Torrents are a peer to peer download method. While you are downloading something from a website, the website is hosting that file, and you are directly downloading from it. But peer to peer is different. Instead of ONE, you are downloading the file from TEN or even HUNDREDs of other users like yourself.
Basically, the burden of uploading a file is not going to fall upon a single user, and there are also no expenses. With the rise of broadband internet, the torrents became popular, and it was the easiest way to download and upload files from anywhere in the world.
Unfortunately, the torrents were announced as illegal. Over the last few years, the usage numbers have decreased significantly due to the fear of copyright holders who are able to track the IP addresses and prosecute the users for sharing files. But some people are still doing it, even in 2020.
Why Downloading Torrents are Illegal?
Well, just to make this clear, downloading torrents is actually legal. But downloading and sharing the copyright contents are illegal. The difficult part is identifying the copyrighted material. So, the government announced that any kind of torrent download is illegal.
After torrent download was announced illegal, people were still using it and sharing files. But for them, this illegal activity came with unpleasant consequences. There were infringement notices, fines and even prison time was involved.
So, in 2020, downloading torrents is considered an illegal task with significant adverse consequences. But if you still want to download, we would recommend taking precautions.
Well, the most recommended solution is to use a free VPN for torrenting. So, what are VPNs? The use of VPN will provide encryption for your internet traffic, making your online activities completely invisible.
So, if you are using a free VPN for torrenting, then the ISP holders will not be able to trace your IP address, you won’t have to face any consequences.
Now, let’s look at a few VPNs for safely downloading torrents
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NordVPN
The NordVPN provides very strong support for P2P connections. The connection is high speed, and it is also unlimited. The safety features are very impressive and considered one of the best choices for torrent downloading.
So, while you are downloading torrents, NordVPN will reroute the connection to the nearest and best P2P server available. It will keep the download speed steady and safe.
What can be blocked by NordVPN?
The list is very long, and it includes:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- Hulu
- BBC iPlayer
- HBO
- Showtime and
- Sling TV.
What kind of torrenting does it support?
It supports P2P servers.
Supported Devices
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome and Firefox. It can also work with routers as well.
- CyberGhost
CyberGhost was created for providing top-notch security. There are multiple security features and very fast as well. There are over 3,600 servers available spanning over 60 countries. Servers are P2P optimized.
What can be blocked by CyberGhost?
It has a stream profile which is optimized for the following;
- Netflix
- Hulu
- BBC iPlayer
- Sky Go
- Comedy Central
- Eurosport
- ESPN and others
What kind of torrenting does it support?
A dedicated profile shows the countries and number of users.
Supported Devices
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire Stick, Android TV, Linux, and Chrome.
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ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is another big name. This VPN is also packed with features. It is safe, anonymous and easy to operate. It has more than 3,000 servers spanning over 94 countries.
It provides very high-end security, 256-bit encryption, and there is also an automatic kill switch.
What can be blocked by ExpressVPN?
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- Showtime
- Hulu
- BBC iPlayer
- Sling TV
- HBO
- DAZN
What kind of torrenting does it support?
All the servers support P2P activity.
Supported Devices
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome and Firefox. It can also work with routers but only with specified ones.
A few Other Important Tips for Safely Downloading Torrents
So, using a VPN service is the most suitable option to stay hidden online and continue downloading the torrents. But there are a few other things you can do to keep yourself safe.
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Use Legal Torrents
The biggest part of keeping yourself safe revolves around the torrents you are downloading. So, download only the legal torrents. Getting the illegal ones will be very risky, especially if you are going for the most recently released movies, games, TV series etc
In these cases, the copyright holder keeps a close eye on such activities and on the people who have a history of sharing such contents. So, you can skip the issue altogether if you get only the legal torrents.
There is actually a lot of legal content available. These may be independent movies that were released for free of cost. There are older content and open-source software that has been distributed for free. Here are the links;
- http://www.legittorrents.info/
- http://www.vuze.com/content/
- http://vodo.net/
- https://archive.org/index.php
- http://www.publicdomaintorrents.info/
- https://bitlove.org/
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Configure the Torrent Client
There are several torrent clients available for downloading torrents successfully. There is UTorrent, BitTorrent, QB Torrent, etc. But some of the torrent clients are equipped with advanced security features. They are capable of encrypting the torrents and make them invisible so that ISP won’t be able to track the IP.
This is an effective method, and you should get a torrent client with such capabilities and of course, activate the feature while downloading. You can also consider the use of a proxy server, to make the torrent route hidden.
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Find Torrents on Respected Websites
Well, we have already established the legality of this procedure, but there are other factors involved as well. The first issue is that most of the time you actually can’t see the files you are downloading. Then after the download is complete, you open them. So, there is a big possibility that viruses or malware may enter via one of those files.
Your entire system could get infected. So, in order to avoid such instances, you need to use websites that provide only safe torrents. You can also try getting an invitation to a private torrenting site as well. These sites are very secure, and there is no chance of getting infected.
Conclusion
These days users really worry about downloading torrents, as a number of people have been caught for downloading illegal files. The consequences were severe, but there are safer ways to download torrents, and you need to try them. If you are still having trust issues, then get a VPN, and all the traffic will be encrypted; no one will be able to trace the IP address.
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