Many experienced file-sharers can’t understand why relative novices manage to download so much junk from BitTorrent. Fake downloads that never finish, video files which refuse to play, movies that require special players and unwatchable video are easily avoided by those in the know. But how do they do it?
Back in August we reported that Comcast was limiting BitTorrent traffic. Comcast denied our allegations, even though we had some pretty solid evidence. However, a recent test by Associated Press confirmed what we have been reporting all along. The million dollar question remains, can Comcast subscribers get around this, and more importantly, how?
BitLet, the web-based BitTorrent client recently added a bookmarklet. This new feature makes it possible to download .torrent files in your browser, without navigating away from the torrent site. The bookmarklet works on The Pirate Bay, mininova, Demonoid and all other sites that use the .torrent extension.
On some networks it’s impossible to use BitTorrent. For example, if you’re at work, school, or connected to Comcast or a public hotspot. But there’s an easy solution to overcome this problem. By using a secure connection (SSH), you can bypass almost every firewall or traffic shaping application.
A plug-in developed by a university is promising improved BitTorrent transfers by selectively connecting to peers offering faster response times. Currently in use on over 25,000 Azureus installations, it identifies and connects to nearby peers in an attempt to accelerate downloads.
Here’s a list of 20 BitTorrent resources, tips and tricks, useful for both newcomers and more advanced users.
The best torrent software clients like uTorrent or Azureus are free, no strings attached. However, some companies are making money tricking novice users into installing bad clients, bad media players and even bad Winzip-like software. We expose them and their badware and show you how to block them.
BitTorrent is great, but all those downloaded torrents have the habit of making a mess of your harddrive. Do you still have all your downloaded stuff in a single folder? Take action, organize your torrents.
Last week we announced the availability of a PC-only application to automate the checking of Private BitTorrent Trackers for open signups. After reading the article a developer contacted us, said he loved the idea and set about coding a version for all the Mac users out there. We have the software here for download, free of charge.
