What are the torrents?
I am often asked what a torrent is.
We hear about it, but we do not necessarily understand the system. When I first heard about it, I didn't understand much about it either! It was only after testing that I gradually understood the system and how it worked.
So I will try to describe in this article the system of torrents, as simply as possible.
Torrents are one word: sharing!
Those who know and have used eMule, it uses more or less the same principle but I would say more reliable.
The case of eMule
eMule, it was software and servers. You had a search engine: you were looking for a file on the servers and you wait for it to be your turn. And after downloading your file, you realized in almost 50% of cases that it was not at all the file you were looking for but a porn movie or a virus! And you had a downloaded/sent ratio. If your ratio was too low, you would download slower. Personally, I've never seen any difference between a high and low ratio, I always had low speeds…
If I talk about eMule in the past, it's because I no longer use it, and I feel it is outdated (wait its turn, too many fake files). But at the latest news, the system still exists and is still used today by thousands of people.
Torrents
To make the comparison, with torrents, you have a software (the best known being 'torrent or microtorrent) and also a server … But this server does not host the files. There are many mini personal servers called Seedbox that allow you to share at very high speed 7 days a day and 24 hours a day to increase its ratio, but that's something else. These servers are trackers that handles the different people sharing the files. Here, you don't have to wait your turn to get your file. Finally much less time than with eMule. The file is separated into different parts which means that you receive your file small part by small part. But very quickly your file becomes complete.
Lexicon for torrents
A small lexicon that will allow you to better understand the terms used in the middle of torrents:
- Customer: A customer is torrent sharing software (e.g. torrent, Azureus, Bittorrent, BitComet, Limewire,…) which handles the user's download/sending. And that sends the necessary information to the tracker so that the number of peers / seeders / leechers is passed on to other customers. The term is also used to designate users.
- Seed: a seed (seed in English) is a client sharing a complete file.
- Leecher: a "leech" is a client wishing to download the file, but not owning it in its entirety. This term also has a pejorative meaning to describe those who download without reuniting. During the first appearance of a torrent, there are few sources (seeds) and many leeches (leech).
- Torrent: depending on the context, a torrent can mean either a metadata. torrent file or any file described by it. The torrent file contains metadata about the files it makes downloadable, including their names, sizes and sums of control of all parts of the torrent. It also contains the IP address of a tracker that coordinates communication between swarm peers.
- Tracker: a stalker is a server that constantly knows which seeds and which peers are in the swarm (the swarm). Customers regularly send him information. In Exchange, they receive information about other clients they can connect to. The Tracker is not directly involved in the data transfer and does not have a copy of the file. The few seconds per hour when a customer connects to the Tracker are in principle the only ones where he can be identified (but by a few dozen other customers only).
- Ratio: The ratio is the ratio between the amount of data you sent "Share ( Upload)" and received "Download." If you download more than you share, the ratio will be less than 1. If not, the ratio will be greater than 1.
- Seedbox: A Seedbox is a private computer server. It is dedicated to downloading and issuing digital files. Seedboxes connected to very high-speed networks are normally able to download large files in a matter of minutes (only if the user swarm has enough uplink bandwidth to fully power the Seedbox). A 1gb file may take less than five minutes to download. This means that the same amount of data can be sent to other users in the same period of time and thus create a ratio of 1 (upload = download) for this file.
- Freeleech: Freeleech, which can be translated as "free download," is a mode in which the amount downloaded is not taken into account. On the other hand, the shared quantity is accounted for. This results in a positive effect on the ratio, since this calculates by the shared quantity divided by the quantity downloaded.
- Hit & run: the hit & run, which could be translated literally by "knock and run", into the world of torrents, it is the action to take (download, Leecher) without sharing (seeder) thereafter.
The ratio of torrents
In addition, the ratio with the torrents does not intervene in the speed! The ratio is just a blocking (in private trackers), i.e. If you do not share your file at 100%, you will no longer be able to download files on this tracker until you have reassembled your ratio by sharing what you had downloaded. Generally, the ratio limit is about 75%, so 0.75.
This ratio is specific to each tracker and depending on which one you use. You may also have some bonuses that allow you to increase it faster. For example, depending on how long you leave a file in sharing, you can earn bonus points, and those points are to be converted into gigas at the ratio that allows you to reassemble it! The ratios are also used for the ranks/levels of the members, the higher the ratio, the higher the level/rank and the more benefits and bonuses you have! In short, increasing its ratio benefits everyone!
I want the ratio to disappear
Be aware that since the ratio is the limiting thing in the system, there are different methods other than sharing to increase its ratio. For example I know that there is software that allows you to simulate a fake data shipment. As a result, the ratio increases. If at some point you want or rather the need to inflate your ratio, I can only advise you to turn to the DDL, which does not ask it to share! What you find on torrent trackers, you have a good chance of finding them as a direct download! By wanting to increase the ratio artificially, you risk destroying the system little by little while it is based on sharing. And it is already threatened by copyright companies.
How to increase your ratio
A little trick to increase its ratio to be in a good ratio (usually it's 0.8 to 1): it's to download something other than bestsellers or a popular file. The more people share the same file, the less chance you'll have to share more pieces of the file!
And that's why you have to share less popular files. you not only increase your ratio, but you speed up the download for the downloader. You also make people happy because they don't have to wait too long and/or revive the torrent!
Also take freeleech files.
Another little trick is to prioritize sharing. Go to Options, Preferences, Queue. check the Focus on Sharing Spots. And there, 'torrent' will first share before downloading a new file. And your ratio will quickly increase. Personally, I check this box only when I do not download and want to raise my ratio.
Of course, every tracker has its own speciality. Some specialize only in torrents of ebooks. Others only in HD. But in the vast majority of cases, you will find all the same classical categories: movies, series, music mp3, anime, ebooks, etc…
Trackers
Trackers, there are two kinds:
- Audiences
- And private trackers
Public trackers
To find a public Tracker, simply type the file you search on Google by adding the word torrent. You download the mini-file that will open your μtorrent software that you have previously installed and you will be able to download your file directly. In public trackers, you don't have a ratio. But you don't have a file description or very little information, and you're not sure it's the right file!
Here is a non-exhaustive list:
Some are French, others are not, but as they are public trackers, always search for the title of your file in French. And to the limit add "french" , "French" , "French" or "Fr" to your search:
- Torrent-Finder
- Torrentz
- Isohunt
Mininova- LimeTorrents
Seedpeer- KickAssTorrents
Cpasgood (English)Zetorrents (English)- Link-torrent (English)
Torrentfrancais (English)omgtorrent (English)- 0rip
Ultimate torrent- Torrent9
- Oxtorrent
Private trackers
With private trackers, you need to create an account (or be invited by an acquaintance). You have a ratio to respect, but your files have a description. And you have a team that checks whether they're the right files or not. Being in a small community allows you to be 99% sure that this is the right file as it is described. You can even make your own requests and your download speed will be in 95% of cases high thanks to the ratio that must be respected by all!
All in French:
Torrent 411 or T411GKS (successor to Guiks)(closed)FrenchtorrentDB or FTDBQuebec team(closed)Thepirateisland (apparently successor to play the net)(closed)Fusion-nexT (no ratio)(closed)Itoma(closed)Xtrem-torrentLibertaliaBookys- Casa-torrent
- World in HD
- Yggtorrent
N.B: No need to ask me invitations for a particular private torrent download site. Go instead to look when they open their doors for registrations or invitations. And so for this, I advise you to go see on the side of my article on the site Opentrackers.net!