What You Need to Know About Torrent Files

A "torrent" file is a small file with the end ending in .torrent. When the file has .torrent located at the end, that specific file has all the information needed that you are downloading. Torrent files come in all different sizes, usually they are very large files full of information.

The advantage of downloading with a torrent, is that when someone is looking for something that is very popular, say the Harry Potter movie series. The more people that are downloading it, the faster the download. (Downloading the Harry Potter is against the law since it does have copyrights. I was using it just as an example).

If you are still confused at what exactly a torrent file is, let me explain it even more. Many people have used Limewire, WinMx, or Kazaa for music or even movies. That specific software is P2P sharing, which means people share what they have to whoever wants it. Now instead of just one song, torrent files allow you to download entire libraries, albums, television series, or whatever else you are looking for, all at one time.

To begin using torrent files, you do need a torrent client to open up the torrent file. Three of the best torrent clients are located at UTorrent.com, http://azureus.sourceforge.net/, and http://www.bittorrent.com/download. Once you have downloaded your torrent client. All you need to do is find a site with the information you are looking for. I personally recommend http://www.torrentportal.com/.

Once you have figured out what you want to download, follow these specific instructions.

1. Find the file you want to download.

2. Download the file to your computer. Make a folder just for your torrent files.

3. Open up your torrent client, find the file you downloaded and open it inside of the torrent client software.

4. Allow it to download completely before opening. Now this may take a while depending on what you have chosen.

5. Your ready to view your information downloaded.

Common terms in torrent websites that you should know.

1. Tracker - It is the server that watches over all the downloading.
2. Seed - That is basically the person/user that has a downloaded file and is sharing it.
3. Peers - That is everyone who is downloading something that is not completed as of yet.
4. UD Ratio - is the data rate that is being sent and received.

Are torrent files legal or illegal? They are legal until you make it illegal. You have to remember that anything you download that is copyright material is illegal anywhere. You can however purchase licenses to download specific material. Movies, music and software all are copyright material. You must have a license or permission to download any of these specific files. Do not think because everyone is doing it that you will not get caught. It just takes that one time. Make sure you have permission or a license. I cannot stress that enough.

The U.S. Copyright Office, specifically states that "copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner." They also state that "Under federal copyright law, penalties for copyright violations range from $750 to $150,000 per work infringed." That means every song you download is considered a violation if it is copyright material.

This also goes for people who are sharing. If the material you or someone else is uploading has copyrights, then it is most definitely illegal. Plain and simple. Stick to legal downloading of information, if you are not sure if it is legal, then do not download it. If you are asked to purchase the license to download, then by all means purchase it and download it. You now have the right to download it.

One last thing about torrent files. Viruses come in anything these days that are sent through the internet. Be sure that you have a very good anti-spyware software and anti-virus. Make sure when downloading torrents that both software programs are open, just in case someone decides to slip a virus into the information downloading. If you do not have anything to protect your computer, I recommend you go to FileHippo.com and download Spy Bot Search & Destroy and Comodo Internet Security. Both programs are completely free and legal.

Enjoy your file sharing and downloading. Keep it legal!