What Is BitTorrent?

Date First Published: 16th March 2022

Topic: Computer Networking

Subtopic: Internet Protocols

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 5/10

Learn more about what BitTorrent is in this article.

BitTorrent is a P2P file-sharing protocol that allows users to upload and download files over the internet. The files uploaded and downloaded could include programs, documents, photographs, videos, etc. Uploading or downloading files through the BitTorrent protocol is referred to as torrenting. BitTorrent was developed by Rainberry, Inc and released in 2001.

Special programs, called BitTorrent clients, are used for downloading files, called torrent files. Torrent files describe files that have been shared using the BitTorrent protocol. Examples of BitTorrent clients include qBitTorrent and uTorrent. These files do not contain the distributed file. These contain information about the file, including the name, size, and folder and have a ‘.torrent’ file extension and are obtained from computers that have already downloaded it, known as seeders. Torrent files give addresses that identify computers that are capable of sending the requested file and are often uploaded through P2P sites that host these files by registered users.

Torrenting is not the same as simply downloading files through a web browser. At first, a torrent file needs to be downloaded and opened through a BitTorrent client or a magnet link needs to be clicked in order for the file to open in the BitTorrent client. Then, the contents of the torrent file are obtained from computers that have already downloaded the file, which are known as seeders. The contents of the files are not hosted on one central server and can be downloaded from any computer that has an entire copy of it, which is why BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing protocol.

BitTorrent Terms

• Seeding - Sharing a file with other BitTorrent users to download once a computer has a complete copy of a file. Another BitTorrent user (peer) who has downloaded the file and is sharing it for other users to download is referred to as a seeder. Torrent files are usually seeded after a user has finished downloading them in their BitTorrent client.
• Leeching - Downloading torrent files without seeding them. Leechers download the files shared by the seeds without seeding them to other users. In computing, the definition of leeching is an activity that consists of downloading more data than the user is uploading. More leechers lead to a slower downloading speed. Ideally, the ratio of seeders to leechers should be kept 1:1.
• Tracker - A server that keeps track of all of the seeds and peers in the swarm. The swarm is all peers sharing a torrent. The majority of trackers are public, meaning that it is possible for anyone to find the torrent and download the file by joining the swarm.
• Magnet link - A link that enables torrent files to be directly downloaded through BitTorrent clients without downloading the torrent file first. It is a quicker way of downloading torrents as when a user visits a magnet link through their web browser, their BitTorrent client immediately starts opening and downloading the file.

Is It Possible To Download The Contents Of A Torrent File With No Seeders?

It is impossible to download the contents of a torrent file that has 0 seeders through a BitTorrent client since there would be no users sharing the whole file. Trying to download a torrent file with no seeders will result in the torrent getting stalled in the BitTorrent client. Adding more public trackers to the tracker list of the torrent is a common way to find more seeders.