloading or sharing copyrighted content without permission. Knowing this, scam artists will also submit legal notices to anyone they suspect is torrenting files demanding payment while threatening legal action. To mitigate your visibility to these fraudsters, I recommend using one of the best VPNs of 2024. A VPN hides your IP address and encrypts your internet traffic, providing an extra layer of privacy and security. This makes it much harder for anyone to track your online activities or identify your location.
A VPN is also useful if you're worried about your internet service provider (ISP) limiting your ability to torrent. Torrenting involves downloading and uploading large amounts of data. Leaving your torrents on will consume a significant portion of your internet bandwidth, potentially slowing your connection down, especially if you're gaming online.
If you're with an ISP that imposes a data cap, exceeding your bandwidth limit due to heavy torrenting can result in additional charges or throttled internet speeds. ISPs often look for torrenting traffic and throttle it regardless of how much bandwidth you're actually using, but using a VPN disguises this traffic and makes it far more difficult for your ISP to slow down your connection unfairly.
However, there are a few torrenting issues that a VPN can't solve. With torrenting, resilience directly correlates with how popular a file is. Torrenting relies on a full copy of the file being available. Less popular files may have few or no seeders, making it difficult to download them. If a full copy can't be created between all the peers in the swarm, you won't be able to download the file. Before starting a download, check the number of seeders to ensure the file is actively shared and likely to be completed successfully.
Just because a file is popular doesn't mean it's safe. As torrents are hard to police, malware developers use them to distribute malicious viruses under the guise of copyrighted material such as video games and paid software. Always download from reputable sites and check user reviews and comments for red flags.
Even worse, some BitTorrent clients can introduce adware or malware to your device. To protect yourself, use well-known and trusted torrent clients, and keep your antivirus software up to date. Using an antivirus or VPN with real-time malware protection can help detect and remove any threats before they cause harm, making your torrenting experience much safer.
Final thoughts
When it all goes well, torrenting is a great way to cut down on hosting costs and keep public domain files, well, in the public domain. However, torrenting can also expose you to legal action from legitimate and illegitimate sources if you're not careful with what you're downloading.
Where possible, you should always torrent from behind a VPN to avoid revealing your real IP address to hackers.
FAQs
Is torrenting illegal?
No, torrenting is not illegal. Some ISPs may throttle or block torrenting traffic but the protocol itself is not inherently illegal to use. However, distributing copyrighted material by torrenting is illegal in many jurisdictions.
When you torrent, you're not just downloading content, you're uploading it to other users too. As such, torrenting illegal content may come with harsher penalties than directly downloading it.
What happens if you get caught torrenting?
If your ISP identifies that you're torrenting, it may throttle your connection as it's a fairly bandwidth-intensive protocol. That said, your ISP can't close down your connection altogether. After all, torrenting is not illegal.
That said, if you get caught downloading or uploading copyrighted content, it's possible to receive anything from a warning letter from your ISP or the copyright holder all the way through to fines and potentially a court order.
What VPN should I use for torrenting?
The best pick is one that has a combination of fast servers, a bunch of different locations to choose from, and port-forwarding support for the majority of the VPN’s servers. It also helps if the provider explicitly supports torrenting. If you're still unsure about which VPN is the best for torrenting, you can check out our best torrenting VPN page.
Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:
1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).
2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.
We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
