chrib's basic guide to torrenting
updated Wednesday, March 8th, 2023 | 8:00 PM
i noticed a while ago that we were in a torrenting drought. nobody knew how to do it or what was going on. i learned how to torrent when i was 7 years old. i needed macromedia flash to make this really cute dress-up doll maker. i was grounded for 6 months -- not because it was illegal, but because i was doing it wrong.
torrenting, i think, will be very important during pluto in aquarius' transit. it's literally peer-to-peer file sharing and a reminder that we keep eachother alive.
what is a torrent?
a torrent is a way of sharing files between computers over the internet. instead of downloading a file from a single source, a torrent divides the file into small pieces and distributes them among a large network of computers so it's easier to download. it's shared through a decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
how does it work?
you're downloading the large file through pieces of said file on other people's computers. usually you can download the torrent file, which contains info on the file you wanna download and the trackers that manage that network. usually you're going to download that file from a seeder. we like seeders. seeders are the computers that have the complete file and upload it for others to download.
if you're not a seeder, then you're a leecher. a leecher is a computer that is downloading the file from others.
when it comes to the file you want to download, you ideally want to have a good ratio of seeders to leechers.
if there is a lot of seeders and very few leechers, the file is in good health and depending on your connection, you'll download said file pretty quickly. this is for more established torrents that have been on the network for a while.
on the flip side -- if there's many leechers and not many seeders, it will be a while before you get that file. not many people have the full file, so you're getting the pieces everyone else has!
that's why it's important to seed!!! but more on that later!
ok, i'm ready. what do i need? how do i get started?
you will need the following:
- a reliable torrent client.
- a VPN
- anti-virus/anti-malware software
- seedbox! (optional, but...)
this is software that you will be using to download and upload your files. there are many popular clients, but some clients will use your CPU to mine for bitcoin and that's theft. more are serving as adware. as of 03/08/23, i recommend qBittorrent. Transmission is also available on mac!
this is important because you need to protect your information online. Even if you're downloading legal files, you can still have your identity tracked. If you're not downloading legal files (which this blog strongly warns against!) then it's possible that your identity can be tracked. Hollywood movie studios hire companies to look through popular movie trackers and send love letters.
vpns are a far far far far far too detailed topic for me to discuss rn cuz im writing this off the edible i had to have chatgpt give me the layup for the outline of this blog. click HERE to figure out how to bind the VPN to torrent in order to not expose your ip. Recommended VPNs in link above <3
this is obvious. but you also need to be able to check outside of these programs. having good due diligence is a must when it comes to encountering torrents. windows defender is pretty good and has a solid firewall.
remember when i said that it's important to seed? well, this will pretty much take care of that. it helps you download and upload files at high speeds, gives you privacy as well as security. please check out the link for the best seed boxes. you can download completely off your computer, rename the file in your seedbox, and your ISP wouldn't know a thing.
now, it's time to get started!
yea... excited ahh ðŸ˜
naw but fr this is going to be from the perspective of a windows user using qBitTorrent... but it's like... the same stuff hehe
i am using completely legal files to demonstrate this.
step one, get your link
what does a torrent link look like? it usually has .torrent at the end. there are also magnet links, where the url says magnet: usually ... and then a bunch of gibberish xkdjfdue483r letters. the point isn't to remember what the links look like, just click it!
step 2, click your link
now you're gonna wanna, uh... click it. in most browsers, it'll pop up in your downloads file looking like this for torrents:
or, you're blessed enough to click the magnet, which will just open up the file straight up. it'll look like this.
you literally have to do nothing here except press okay most times.
step 3, download the content
you just gotta wait. remember, it depends on the amount of "peers" and "seeders" connected, as well as your own connection. plenty of people are seeding this + i have high speed internet, so i got this in a few seconds!
once it's done, click on the torrent and in most cases, you just need to extract the contents and boom!
it's really simple for the most part. if you don't know how to torrent, then this little guide will do the job in most cases BUT PLEASE REMEMBER -- piracy is illegal and stealing shit from people who are trying to get by is shittier than stealing from companies who overcharge and can afford the loss. be mindful!
now that i know the basics, it's time for me to start getting any program i want!!!
not so fast!! you didn't fucking listen bitch it's ILLEGAL!!! not to mention, you don't know what you're doing. you see PHOTOSHOP CRACK WAREZ.exe and think because you saw this tutorial you hit the motherlode. for me to leave you with the basics and not teach you at least HARM REDUCTION, then that's just ridiculous.
you need to start training your eye to sites. tpb is no longer an option.
lets try some of these sites, BASED on the r/FREEMEDIAHECKYEAH subreddit (which, mega wiki? mandatory reading, will explain torrenting far better than this baby guide...)
- 1337x.to bot will be available on discord/forum
- Adobe Software Archive
- Demonoid -- I may or may not have used this in HS
- More Tracker Links