How to download using torrents?

1) What are Torrents?

BitTorrent (torrents in short) is a method of downloading files on the internet. Instead of downloading a file from one single location (a specific server), BitTorrent helps download files from multiple sources while at the same time sharing the downloaded portion with other people who are downloading the same file. It is a mutual system where you share what you are downloading.

2) Why use Torrents?

Dowloading with torrents doesn't require the file we are downloading to be at a single location. If the server having the file has issues we wouldn't be able to download the file. But distributing it across many people gives multiple sources to download from.  Different parts of the files you are downloading are taken from different sources. Also, transferring from multiple sources is generally much faster than otherwise. Popularly shared files download much faster using torrents as there are multiple sources to download them from. Downloading using torrents can be conveniently paused to be resumed later. This is helpful if you are downloading a large file and would like to shut your system down over night.

3) What do I need to download using torrents?

a) You will need a BitTorrent client to download files using torrents. Some of the popular ones are: uTorrent, BitTorrent, Azureus and Bittornado.

b) A .torrent file:  Files ending in .torrent have information regarding the files you are trying to download. 

4) Is downloading torrents illegal?

Downloading copyrighted content like movies and music is illegal unless the producer wishes to distribute the content in BitTorrent format. Using BitTorrent as a method to share information you have created is not illegal.

5) Where can I find .torrent files?

.torrent files are normally provided by the creator of the information you want to download. For instance, if you want to download the latest version of Fedora Linux from RedHat, you will find the .torrent file for it in their download page. Popular sources for illegal file distribution are Pirate bay, BtJunkie are Mininova.

6) How do I start downloading?

Just open the .torrent file with the BitTorrent client and the download should begin.

7) There are many torrent files for the content I want to download. How do I choose the right one?

Choose the torrent file which has the highest number of seeds are peers. Seeds are the number of systems having a complete copy of the files you are trying to download and presently sharing. Peers are the number of systems having a partial copy of the files you are trying to download.

8) My downloads are slow using torrents. Is there anything I can do to speed it up?

Make sure you are using .torrent files which have many sources and peers. BitTorrent does not work properly if your ISP blocks outbound content on ports that are being used by the Torrent protocol. This is very common if your ISP is providing a static IP address. Torrent download speeds are very bad with ISP like Hathway which blocks outbound on non-http ports. Airtel has open outbound ports.