We are talking today about Torrent, a word that for many means only piracy, while for others it is something strange, useful, but one does not understand how it works . Torrent is nothing more than a type of file containing all the references for downloading, via BitTorrent protocol, another file that can be a program, a video or other.
What matters therefore is BitTorrent, a file transfer protocol based on Peer To Peer where the download of a file takes place in a fragmented way, taking pieces from all those who shared it.
In practice, every connected user shares his files with others from his computer and can download from them with a very advantageous reciprocal exchange, so much so that the more a file is spread among users, the faster and easier it is to download.
It is therefore easy to understand why digital piracy has made and still makes extensive use of the BitTorrent protocol which is not synonymous with illegality.
Thanks to this protocol it is in fact possible for anyone to share and download their own file without having to have an expensive central server.
This happens, for example, for Linux distributions and some independent programs that use BitTorrent to download the installation files.
BitTorrent is also used to have an archive of personal files accessible via the internet from anywhere.
We spoke, in another article, of BitTorrent Sync which is completely free and works as Dropbox or Google Drive, but without any space limit.
A recent BitTorrent project then wants to create an alternative internet network to the http one, which is not owned by anyone, where the websites are not hosted on central servers, becoming like torrent files.
To find out more, you can try the Maelstrom project browser, currently in beta.
Returning to torrent downloads, the important thing to understand is that downloading the .Torrent file from the internet does not mean downloading the real file, but only the file that contains the references to find it.
The .torrent files are very small, have the size of a text file and must be opened with a specific program that supports downloading via the BitTorrent protocol.
Basically, therefore, the steps to download via BitTorrent are: first search for a specialized site where to find the torrent download, then open this file with the program to read it which downloads from other users who have shared the searched file.
The first big problem with Torrents is that, since there is no regulation and no owners, they are used to scam and spread viruses .
In certain sites that I am not here to name the links for downloading the torrent file is hidden and often written in small, with fake banners that lead instead to download malware.
This unfortunately is the reason why the less experienced should avoid doing searches for torrent files or at least be well explained how and where to download them from those who are better.
Once you have obtained the Torrent file, (for example the one to download the LibreOffice installation file), this must be opened with a program and, here too, there are problems .
We have seen, for example, how the most famous and popular client to download Torrent, uTorrent, is full of viruses hidden inside it.
The same also applies to the official BitTorrent client and other lesser known programs, which advertise themselves online with promises of high speeds.
To rest assured the programs for downloading Torrent, safer and more reliable, for Windows Deluge or qBitTorrent while for Mac Transmission.
Once installed, these programs are automatically set to open files with the .torrent extension and download what they contain.
They are similar software, without advertising, open source, a bit spartan in graphics, but very efficient in doing what they need, without too many fireworks.
In another article we also saw the best apps for downloading torrents from an Android smartphone
That's not all, there is a third problem with Torrent downloads .
In fact, some network providers block P2P file sharing or slow it down.
So if you notice a certain slowness in the downloads or if they just don't work, then you need to open the router ports for the BitTorrent program you are using .
It may also be that the router itself functions as a firewal blocking the incoming connections of the BitTorrent program.
Opening the door means setting the router not to block the traffic generated by a specific software.
A BitTorrent client normally uses TCP port number 6881 and if it were busy, it would use ports with a higher number in succession (6882, 6883 and so on up to a maximum of 6999).
To open this port on the router, use the " Port Forwarding " function.
Enter the router administration panel, look for port forwarding or port forwarding, write the IP address of the computer used, the name of the program and then the ports from 6881 to 6999.
In case of difficulty, see here how to configure port forwarding on the router in an easier way.
The same ports must be open on any firewall installed on the computer.
READ ALSO: Download torrents without keeping your PC on: all the alternatives
