Downloading via Torrent

[Stoker]

Are we alowed to talk about downloading files via torrents on this forum. I have only recently found out about them and am interested but also totally clueless. Are they safe in regards to spyware/malware, is it wise to download/share files if your broadband plan is limited (mine is only 1GB month download at fullspeed, not to sure if there is a upload limit). Any body ever downloaded GWX3 from a torrent for example and how did it go?.

Cheers

[Task Force]

I think you would be safe with GWX 3... If you download a torrent from just some random site... you might get something tho...:yep:

[CaptainHaplo]

Torrents are as safe and unsafe as any other style of download. Like any file you download from anywhere - you want to scan it to insure its safe before you use it. Torrnets are simply another way to share files. Basically, you are getting a file from one or more sources - but you don't know these people. So do you want to just "trust" a file or files that you download from unknown sources? I wouldn't advise it.....

If you have a 1 GB limit though (and that is ungodly low), you don't want to do any file sharing - GWX is 1.33 GB's in size - so it alone would run through your limit. Torrents really allow you to pull the file from multiple sources - but all that data is coming through your connection and counting against you. As for sharing what you have - make sure its legit to share it, and then check to see if your charged. If so, then I would again advise against it.

There are legitimate uses for torrent downloads - like GWX. You can discuss the issue/use of torrents themselves (barring Neal correcting me that is) - but do NOT discuss using torrents (or any other form of p2p/sharing) that involves illegal software.

Torrents themselves are not inherently bad - it is simply the usage that they are sometimes (unfortunately nowadays more often than not) applied that makes people raise the initial eyebrow.

[ETR3(SS)]

Hmm I think that might be a gray area, leaning towards the dark side. As far as them being safe from spyware/viruses/malware etc. that's a chance you take sometimes depending upon the source. Also if you're on a limited plan I wouldn't recommend it either.

[Spike88]

Talking about torrents is okay. Just as long as you're not talking about illegal torrents, such as pirated software, movies, or music.



Torrenting is pretty simple. Its a P2P based system. It works in the following way. The first person puts the file up in question. He then puts out the torrent so people can download it. He is now "Seeding" the file.
Now the first person to download has a download speed limited to the first Seeder's uploading limit. Once he finishes downloading the file, if he leaves his torrent program open, he also starts seeding the file.

The more people to download the file and seed it, the faster other people can download it down the line. Its typically common courtesy to seed every file you download for at least a week.

Now people who haven't finished downloading the file, but have any percent of it downloaded, are Leechs. You can download up to whatever they have, from them. So if you download a torrent and it only has leeches and no seeds, you won't be able to finish the file until someone who has the completed file seeds it.

Example: John finishes his MegaSuperDuperModV4, he puts it out on major downloading sites, He also creates a torrent of it and starts seeding it.
Bill Starts downloading. His speed is limited to John's connection. Bill finishes and their are now 2 Seeders. Daniel starts downloading, his speed is a mix of John's and Bills, depending on which parts of the torrent he is getting from who. Now Daniel gets to 95% when John and Bill go offline for whatever reason. Daniel is stuck at 95% until John or Bill start seeding the file again. Finally Chuck starts downloading the file too, he can download up to 95% from Daniel, but he also must wait until John or Bill start seeding again.


Also due to built in Hash Checkers in good torrenting programs, such as Bittorrent, its hard to add viruses to files, unless their was a virus in the original file.


So the pro's and cons are:
+It's fast if there are alot of people seeding the file.
+Its mostly secure
-It can be slow; or not finish downloading due to low seeders or leechers.
-still chance that a virus will weave its way in.

[CaptainHaplo]

Spike nailed the mechanics pretty well there. Now it is possible for just leeches to complete a download - but only if the leeches have different but overlapping parts of the download. Like if you missing 5megs in the middle of a 100 meg dl - and I have that part - but am missing the last 5 megs - we can "leech" off each other and both get the full file - making us "seeders".

Not that any of that is really important :rotfl2:

[Task Force]

so basicly...

to DL a torrent alls you have to do is...

1 DL the torrent file

2 open it in yer torrent program

3 let it dl.

4 when done, delete torrent file from roster in program, exit program... (or seed it...

[NeonSamurai]

There are legitimate uses for torrent downloads - like GWX. You can discuss the issue/use of torrents themselves (barring Neal correcting me that is) - but do NOT discuss using torrents (or any other form of p2p/sharing) that involves illegal software.

Just to affirm the above, Haplo is absolutely correct as far as the official policy here. You can discuss torrents provided you are only discussing the legal uses of it only. Do not discuss anything that has to do with illegal file sharing, cracks / no cds, pirated software or other media, etc.

[Stoker]

Thanks for your help. If its common courtesy to seed a torrent for a week, does that mean you have to leave your pc turned on and connected to the web all week?. During a download of a torrent what happens if you lose your connection part way through (or the kids turn off the pc). Can you still surf the net will downloading or seeding torrents.

Cheers

[NeonSamurai]

It is common courtesy to seed back as much as you downloaded (if you download 1gb you should upload 1gb back to the torrent). It doesn't have to be continuous, you can leave and rejoin the torrent as you wish, and do other stuff on the internet at the same time (unless you connection is very slow or something), if downloading/leeching the torrent will resume where it left off, if uploading/seeding you will continue to upload.