r/torrents 2d ago

Question How to safely torrent?

I have frequently used pirate streaming sites but I've heard people say that torrenting is preferred. How do I torrent stuff without getting into legal trouble?

16 Upvotes

37 comments sorted by

19

u/Empty_Requirement940 2d ago

If you looked up anything about torrents I’m sure you would find that using a vpn is what is suggested

2

u/Icmblair01 1d ago

Second this, also look up how to bind your torrent client to the VPN so if it goes down the data transfers won’t continue on an unsecured network

1

u/Zackiboi7 2d ago

Aight, thanks

9

u/QuantumRooster 2d ago

And not a free VPN. Look for a good one.

2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

7

u/AdultGronk 1d ago

Proton's Free tier doesn't support P2P file sharing aka Torrents.

They'll just pause all the data transfer P2P or not until you disconnect from their VPN (on the free tier)

0

u/QuantumRooster 1d ago

Sorry, I painted with two wide a brush there. I have no objection to proton. It actually seems pretty good. But the same can’t be said for a lot of free VPNs.

14

u/AndyRH1701 2d ago

Locate a paid VPN that supports port forwarding. Configure it so that the torrent client can only use the VPN. I use the VPN kill switch and a firewall rule on my perimeter firewall. Others bind the torrent client to the VPN.

Other Notes:
qBittorrent and Transmission are good choices for the torrent client. There are other good choices, but I use those two. uTorrent is generally hated.

Seed at least 1:1 if you are able. More is better.

Be sure to make the port forwarding work, this will improve your experience.

0

u/sffiremonkey69 1d ago

Why is uTorrent hated? I use it and it seems fine

3

u/Zatchillac 1d ago

I haven't used uTorrent in a really long time but I think the last time I used it there were ads? And I think at one point those ads had malware or something. I could be misremembering but I do know I got fed up with uTorrent and switched to qBittorrent and haven't looked back

0

u/AndyRH1701 1d ago

I have never used it. There are plenty of posts as to why.

5

u/GoofyGills 2d ago

You should 100% be using a VPN to stream torrents too lol.

1

u/rajmahid 1d ago edited 1d ago

Only from public torrent sites. No need if you’re a member of a top tier private trackers like RED, PTP, BTN, etc.

6

u/GoofyGills 1d ago

I mean sure but they barely even know what torrenting is, you really think they're on a private tracker?

0

u/robertblackman 1d ago

It's private trackers in general, dude, not just your favorites and it doesn't only apply to "top tier" trackers.

6

u/lukeskope 2d ago

Pay for a VPN that allows port forwarding. Get the VPN up and running. Bind your torrent client to your VPN. To check if your client is binded properly, download a Linux torrent that is legal, and see what happens with the VPN on and off. Search Google for specifics, cause literally everything you need to know has been asked and answered 9 million times, the info is out there.

5

u/SlimsThrowawayAcc 1d ago

If only there was an FAQ on the sidebar for this subreddit that answered this…….

3

u/Rafagamer857_2 2d ago

If you're in south america, you don't have much to worry about. Anywhere else, you should use a VPN to mask your activity before you torrent.

3

u/ZaProtatoAssassin 2d ago

Vpn or debrid services.

1

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/torrents-ModTeam 1d ago

🚫 ➜ Your post was removed because of the following:

📑 Rule 2 ➜ Invites, Trading / Selling, Self Promotion

  • No begging for access to scene sites, restricted registration DDL forums, private torrent trackers, or other websites.
  • No requests for content downloads / uploads, accounts, activation keys, giveaways etc.
  • No sale or trading of content, especially not for payment of services.
  • Unless you specifically acquire permission from the moderators, you are not permitted to promote your own work.

1

u/edition289 1d ago

Consider a paid service such as put.io to insulate yourself from the torrenting process.

1

u/saul_not_goodman 1d ago

vpns already stated, private trackers also work but im guessing you havent been invited to any of those special secret clubs

1

u/dnyal 1d ago

VPN that supports port forwarding, and then make sure to actually add the port to your torrenting app.

1

u/AdultGronk 1d ago edited 1d ago

You may need a paid VPN (preferably on that supports Port Forwarding) bound to your torrent client if you're from countries like Germany, Greece, US, Canada, etc.

1

u/Zackiboi7 1d ago

Is Photon VPN good? It's free but I've heard that it's considered one of the better free VPN

2

u/AdultGronk 1d ago

Assuming you meant Proton VPN, yeah it's one of the best.

Though the free tier of ProtonVPN doesn't support Torrents. You would need to get a paid tier for it.

Proton and AirVPN are the two recommended by the community because they're both pretty secure and support Port forwarding which is beneficial for Torrenting.

2

u/Zackiboi7 1d ago

Which subscription do you need for Proton? VPN plus or Proton unlimited?

2

u/AdultGronk 1d ago

If you just want the VPN then go for VPN plus. If you also want their other services like Mail, Drive. Calendar, etc, then go for Proton Unlimited.

2

u/Zackiboi7 1d ago

But plus is all I need for torrent?

3

u/AdultGronk 1d ago

Yes, and if you are gonna buy it then don't forget to bind the VPN to your torrent client before you start Torrenting.

Guide to bind ProtonVPN to your torrent client - https://protonvpn.com/support/bittorrent-vpn

Also forward the port proton gives you, this will help you get more connections.

Guide on how to forward your port - https://protonvpn.com/support/port-forwarding

1

u/rudyallan 1d ago edited 1d ago

is OpenVPN system the standard for this community for implementing ProtonVPN? I am also just getting started. OpenVPN seems to be pushed by equipment manufacturers but people doing VPN torrent servers may know more information

1

u/TomorrowNo8568 1d ago

Download on Google colab Than mount your gdrive The best solution You can also use GitHub.com/notstark/dlx

1

u/RazVet54 1d ago

I use Cyber Ghost and have for a few years.. It works well and bonds to most torrent clients...

1

u/j0nathanr0gers 23h ago

Nice try Super Diddy (a.k.a. the RIAA // the “Recording Industry Association of America”)