Maximum PC

I am hoping there is someone smart out there that can clearly and simply explain bit torrent to me. I have a very general understanding of it but I just wanted someone who can explain what seeders and leachers are. Someone who can sum it all up in a sentence or two about bit torrent. Just a very general answer. Thanks.

Seeder = Someone that is contributing to the torrent and letting someone download a piece from their computer. They upload part/most of the file back so other people can download at a reasonable rate.

Leecher: Someone that is downloading and not uploading a lot.


Without knowing exactly what you are referring to, that is about the best summary I can come up with. If you are downloading, make sure you maintain the ratio specified or you may get blocked/banned.

Excellent, thanks so much.

Bit torrent is downloading the same file from multiple users which accounts for the high download rate??

Mostly yes and no. A single seeder can account for the high downloads say from a server. The point was to de-centralize downloads so it doesn't tax a single user but spreads it across multiple. So in that sense you do receive faster downloads.

Yes.

What I find disconcerting is when the upload rate is four or five times the download rate.

Why? That should only concern you if you're stealing something.

eh? Can you expound upon that statement? You lost me.

Exactly what you downloading via BT then?

Why? Is the upload rate different for legal and illegal files? I can cap the upload rate in my bit torrent client so it's not a big problem. I just find it odd that bits are going out faster than they are coming in. In fact I'm wondering how that's possible. Obviously it is because they do. So, anybody got a real answer? Granted I'm more used to the Break Room where light hearted bs is tolerated but I thought this was a section where a serious question could get a serious answer.

It just mean that you've become a seeder. The clients that seeded to you either stopped/capped or seeding to others who need it more. So now you have data that the other peers need but they don't have data that you do. The sad part is why you think this is bad, not giving back.

Right.

Why? You're the one asking to expound on this...

Generally, you're sending data to different people than those from whom you're receiving data. This is not always the case but it is generally true.

The speed at which you're share data with a given user depends on your settings and ISP, his settings and ISP and the distance / traffic between you. So, if you're downloading from a guy in Japan and uploading to a guy in the town next door, you'll see much higher uploads than down. Similarly, if you're downloading from a guy sitting on a 10Mbps connection and uploading to a guy on a shitty old 1Mbps connection, you'll see higher downloads than uploads.

TLDR: your speeds depend on the people with whom you're sharing rather than whether you're uploading or downloading.

Thanks Jip. Just to supplement your answer with something one of the guys in the office said. You could be downloading from one but uploading to many. Thus the upload speed shown on the client would reflect the combined uploads. I use a fairly fast desktop with a quad core and a screaming fast internet line so that combined with a dog slow download line could account for it. Not sure if that's true but it does sound reasonable.

Yeah, absolutely. This is particularly likely if you're seeding something that has more leeches than seeds or isn't terribly popular.

Most ISPs give more download speed than upload speed but if you've got a decent-or-better connection, it is difficult to max out the DL speeds. Easier to max out the upload .. especially in the cases mentioned above.

Note that none of this has anything to do with the legality of your downloads ... despite what certain monkeys might say ...

Did I say it did? I think not.

Listen .. if I imply something it is because I want it to be true. If I want it to be true, it is.

Therefore, I'm right.

Fine, then in that case, you're all a bunch of fucking criminals too.