w3btorrent: A BitTorrent Client for your Web Server

Written by Ernesto on April 25, 2007 

w3btorrent is a full-featured but lightweight BitTorrent client designed to run off a Web Server. It is easy to configure, works without a database and supports WAP, so you can monitor your torrents on your mobile phone.

w3btorrent logoWith w3btorrent you can monitor your torrents from any pc in the world. After you’ve installed it on a web server you can remotely start, stop, add and delete torrents, even with your mobile phone

I’ve tried the latest stable version (0.1.2) which was released last month, and it works great. Simple, lightweight, and it doesn’t need a database. The WAP support is great and allows you to start and stop torrents with your mobile phone. w3btorrent currently has less features than its competitor TorrentFlux, but it does everything I want a BitTorrent client to do.

You can also install w3btorrent on a web hosting account to download and seed torrents. That is, if your webhosting company allows it.

A few months ago a customer of the popular hosting company Dreamhost tried to run the EFF’s Broadcast Machine on his Dreamhost account. However, Dreamhost said that BitTorrent was strictly forbidden, both as a client and as a tracker. Very strange because it is a great way to share podcasts and other large audio video files, and it even saves Dreamhost and its customers some bandwidth.

Some of the features of w3btorrent include:

  • Simple online installer.
  • Fast Ajax browsing.
  • Upload or download torrent files to server with URL or file upload.
  • View status, start, stop, delete torrents.
  • Browse downloaded files easy.
  • Rich archive support, both compress and decompress.
  • WGET support. Type a URL and download it, no need to open terminal.

    • webtorrent logo download

    Previously: BitTorrent Pirates vs MPAA Ninjas

    Next: TorrentPod Episode 34

    9 Responses

    1 Apr 25, 2007 at 23:58 by Mike

    WAP for cell phone monitoring. Thats the coolest thing I’ve heard in a while.

    (edit: no spam!)

    2 Apr 26, 2007 at 00:43 by jcla

    sounds like it will consume a lot of server resources…

    3 Apr 26, 2007 at 07:02 by V

    And which hosts even allow this?

    I’m sure if I used that my hosting would be revoked even if it’s not noted in there T&C.

    4 Apr 27, 2007 at 01:25 by jacotyco

    cool. now i just need a cell phone. =P

    5 Apr 30, 2007 at 07:13 by bt

    I use Dreamhost and would jump ship if I could find a comparable company that allows you to run torrents off the server. Dreamhost claims it’s not about the bandwidth, but about the processor use.

    6 Apr 30, 2007 at 08:54 by Tantric

    Could be very cool for those of us that host our own sites, etc.

    7 May 02, 2007 at 12:47 by godot

    which free websites can i run w3bt on?

    8 Aug 21, 2007 at 13:58 by Boss

    which free websites can i run w3bt on?

    9 Jan 11, 2008 at 19:32 by Google

    I Think,Ä°t is very nice information…

    Hitchhiker Nation

    Responses are closed

    All remaining responses will continue to be archived. Use the TorrentFreak forums if you want to discuss something.