Torrent files are a popular way to share a large amount of data with thousands of people over the internet. But how do torrents work? And how do you open .torrent files? Today, we’re going to teach you how to use Bit Torrent technology to download your favorite files from the internet.
What are torrents?
Torrents help internet users share large amounts of data with one another. The owner of the file is the first seeder, and that person uploads a stream of data to several other users. As the second, third and fourth users download the file, they also start sharing bits of the file with one another. As more users download the .torrent file, it creates a ‘torrent of bits’ between each and every user. Once this upload is complete, the downloaders turn into seeders and the process starts all over again.
Think of Bit Torrent like a river. The first uploader is a small, trickling stream. Eventually, that stream meets with another stream and doubles in size. Soon after, that stream flows into a river and so on and so on.
How do I open a .torrent file?
Now that you know what a torrent is, you probably want to know how to access the .torrent file itself. To do that, you’re going to need a torrent application. There are several major torrent applications on the internet, and each one of them is fairly equal in terms of speed and interface. Here are the three most popular torrent applications:
3) Vuze
2) BitTorrent
1) uTorrent
Download the installation files from the links listed above and follow the steps to install them on your computer.
Where do I find .torrent files?
There a wide range of torrent websites on the internet. Some of them illegally share copyrighted content like music, movies, and games, while others share only legal torrent files. We’re not going to link to the illegal torrent websites, as they can easily be found using Google, but here are some of the popular legal torrent websites:
–Mininova: Mininova used to share illegal torrent files until it was forced to shut down a few years ago. Today, it has been re-launched and now shares thousands of legal torrents, like HD footage from space missions.
–ClearBits.net: ClearBits, previously known as LegalTorrents.com, is the internet’s leading source of legal, restriction-free media files.
–YouTorrent.com: YouTorrent has over 80,000 legal torrent files hosted on its website. Its easy search interface and convenient categories make browsing for torrent files a breeze.
While many people associate Bit Torrent with the illegal sharing of files online, it’s clear to see there is a market for legal torrents as well. Some bands have even started uploading their music to Bit Torrent in order to gain a massive amount of free publicity.
Ultimately, Bit Torrent is one of the best ways – if not the best way – to transfer large files to thousands of people in a very short period of time, and giving your computer the ability to download .torrent files can unlock a whole new world of online content.