Torrents appeared a long time ago, however, it is still one of the most popular, loved, and reliable ways for sharing a wide range of digital files with other people. Though a lot of individuals think that it is difficult to use and access these websites, it is actually extremely easy.
If you are new to the entire world and concept of torrents, you might be wondering what they are, how do they work, as well as what you’ll need to do in order to start the process. And, this is exactly what this article can help you with. Let’s take a closer look at this 2024 guide for beginners:
Torrents: Explained
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, these websites actually first appeared a long time ago, more specifically in 2001. It was somewhat groundbreaking technology back in the day, especially since the Internet was quite slow and the cloud-based technology was created for enterprise consumers.
It took some time for it to become popular and once it did, people never really stopped using it. In fact, it is still one of the best ways for sharing and downloading a wide range of data between you, your friends, and family members, an option that is more convenient than others.
There are a few ways of obtaining data nowadays. There are the traditional methods – one that will require you to copy a folder from a remote server and the other that requires people to use a cloud platform to upload it. And, then there is the third option, torrents.
Now you might be wondering – but if users also upload their files on these platforms, what makes it different from the traditional methods? Well, for starters the platforms do not depend on servers. This is because they are small parts of data, distributed across a wide range of computers. This means that someone takes small parts of one folder from various computers to complete it.
These sites also enforce quality control, hence, they will filter all corrupted or empty folders. When they first came out, they were 100% safe. Of course, technology did develop and they can now get easily corrupted, nonetheless, this method is still considered to be the safest and most reliable one.
There are two different terms that you need to learn and understand – “BitTorrent” and “Torrent”. Although they seem similar or even the same, they are, in fact, quite different. A torrent is a very tiny file – containing only a few bytes of data – that incorporate specific metadata about that someone wants to have.
The second expression, BitTorrent, is a protocol for transferring information that allows the platform to work. This means that it is not a small folder, but instead, a protocol that will break the big one into several pieces and then connect those pieces back together again once the process is done.
How Do They Work?
Instead of connecting to a specific server to download files, it actually works in a decentralized way. Each user is actively sharing, hence, they rely on each other for obtaining what they need. Before explaining how they work exactly, let’s first take a look at some terms that will appear often:
- Seeders – are users who already finished the download. They are the ones seeding the data, hence, they allow other people to obtain what they need.
- Peers – are users who are actively downloading or uploading. So, it is the combined number of people involved in the entire process.
- Leechers – are users who are downloading the data. Basically, they are the ones who are obtaining the data from the seeders.
- Trackers – are like bridges between each user (peer). These are literally all the URLs and servers used in transferring information.
- Indexers – are the websites you access in order to find a specific file you need.
So, What Do I Need to Try it?
Before anyone tries to get a file from a specific search engine, there are a few things that you should obtain first. These include:
- You’ll Need a BitTorrent Client on Your PC – now, do not be utterly confused when you see hundreds of clients out there, they all function in the same way. If you want to check out tons of quality torrent websites, you can do so at firestricktricks.com.
- Find a Search Engine – you’ll also need to opt for a search engine. All of the websites have different features, do, it is something that will depend on your preferences. This means that you can choose a site that is simple and minimalistic or one that will offer you endless searching features and options.
- Make Sure Your PC Is Protected – as mentioned above, it is relatively safe, however, it is possible for you to get corrupted data. This is why you might want to install a firewall and/or an antivirus on your PC or laptop, especially since it is better to be safe than sorry later on.
What Benefits Can I Gain?
Well, there are endless benefits that you can gain from choosing this option for getting the data you need, including:
- It Will Save Time – you should know that torrenting is faster than other options. This is because you can completely use the speed of your Internet and if someone finds what they need with hundreds, if not thousands of seeders, you can download a 1 GB file in a manner of minutes.
- You Can Find Almost Everything – you literally have no idea how many things you can find on these sites. They are endless pools of categories, files, data, and information, which is why you’ll be able to find almost everything that you think of.
- The Files Are Reliable – if you are concerned about keeping your PC, laptop, or other devices safe, this option is for you. As you know, there are specific checks that all files pass, and most of the corrupted or dummy ones are filtered right away.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is actually quite easy to understand, access, and use torrent websites. And although it appeared 19 years ago, it still remains one of the most popular and used options for sharing different files, especially since it allows people to do it in an easy and time-efficient way.
