Fast and efficient, the BitTorrent download protocol makes it easy to download large files… and share them with other users. And if some use it for pirated content, its use is perfectly legal.
To download files from the Internet, there are several methods. The most common is direct downloading. A link to the content to be retrieved is made available to Internet users on a Web page. A simple click on it triggers the download directly from the web browser. This fairly simple and practical principle implies that the server which hosts the content made available is sufficiently efficient to support numerous simultaneous downloads. Otherwise, in case of crowds, the download is greatly slowed down.
It is precisely to counter this phenomenon that the BitTorrent protocol was developed in the early 2000s. It is based on the peer-to-peer exchange system (peer to peer or P2P in English). Here, each computer that downloads the file in turn becomes a server. It takes on the role of source (seeder in English) so that it allows other users (leechers, in English) to download data from the file that it has already retrieved. The more the number of sources increases, the faster the file can be retrieved by everyone. Without much interest for small files, this method presents a considerable advantage when the content to download reaches several hundred megabytes or even tens of gigabytes. In this case, the final file is split into several segments, faster to exchange and more convenient to host.
This principle of exchange and sharing has long suffered from a sulphurous reputation, due to the fact that it is widely used to download pirated movies, series, games or software in particular. Torrent downloads are also closely monitored by Hadopi (high authority for the distribution of works and the protection of rights on the Internet). But, as often, it is not the tool which is in question, rather its use. Fortunately, BitTorrent isn't just about downloading illegal content. It remains a comfortable solution for many free software publishers or creators who wish to make their works available as quickly as possible on the Internet.
How does downloading work with BitTorrent?
Downloading through the BitTorrent exchange requires two things. First, you have to get your hands on the file with the .torrent extension which refers to the content you want to recover. A simple search in the Google search engine is sure to lead you to a site that offers the content you want. This .torrent file often weighs only a few tens of kilobytes. It only contains the information necessary to start the download of the desired file such as the IP address of the server which acts as a relay with the machines where copies are available as well as data making it possible to secure the download (to prevent a smart introduce a virus in the process). This file also indicates how many pieces the final file is split into.
Once this .torrent file has been recovered, you must use specialized software to open it and start downloading the desired content. There are dozens of them, most often free like BitTorrentX, µTorrent, qBitTorrent, Transmission, Deluge, Tixati or even Vuze to name a few. When all the segments are checked in, they are automatically assembled to reconstruct the original file. In the process, each downloaded data is shared with other users. And this sharing lasts as long as the app is running.
How do I download torrents with µTorrent?
Have you found the .torrent file on the web that leads to the content you want to download? All you have to do is start the download on your computer. For this practical sheet, we use the famous µTorrent software, simple and practical, which exists for Windows as well as for macOS and Linux. All operations are described with the version for Windows, but you can very easily adapt them to other operating systems. Generally speaking, all torrent software is used the same way, and you can perfectly go for the excellent qBitTorrent if you prefer without feeling in new territory.
- First, retrieve the version of µTorrent suited to your operating system.
Download µTorrent for Windows
Download µTorrent for macOS
Download µTorrent for Ubuntu
- Double click on the installation file. After a few seconds, a Windows Security notification is displayed. Do not panic. The µTorrent installer contains elements considered as potentially unwanted by Windows (advertising tools in particular). Click on the notification.
- In the window that appears, click on the link Protection history.
- In the new window, click on the option Low next to the alert.
- Then click on the button Actions and choose Authorize on device. The µTorrent installer is then authorized. You can launch it normally.
- Click on Next, Next again then Agree.
- In the next window, click on the button Decline to refuse the installation of additional software.
- Click again on Decline in the next window.
- Finally click on Next, again Next and finally Finish.
- µTorrent opens. Click on the menu File and choose Add a torrent.
- Select the .torrent file that you previously downloaded with your Internet browser and validate with a click on Open. For our example, this is the ISO image of version 20.04 of the Ubuntu Linux system.
- In the window that appears, check the option Save in placed at the top left. Here is indicated the folder in which will be saved the file you are about to download (by default the Windows Downloads folder). If you want to change this location, click the gray button at the end of the line and designate a new folder.
- When everything is ready, click OK. The download starts immediately.
- While the file is downloading, several information is displayed: the elapsed time, the estimated time remaining before the end of the download, the quantity of data received (Reception) but also the quantity of data sent (Emission). This is the principle of the BitTorrent protocol, the files that you download with µTorrent (and only these) are also made available to other users. You can also see the number of connected sources that are sharing the same file as you.
- Once your file is completely downloaded, it remains available to other users. You can also see the list of "clients" in other words, the other users who download it thanks to you by clicking on the tab service of µTorrent.
- Your file is nestled in the folder you designated earlier. Be careful, if you move it, it will no longer be shared with others. To use it, quit the µTorrent app. You can always relaunch it afterwards to activate sharing again.
- Note : As long as the µTorrent app is launched, the sharing of downloaded files continues. If you need your internet connection bandwidth to send data, simply quit the µTorrent app.
Summary How BitTorrent works Downloading torrents with µTorrent To download files from the Internet, there are several methods. The most common is direct downloading. A link to the ...
