A Beginner's Guide To Torrent Usage

**motomaster** · 10-21-2009

Hi all ,

I am writing this guide to clear all the confusion and queries regarding Torrent usage.
I have tried to make it as short and ''to-the point '' as possible in simple words.
Hope it helps.

What Are Torrents?

A Torrent is a meta file i.e. it does NOT consist of the file to be shared but rather the source of the file embedded in it.It involves live streaming of data from one person to another aka peer-2-peer (P2P).This is completely different from static streaming of data as in file sharing websites like Rapidshare.

Why Are Torrents Popular?

Torrents are popular simply because they can be shared very easily since the size of a torrent file is very small irrespective of the original file to be shared.Most of the files are in KB's and can be easily uploaded and downloaded.The real thing begins when you start downloading the content the torrent has been made for.

How Do I Download/Search for Torrents?

There are a large number of torrent indexing websites that will help you find and download torrents.A torrent file is downloaded and saved in the PC just as other files.You then need a Bit Torrent client to download the content of the torrent.

Here is my list of torrent indexing websites:

1.kickasstorrents.com
2.mininova.org
3.thepiratebay.org
4.seedpeer.com

All the above websites are clean (malware free) , however always keep a good antivirus at hand while downloading torrents from torrent indexing websites.

Torrent Terminology

Now ,we move on to some of the most common terms related to Torrents .I will only tell the basics rather than going into details.

1.Seed :People who have 100% of a file downloaded from the torrent and are helping others in downloading it.

2.Leech: People who are downloading the torrent file and have yet not completed a 100% download of the entire file.A leech later becomes a seed if he keeps his BiTorrent Client open even after his download has finished 100%.

3.Peer: Seed+Leech

4.Tracker: A website which helps peers communicate to each other.

5.Bit Torrent client: a software that helps us download the file from the torrent torrent ( e.g.. XP sp3.iso from xp sp3.torrent ).The most important aspect of P2P sharing.

What is a Bit Torrent client?What Bit Torrent Client should I use?

After the .torrent file has been downloaded, you need a Bit Torrent client to download the actual file the torrent was made for.

This is perhaps the most difficult part for most users and everybody has got his /her opinion.
But after trying out 20 different BitTorrent clients , I can confidently put forward my opinion:

BitComet : Simply the best! It is the fastest.Period.

utorrent is currently the most hyped client out there but it is not half as good as it is made out to be.I will not go into the details and technicality as that would lengthen this guide , hence I present this short comparison:

Blue (Hindi Movie 2009) DVD RIP ~700 MB

On My Connection (1 Mbps download speed) :

utorrent: 21 minutes

BitComet : 15 minutes.

Results may vary depending on your connection but BItComet works super fast on Dial Up connections too.

Nothing more to say , just go for it: bitcomet.com

You can also try Vuze/Bit Torrent.

Remember, the speed will depend a lot on your connection speed and the number of seeds.So choose your torrent wisely and have a good connection.

Ok! I went to mininova.org and searched for WinXP SP3.I got 50 results .Which one should I download?

Every torrent indexing website will show you the number of seeds and leech for a particular torrent.Always download the one with a high number of seeds or with a higher seed/leech ratio.More the seeds , faster the download!

Is seeding necessary?How do I do it?

Seeding is optional but as a user it is your responsibility to help other download it just as you were helped by others.It will keep P2P sharing alive.Always upload as much as you download and help others.

To seed , simply keep your BitTorrent client open after your download has finished and the status will change from ''downloading'' to ''seeding''.

Security issues related to torrent usage:

1.Peers can see you ip: Your ip address will be visible to all the people actively involved in the torrent file.
You can escape it by using proxies like I do and use a fake ip.However, you can skip this step if you don not want to go into a lot of technicality.Nobody can harm you anyways through your ip if you have a firewall installed.

2.Legal Issues= None in India.Download as much as you want!

Keep downloading ! Keep seeding!

Comments , suggestions , and queries are most welcome.

Thanks!

motomaster.

**ady_thakur** · 10-21-2009

Nice guide Master......
One Q........Why the Bitcomet is faster than utorrent???
Link plz.....if possible.....

**motomaster** · 10-21-2009

One Q........Why the Bitcomet is faster than utorrent???

There is no definite answer to it.It is just fast.
Moreover, there are a lot of other technical reasons where utorrent fails like peer priority, ip ban facility , seed leech swarm , etc.

Remember , your connection will decide a lot.