Summary

BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing communication protocol that separates a file, or group of files, into small portions (or bits) of data for distribution between multiple downloading participants. Each participant must use a client program, which runs on their computer, to manage the downloading and sharing of data. The client program works to collect all the necessary bits of data which comprise the selected BitTorrent download and also share bits to other downloading participants across the Internet. The bits of data that you acquire during the download process may arrive from multiple sources called seeders and peers. Seeders possess the entire file(s) for download while peers have only part of it – since, like you, peers are also participating with downloading and uploading bits of data. As you download bits, you are also sharing, or uploading bits to others - meaning that you are a peer to others that are participating in the download. Once all the bits have been downloaded to your computer, the client program takes care of putting it all back together into its original format. A BitTorrent download can be just one file, or many files, in any format. Popular BitTorrent downloads include music, movies, video, applications, and games.

Getting Started

You will need to obtain a BitTorrent client program and install it onto your PC or Mac computer. There are several client programs available at no cost and you can visit www.download.com to get one. Some popular choices include the client program uTorrent for a Windows PC or Tomato Torrent for a Mac OS. To find these and more client programs just enter their title or “bittorrent client” into the download.com search box to find results. Once you install the BitTorrent client program onto your computer, you may want to change some of the program’s default settings to optimize it for your type of internet connection and capable bit transfer rate. Basically, the faster your internet connection is, the more BitTorrent downloads you will be able to simultaneously participate in. Be cautious about this since the more simultaneous downloads you actively participate in, the more bandwidth you will consume, thereby slowing your ability to browse or conduct other internet tasks.

Torrent Files

A torrent file is a small file of information that includes the instructions needed by the BitTorrent client program to find, download, and otherwise manage the process of acquiring and sharing BitTorrent downloads. The torrent file will contain a list of the available files, and their sizes, which comprise a particular BitTorrent download. Torrent files are systematically indexed by many torrent search websites.

Searching for Torrent Files to Download

There are many websites that offer torrent file search and download capability. Some may offer a directory or index permitting you to browse by category for such things as movies, music, games, applications, etc. Others may simply offer a search box into which you can enter key words in an attempt to locate torrents of interest. Some may allow you to filter your search results by category. Each torrent search website may use different indexing techniques - meaning that some offer more or different results than others. Visit our “Resources” link and check the “Websites” area to find out about specific torrent search websites that you might like to try.

Once you’ve found a torrent file of interest, it’s a good idea to check out the file formats that are contained within it so you know just what it is that you are about to be dealing with. It is also a good idea to look at comments about the BitTorrent that may have been posted. Comments can give insight about the quality and legitimacy of the BitTorrent. It is also advantageous to ascertain the number of seeders and lechers that are actively participating with the download. If there are none, then you will not get very far with that torrent and should elect to try a different one. The more seeders that are actively participating, the faster you will be able to download the files.

Starting a BitTorrent Download

In order to begin a BitTorrent download, you must first obtain the associated torrent file that is indexed by the torrent search website. When you click to download the torrent file, you may elect to either save it to disk or have it immediately opened by the BitTorrent client program that is installed onto your computer. In any event, you will ultimately need to open the torrent file with a BitTorrent client program. You might want to save the torrent file to a flash drive in order to transfer the file and facilitate the BitTorrent download using a capable media NAS (network attached storage) server or NMT (networked media tank) having an imbedded BitTorrent client program. Such devices permit direct download of BitTorrents without the use of a PC.

Once the torrent file is opened by the BitTorrent client program, you should be able to see all the individual files that make up the entire BitTorrent. Most client programs permit you to de-select files that you may not be interested in obtaining. For example, if the BitTorrent includes album artwork images or a foreign language sub-title file, it may be desirable to exclude them from the download, rather than take the time and bandwidth necessary to acquire these files, only to delete them if you don’t want them.

Once you have opened the torrent file, deselected any files of disinterest, and confirmed the path to which the downloaded files will be saved, you can then start the BitTorrent download.

BitTorrent Etiquette – Download Responsibly!

A BitTorrent’s life cycle is dependent on the participation of those engaged with downloading (leaching) and uploading (seeding) the file. As you are downloading bits of information for the BitTorrent, you will also be uploading bits of information to other participants. All the participants engaged in this sharing session are called a “swarm”. The more participants in a swarm, the more bits of information there will be available, and the faster the entire download will occur. For the download to be successful, all bits of information that make up the BitTorrent need to be available. If there is a full fledged seeder participating in the swarm, then this person has 100% of the file, and the download will be successful. If one peer has 30% of the BitTorrent, and another peer has the other 70% of the BitTorrent, then the download will also be successful. However, if 100% of the file cannot be found amongst all seeders and peers of the swarm, then the download will be incomplete. If fact, the BitTorrent will remain in this state until a seeder or peer who possess the missing bits becomes active with the swarm. Over time, an incomplete BitTorrent will die as there will be little interest in attempting to obtain an incomplete BitTorrent.

The moral of the story here is to give back at least as much as you receive in the interest of keeping the BitTorrent alive and healthy. Most BitTorrent client programs will permit you to regulate the “share ratio” of bits uploaded versus bits downloaded before your session has “finished”. Be sure this is set to at least 1.0 or 100%. This way, you will offer 100% of the BitTorrent to others in the swarm. If everyone else in the swarm adopts the same practice, the BitTorrent stands a better chance at remaining alive and well.

Being Cautious

Since anyone with an Internet connection can initiate a BitTorrent, be wary of scammers, hackers, adware, malicious programs, and viruses. Familiarize yourself with file formats and understand just what it is that you are downloading. Malicious executable files can corrupt your computer or cause loss of data. Downloading a file is generally harmless, however, launching it can be. Never launch a downloaded executable application file without having faith in its credibility. You can build faith by looking for comments posted by others that have experience with the downloaded file. To learn more about executable file formats, follow this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Executable_file_formats

Related Information

Torrents 101: How BitTorrent Downloading Works

The Best BitTorrent Client Software of 2008

Tip: How to speed up your BitTorrent client download speed