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Use a virtual private server to BitTorrent faster and more efficiently
In almost every case, your download speed on a torrent is dictated by your upload speed. If you manage to download a few chunks, and then upload those at high speed, you will very soon find your pipe very full indeed.
Now, if you're lucky enough to have a juicy upload connection at home (a few megabits), you probably have no problem filling your entire downstream bandwidth. If you're stuck with a weak DSL connection, however, a virtual private server (VPS), or 'seedbox', is what you need.
A VPS [Google search link] can cost as little as a few dollars a month, and for that you get access to 100Mbps both upstream and down. 350 megabyte torrents will complete in just a few seconds, and in general you'll get more bandwidth than you'll ever need (100GB or more). Once your torrents are complete on your VPS, you can download to your home computer at full speed. This also leaves your home's upstream bandwidth free for other uses, like surfing the Web!
Most VPSes run Linux, though, so you will need to learn how to use a console torrent client like rTorrent -- but that's tomorrow's tip!
Comments
15
Subscribe to commentsTheDudeJan 31st 2011 2:30PM
I see downloadsquad just discovered seedoxes ;) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedbox
Sebastian AnthonyJan 31st 2011 2:35PM
@TheDude I almost invented the term 'seedbox', so there!
DaveJan 31st 2011 2:38PM
So i can have a VPS download a torrent, then i have to redownload it to my PC?
Also, this kind of acts like a proxy right?
Sebastian AnthonyJan 31st 2011 4:02PM
@Dave No, it's not a proxy. A VPS is basically a distinct computer. It's like having a computer connected to the the Internet by a very high speed connection.
You could use the VPS as a proxy of course. But basically, it does the downloads for you, and then you download from there to your computer. The other advantage is that you don't have to keep your computer on over night, if that's when you usually do your torrents :)
pospamJan 31st 2011 5:08PM
Any VPS that you can recommend?
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 1st 2011 4:56AM
@pospam I can only suggest you check through some forums.
But in general, they're all much the same (but there may be terms/conditions that you need to check).
kojo87Jan 31st 2011 2:45PM
i think torrents are the reason no ISP offers decent upload speed. between the 3 ISPs i have dealt with in the last year (Charter, Time Warner and AT&T) none of them offer good up/down ratios. until you get into the top tier packages its hard to get over 1Mb/s up. the best AT&T offers is 24 down and 2 up. thats terrible. i read somewhere a long time ago that Verizon was going to offer a 35 down and 35 up package. that would be sweet but i bet it ain't cheap.
i might have to look into getting a VPS. although the empty threats from Charter are always fun. you are going to cut my service if this happens again? thats what the last 4 letters said.
AemonyJan 31st 2011 3:07PM
I must admit that I've never noticed the supposed "higher upload == higher download" statement that seems to drive BitTorrent, and I've used the technology for many years.
On my old 8/1 cable connection I always maxed out my download with a very low upload speed, which resulted in about 800 kBps down and only ~15 kBps up.
The same can be said about my current 100/100 connection. Sure, sometimes I notice some small increase in my download speed, a few hundreds kBps, but only if I'm uploading multiple MBps more than usually. But more than often I never experience that your download speed is tightly tied to your upload speed, as many states.
Sebastian AnthonyJan 31st 2011 3:19PM
@Aemony It might be that you're jumping on torrents early or late, when they're well-seeded!
Or you're lucky :)
MailslutFeb 1st 2011 12:44PM
If you're paying a few dollars a month for a seedbox why not pay a few dollars for a usenet account instead - arguably it's even faster and a lot more reliable. Paired with something like sabnzbd its the fastest most pain free way to download
DaveJan 31st 2011 3:45PM
someone respond to mah post plz
forlorn.yenJan 31st 2011 9:57PM
I cant seen to find any vps for "...as little as a few dollars a month..."
can anyone recommend a cheap one, or some sort of a free trial?
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 1st 2011 4:55AM
@forlorn.yen I see a lot at 8 or 9 dollars...! If it doesn't work out, you can always cancel -- $9 isn't much, right? :)
KeseyFeb 1st 2011 8:08AM
@Sebastian Anthony I've never really heard $8-9 referred to as a few dollars a month. Most people refer to that as 10 bucks. I would've thought you meant $3-4.
Sebastian AnthonyFeb 1st 2011 8:08AM
@Kesey Ah, sorry then. I'm from England, and $10 equates to about £6... which isn't much :) (The cost of living is very high here.)
Of course, you could always split a VPS with a friend... which would bring it down to $4-5!