Explains > BitTorrent Basics
The Smartass Explains BitTorrent
For me for the past few years I have simply accepted bittorrent as the only efficient way to download files. Yet everyday I meet people who don’t know what it is, or who think using Kazaa is the way to go. Since I don’t want to explain it to every person individually anymore I am going to give you the who, what, when, where, why and how.
BitTorrent is a Peer-to-Peer file sharing protocol that doesn’t suck. It was invented by Bram Cohen. It has been around for awhile and will continue to be around for awhile because of the method it uses to transfer files. A torrent file is basically just a text file that describes some data. It cuts it into hundreds of segments and memorizes how to put those segments back together again. Because a torrent file is such a tiny file people use it to describe vast quantities of files (example: an entire 60 disk Rolling Stones discography is only a 280k torrent file).
The torrent file doesn’t require the data to be on a server anywhere. Instead it relies on the people who are both leeching it and seeding it to provide the data for everybody else. The websites you typically get torrents off of are called Trackers. Basically the tracker, like it’s namesake keeps track of people who are uploading and downloading the file. So when you start downloading one of the other people downloading is now also uploading you a little chunk of data. After a minute you have a few pieces and might just start uploading those pieces to other people. This is all kept track of on the tracker.
In the end you need at least 1 person seeding (at least for awhile), to get a complete copy of the item. However there always seems to be somebody who will seed a torrent forever.
Now there are many different programs you can get that will allow you to download these torrent files, and there are literately thousands of trackers on the web that you can find files at. Choosing one is based on your operating system however I will recommend uTorrent to those on PC’s, and Azureus to those not. There is however a catch to Azureus. It is coded for Java, so it tends to be a memory hog. It has more features than any other client though. Also beware of version 3.0, perhaps read up on it to see if it’s safe, because it is VERY different than their 2.5 version, and seems like it wants to please the bigshots.
Legal issues: Well there are many different things you can legally download with Bittorrent, it started first as a way to distribute Anime Fansubs, and then went to Linux distributions. Both valid legal reasons. I however am not here to preach to you about copyright laws and you can make your own choices as to what files to download. That being said I recommend when you get a torrent client that you also download some kind of IP blocker that updates from a global list. Peer Guardian is very effective if you are using uTorrent and if you are Using Azureus, then you can probably just download the SafePeer Plugin. Don’t misquote me, these are not bullet proof, and though it may protect you from movie studios with a quota, it won’t protect you from FBI Agents with one.
At this point and until a new, better distribution protocol comes out, Bittorrent is the best. The legal issues with it will only fuel it’s popularity and all the biggest sites have been sued and are STILL up and running because the biggest sites aren’t even trackers, they are search engines that point to files on other people’s trackers. Besides, the most popular trackers are all private, invite only trackers that seem to escape legal harm. Or they are like The Pirate Bay which keeps an archive of all their legal threats on their website for all to see.
Summary: Download a client, familiarize yourself with the terminology (seed, tracker, ratio, port forwarding, rss) and start downloading things using the most effective p2p solution that has ever existed. Or just use it for something simple like sticking the EZTV RSS feed that’s on this site into your torrent client and telling it to download all your favorite TV Shows in HD with no commercials only 2 hours after they air!
- Best Search Engines
- BTJunkie
- ISOHunt
- TorrentSpy
- MiniNova
- DiGG Torrents (modified google)
- Best Private Trackers
- OiNK
- Anime Yume
- Blackcats-Games
- Demonoid
- BitME
- PodTropolis
- Other Helpful Resources
- Port Forwarding***(to do BT right, open a port first)
- EZTV RSS Feed
- Proxy Judge
Article Author: The Smartass
Source: Brain Power
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