Torrents are files used in P2P networks to download large files quickly by simultaneously downloading parts from multiple sources. Users also upload parts they have received, becoming seeds. Sharing is encouraged, and a minimum 1:1 share ratio is expected. Torrents can be searched in libraries and require a torrent client to download. Sharing copyrighted material without permission is illegal.
Torrents are specialized files used in peer-to-peer (P2P) network environments. P2P is a network of personal computers that communicate with each other by running proprietary P2P software. The first P2P software designed to use torrents was Bram Cohen’s BitTorrent. Other torrent clients followed.
Torrents are distinguished by a unique transfer process. To compare how torrents download from standard files, let’s first consider how regular files download from the Internet.
On any website, a user could click on a file to transfer it to their computer. By clicking on the file, the website server starts sending the file to the visitor in discrete data packets. These packets travel various paths to reach the user’s computer and are rebuilt upon receipt to complete the file transfer.
While this works well for smaller files, it’s tricky to transfer larger files this way. If the server is busy, the download time can be very slow. The communication between your server and computer can even crash, causing corruption in the transfer or, at best, delays.
Unlike web downloads, torrents don’t point to a single source on a P2P network when requesting files. Instead, torrents contain specific information that multiple computers on the network can read in order to send various parts of the requested file simultaneously and en masse. Torrents actively track which parts of the file are needed to complete the request. By downloading bits of the file from dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of sources, large files can be downloaded very quickly.
Working with torrents is also unique for another reason. At the same time, the user is downloading parts of files, the computer is also uploading already received parts to others. This reduces download time because users don’t have to wait for file sources to complete torrents before receiving the necessary parts of a requested file.
Once you download the required torrents completely, you become a seed for those files. A seed refers to someone who has the entire file at their disposal. It is considered impolite to download torrents and log out, known as leeching. Instead, users are encouraged to participate by seeding the file for others to maintain a minimum 1:1 share ratio. A swarm refers to the entire group of people transferring a file at any given time.
To encourage sharing, the software used to download torrents keeps track of the share ratio. The torrent client will automatically allocate more download bandwidth at faster speeds when a user shares more than they download. This usually means leaving your computer running while you do other things, as upstream bandwidth is much slower for most of us than downstream bandwidth. While it might take 40 minutes to download a 250MB freeware suite, uploading the same amount of data can take several times longer.
Torrents are stored in libraries that can be searched with a web browser. You cannot download torrents without first installing a torrent client. There are many free torrent clients available, some of which are open source. Once you find the torrent you want, clicking on it will open the torrent client to begin the download process. You may need to configure your firewall to allow certain communication ports.
Many file types are shared as torrents, including software, music, and video. While P2P sharing isn’t illegal, sharing copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder is illegal. The Recording Industry Artists of American (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have targeted certain websites that cater to the archiving of illegal torrents.
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