How torrent programs work

The Internet was still slow, and cloud-based technologies were intended for enterprise consumers. It took a few years until torrenting really became popular with computer users and quite unpopular with anti-piracy government agencies.

These days, we have several different methods of downloading files. In addition, you can also download cloud-based files. This happens when someone uploads a file to their cloud such as Dropbox , OneDrive , and many others and you access that cloud to download the file.

In addition, there are torrents. As you can see, there is a difference between these two, even though they can be used interchangeably. Instead of using a centralized server to download files from, torrents work in a decentralized manner. Every participant in the file sharing is actively downloading or uploading files, which means that torrent users need to rely on each other.

Almost every device and operating system can use torrents to download files. However, these are mostly tied to desktop operating systems. First, make sure to install a BitTorrent client and make sure to know where to look for torrents.

We recommend you to use popular repositories which usually bring safe and malware-free files. Please note that many torrent websites especially smaller ones are used to distribute corrupt files and viruses, so make sure to keep your computer protected.

Torrents are a method of distributing files over the internet. They operate over the BitTorrent protocol to facilitate what's called peer-to-peer P2P file-sharing.

There are a number of benefits torrent-based file sharing has over traditional file sharing. Expensive server equipment isn't necessary to send files to many people at once, and low-bandwidth slow networks can just as easily download large sets of data. The most common way to use torrents is through a special file that uses the.

Within the file are directions for how to share specific data with other people. Before we learn more about how torrents work, it's very important to understand that they also pose a greater risk over other forms of file sharing. Torrents aren't inherently dangerous to use or create, but it's important to remember that unless you can trust the source, it's far too easy to accidentally download files that weren't uploaded with the proper permission or even download files infected with malware.

If you're interested in using torrents to share your own files or to download large files from other people, stay safe with an antivirus program and only download torrents from users you trust. Torrents are like other forms of downloading to your computer. However, the way in which you get the files isn't as straightforward, and sharing your own data is much easier. Here's an example of how traditional file sharing works over the HTTP protocol :.

The file you downloaded was on a server, probably a high-end one with lots of disk space and other system resources, designed to serve thousands or millions of people at once. The file exists on that one server only , and anyone with access to it can download it. Torrents work a bit differently. While your web browser connects to websites using the HTTP protocol, torrents use BitTorrent, so a program that can communicate over BitTorrent is needed instead:.

In this scenario, the data you're downloading through the torrent might exist on hundreds of servers at once , but these servers are almost always a standard personal computer in a home, just like yours.

Advanced hardware isn't required and anyone can become a participant in this type of file exchange. In fact, anyone who downloads even a portion of the file can now operate as their own torrent server.

This all might sound a little confusing, but the idea is actually pretty simple. Torrents, as you read above, rely on a peer-to-peer network. This just means that the torrent data, whatever it might be, can be accessed from more than one server at once. Anyone downloading the torrent gets it in bits and pieces from the other servers. A well-known example of such a site is the Pirate Bay.

Be aware though, that a lot of torrent sites contain copyrighted content. This content usually is illegal to download and share, so always make sure you stay away from these kinds of files. Some torrent sites, including The Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents , have even been taken down by local law enforcers in order to stop the illegal sharing of copyrighted content. Even if the act of torrenting itself is perfectly legal and not all of the files on these sites are copyrighted.

Yes, the act of torrenting is legal. That means that being part of a P2P network and downloading and uploading packets of a certain file, is legal. However, the downloading of copyrighted content is illegal in most countries. The downloading of copyrighted content is considered to be copyright infringement.

This is more commonly known as piracy, with the people partaking in copyright infringement sometimes being called pirates. Whether or not you get punished depends a lot on where you live, though. In most countries, especially in Eastern Europe or Latin America, torrenting is illegal but torrenting laws are hardly ever enforced. In the cases that it is tracked and acted against, you might receive a hefty fine. However, only a small amount of people that download copyrighted content actually get a fine or get sued.

If you want to read more on the legalities of downloading, take a look at our article on download fines and legislation. There are a couple of risks that you have to take into account when you consider torrenting.

The most common problem you can have with a torrent is to download a virus alongside or instead of the file you actually need. These are the biggest risks you can stumble onto when downloading torrents:. One of the greatest risks when downloading using torrents is bringing in a virus.

This means that you are quite likely to download malware instead of, or with, a torrent. Software like Kaspersky can protect your device from all kinds of unwanted malware such as spyware and ransomware. But viruses, malware, adware, and legal trouble are a possibility, and they might even be used by hackers.

This speeds up download times for the swarm as a whole and rewards users who contribute more upload bandwidth. Instead, BitTorrent becomes a fully decentralized peer-to-peer file transfer system. DHT can also work alongside traditional trackers.

For example, a torrent can use both DHT and a traditional tracker, which will provide redundancy in case the tracker fails. This helps speed up downloads for everyone by allowing people to share their upload bandwidth with others, leveraging unused bandwidth towards faster downloads for everyone. Of course, it also saves Blizzard money on their bandwidth bills.

People can use BitTorrent to distribute large files to significant numbers of people without paying for the web hosting bandwidth. A free film, music album, or game could be hosted on BitTorrent, allowing an easy, free method of distribution where the people downloading the file also help distribute it. WikiLeaks distributed data via BitTorrent, taking a significant load off their servers. BitTorrent, Inc. Labs experiments include a syncing application that securely synchronizes files between several computers by transferring the files directly via BitTorrent, and a BitTorrent Live experiment that uses the BitTorrent protocol to help broadcast live, streaming video, leveraging the power of BitTorrent to stream live video to large numbers of people without the current bandwidth requirements.

BitTorrent may be primarily used for piracy at the moment, as its decentralized and peer-to-peer nature are a direct response to efforts to crack down on Napster and other peer-to-peer networks with central points of failure.

However, BitTorrent is a tool with legitimate uses in the present — and many other potential uses in the future. Use Google Fonts in Word. Use FaceTime on Android Signal vs. Customize the Taskbar in Windows What Is svchost. Best Smartwatches.

Best Gaming Laptops. Best Smart Displays.