What to use while downloading torrents

Good netiquette demands that you seed torrents you have downloaded so that other users can also download them. Some communities even make it a requirement to participate. To do this, simply leave the torrent running in your BitTorrent client after you have finished downloading it.

It's worth remembering that the Peers tab of your BitTorrent client provides graphic evidence about why you need to use a VPN when torrenting.

It shows you the IP address of every other torrent user who is sharing downloading or seeding a file. Scary stuff! Port forwarding will probably improve your torrenting speeds, but doing so is most definitely not essential. To find out more about the pros and cons of port forwarding, complete with instructions on how to do it, please see our guide to VPN Port Forwarding.

This is needed to continue, as it will provide us with your original IP address, but we do not retain this information on our servers. Click Yes to move on if your location is correct. Click No if this information is wrong and proceed to choose your location manually. If you see a green checkmark, then that is all there is to it. You are protected as expected. If any issue does appear, however, it is best not to torrent until things have been resolved.

Simply checking that you have no IPv4 leaks, as described above, is sufficient to show that your VPN is working properly for torrenting. If you have a stricter threat model, however, then you can double-check specifically for torrenting using the ipMagnet tool. Visit the ipMagnet web page and click on the Magnet Link to open a dummy torrent download in your BitTorrent client.

A few seconds later, you should see the IP address trying to download the dummy torrent file on the ipMagnet web page. There are too many variables in play when it comes to torrent download speeds to isolate the effect using a VPN has on them. The most important of these are:. How many peers are seeding the torrent you are downloading. The more sources you have, the faster your download speeds will be.

Most torrent websites clearly show these figures. You should always have good antivirus software on your computer to protect yourself from malware, hacks, and cyberattacks. Brands such as Norton and McAfee have been making top-tier antivirus solutions for years. Good antivirus software will usually also then remove or isolate the malware before it has a chance to do any damage, so you can torrent safely. However, some types of viruses and malware find a way of sneaking through, so a good idea could be to double up your protection by installing a VPN that has robust security features too.

With an unprotected internet connection, everything you do online will be visible to your ISP. If torrenting large files is frowned upon by your ISP as is the case with many ISPs , it may throttle your connection. This means your speeds and bandwidth will be reduced drastically. So it will have no reason to throttle your connection, even if you are downloading torrents.

Many ISPs block access to well-known torrenting sites , as do many employers, schools, and colleges. This opens you up to potential hacks, cyberattacks, and malware. You can make sure you remain completely anonymous while torrenting by using a VPN. You can do this by first installing the VPN, and then heading to the settings section to make sure all the important security settings are activated. From unwittingly downloading malware to opening yourself up to hackers, there are a selection of dangers associated with torrents.

If you fall victim to any of the above issues, it could have a serious impact on your life. Luckily, VPNs solve all of these issues. NordVPN is our ultimate choice for torrenting. NordVPN offers servers that are completely dedicated to torrenting , which means your downloads will always be optimized for speed and safety. With bit AES encryption keeping your data safe as well as DNS protection concealing your identity, you can torrent knowing your personal details are completely shrouded from hackers and your ISP.

You get a range of features, including anti-malware, ad blocker, botnet control and trackers. And NordVPN boasts two kill switches that automatically kick in if your connection cuts out. Visit Surfshark. With over 3, servers in 65 different countries, Surfshark has the variety you need to gain access to any site and keep your IP address hidden. Surfshark has an array of security settings to keep you safe online. Its CleanWeb feature protects you from malware and blocks annoying pop-up ads.

Surfshark also has apps for the majority of devices, from desktop computers to smartphones. Its intuitive interface is easy to use, even for tech newbies. Surfshark is one of the cheaper premium VPNs and it represents great value for money.

And just so you can be sure, you get a day money-back guarantee. So what does all this mean for the original uTorrent client? Well, it is now called uTorrent Classic. The team behind uTorrent has said it plans to offer uTorrent Classic to users well into the future. But there are lots of ways in which you can download more content than what you can ever manage to watch without going near pirated content.

The top two destinations for torrent files that are legal are The Internet Archive and this wiki page. The links mentioned above offer tons of options and features to upload and download movies. You can also share your own movies or files if you want to.

This is important:. In this guide, as an example, we will take a look at another source: academictorrents. This source only offers academic content, but you can still use it without having to be enrolled at a university or any other academic institution. Once you click it, your browser will download the torrent file. Since it is a tiny file, it will download very quickly. As mentioned above, keep an eye out for the torrent file as it will get downloaded very quickly.

Once it does, you need to double-click on it and then allow uTorrent to open and display its contents. Most of the time, you will have to download everything that comes in a given torrent. However, uTorrent allows you to tick and untick the file s that you want to download to your computer.

You also have the option of giving labeling the file, as that can make it easy for you to sort your downloaded content. This provides all the details you need to know when downloading any type of file.

This is helpful if you want to know the speed at which your torrent software is downloading your file depending on your internet connection, of course and how long it takes for uTorrent to actually download the complete file.

Again, these factors may depend on the speed of your connection. There are two ways to download the torrent files for the content you want to consume.

The first way is to first download the. The other way is to make use of magnet links. Both work almost exactly the same.