To put it simply, torrenting is the downloading and uploading of files over the BitTorrent network. Instead of downloading files from a central server, torrenting involves downloading files from other users across the network to other users’ devices. Users upload files to their own devices that other users can download. Think of it like borrowing a cup of sugar from a string of neighbors until you’ve had enough to bake your full cake.
Torrenting is a type of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing technology. A number of users can connect and share their files without relying on a single site or source to get the content they need. It is the most popular form of P2P file sharing and requires torrent management software that is connected to the BitTorrent network. One of the most popular aspects is that without a central download source, downloads are a little harder to track back to the downloader, making torrents very popular when it comes to downloading movies and games illegally, or “pirating” them.
It is easy to search the Internet for a file of your choice and download it as a torrent. Users do not have to download the file directly from a source, and other users can do the same with torrents, which facilitates smooth transfers between users. Think of the torrent file as the directions to get to your neighbors to get sugar – you need those directions to get started, and will follow them until you have enough.
You’ll see two unique terms, “seeders” and “leachers” – which sounds kind of creepy, but is easy to grasp after being told what these users do.
- Seeders are actively providing the file to download from.
- Leachers are actively downloading the files.
When finding a torrent, of course, users will want to find one with many seeders and relatively few leachers – this would create a much higher download speed!
Of course, you can’t open a torrent like an .exe file, you’d need a torrent loader – there are multiple out there. Think of a torrent loader, or client, like the front door to come in and out of. You aren’t going anywhere without it!
A torrent file contains information that tells your BitTorrent client where to find a partner to share or download the file. It also contains information that tells the user’s computer which part of the file sharing process it is on.
As we learn more about how torrents work, it is important to understand that torrents pose greater risk than other forms of file sharing. Although torrents are not inherently harmful to use or create, it can be important to remember that you must trust the source as it is easy to download files that have not been uploaded with the right permissions or download files that are infected with malware. If you are interested in using torrents to share or download large files from other people, stay safe with antivirus programs and download only torrents from users that you trust.
BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer protocol that means that computers in a BitTorrent swarm (a group of computers that download and upload the same torrent) can share data with each other without the need for a central server. When the BitTorrent software scans a shared file, it must find the location of the seeder that shared the file. It then attempts to connect to a list of defined trackers (torrent file metadata) in order to establish a direct connection. Computers join a BitTorrent swarm by loading torrent files via a bit torrent client. The tracker determines which torrent files to share and connects their IP addresses to the other BitTorrent clients in the swarm so they can connect to each other.
As you’re reading, you may be breaking into a cold sweat – and you’re right to, torrents can cause major malware trouble. Torrents are better off left alone, you’re likely to accidentally cause more damage to your computer for that $40 video game or $15 movie than the cost of just going out and getting it.