Transfer files faster with Bittorrent

With the widespread availability of broadband connections, the internet is now being used to download more files than ever before. However, when large numbers of people download the same file from a single place it can lead to sluggish downloads or even result in websites crashing under the weight of too many users.

This is where Bittorrent can help. Rather than downloading a file from a single location, such as a company website, users can connect to other people who already have the file and download it in pieces from several locations at once. In this way, even very large files can be downloaded relatively quickly and the use of bandwidth is shared between downloaders.

While this may sound complicated, in this Masterclass, we’ll reveal everything you need to know about Bittorrent ­ including how to stay legal.

The Bittorrent basics
First, it’s important to understand that Bittorrent is not a program or an individual website. It is an internet protocol that enables downloads by transferring data from other people who already have a particular file or set of files. There are various terms associated with Bittorrent, and they can be confusing at first. So here’s what you need to know.

A ‘torrent file’ is a small file that is initially downloaded to connect to the larger file which is required. Ending with a ‘.torrent’ file extension, this file includes details about the file or files that are to be downloaded and links to something known as a tracker: this is a web server that holds a list of connected computers which have some or all the files you’re trying to download.

Those who are simply downloading are referred to as peers or leechers, while those who are uploading are known as seeders. Collectively, all of the computers involved in the uploading and downloading of torrent data are known as a swarm. Generally speaking, the more people a swarm contains, the faster files can be downloaded. In order to make use of Bittorrent, special software known as a Bittorrent client is needed.