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During peer-to-peer torrenting, your ISP can access a lot of information, including the data packets and websites you are connected to for downloading files. Upon noticing high-bandwidth usage, they can throttle your internet or penalize you for downloading copyright content.
Use a reliable VPN or a proxy server to hide your Torrent activities from ISP and other third parties. It encrypts the internet connection and routes it through an intermediary server for safe torrenting. Don’t know how to do it? Just follow this guide.
How to Torrent Without ISP Knowing?
There are three popular ways to securely download content from Torrent without getting noticed by your ISP or third parties. These are:
1. Use a VPN server
The most reliable and effective way is to use a VPN server. Modern VPN servers use military-grade encryption to protect your data and privacy. When you use an encrypted virtual network, your IP address gets masked so no one can track your real location or ISP information to prevent phishing attacks. Using a VPN also prevents your ISP from seeing what you are downloading.
However, certain VPN providers, like NordVPN, SurfShark, etc., have software to track anonymous torrenting. This will let your ISP track the large number of data packets you transmit (but not the data files), even when using a VPN server.
2. Use a Proxy Server
You can use a Proxy server to stop ISP throttling without a VPN. These servers also act as intermediaries between a client network and an ISP server. However, they work only on a single website simultaneously to offer anonymous browsing without providing network encryption.
You can use HTTPS proxy when using Torrent to reroute your browsing traffic. Some reliable and popular proxy servers you can try are:
- Luminati
- Oxylabs
- RSocks
- Smartproxy
- StormProxies
3. Use a Seedbox
The Seedbox is another great solution to using Torrents anonymously. It is a remote Virtual Private server but operates from physical servers. The best thing about Seedbox is that it offers high speeds and zero bandwidth usage, irrespective of how far is the downloading source.
It uses the same protocol as BitTorrent for uploading and downloading the data and uses HTTPS encryption to protect IP and ISP addresses. If you use it, your ISP can detect the Seedbox usage but not the Torrent sites and content you are downloading. Some of the best Seedbox you can use are:
- Seedbox Bay
- Seedbox.io
- Seedlt4me
- Seedbox.fr
- Rapid Seedbox
How to Torrent Safely Using a VPN?
VPN is the most reliable and efficient way to hide Torrents from your ISP compared to other methods. Thus here is the step-by-step process to use a VPN for safe torrenting:
Step 1: Choose a Reliable VPN
To get good encryption features and fast speed, choose a reliable VPN only. Some VPNs are specifically designed for fast torrenting. Go for the one that blocks malware, ad pop-ups, phishing and Cyber DDOS attacks, like NordVPN, SurfShank or ExpressVPN.
Step 2: Keep your VPN Connected
If your VPN is not enabled/connected before you open any Torrent client, it can expose your IP address. This is because Torrent clients immediately begin seeding (sharing Torrent files with other users) as soon as you open them. Thus, ensure you are connected to VPN before opening or after closing any Torrent client.
Step 3: Choose a Reliable Torrent Client
A single Torrent comprises multiple files from various locations. A Torrent client manages all these files in one place, so you can access them all as a single package after downloading. A reliable Torrent client offer customization and easy-to-use functionality. Some of the best reliable Torrent Clients you can choose from are:
- uTorrent
- BitTorrent
- qBitTorrent
- Deluge
- Vuze
Step 4: Configure VPN and Torrent Client
After installing a VPN, you must enable/configure some safety options for safe Torrenting. Go to the VPN settings and enable all these options:
- Kill Switch – Also known as a Network lock, it disconnects the internet when VPN suddenly drops out. Enable it to protect your IP address.
- DNS Leak Protection – Enable it to prevent accidental exposure of your browsing data to third parties.
- OpenVPN or IKEv2 Protocol – Enable this advanced protocol to get high speed and the best security for Torrenting.
- AES-256 bit encryption – It is the strongest encryption standard to scramble your data. Enable it so no one can penetrate or read your data.
- Split Tunneling – It lets you choose which apps should use a VPN connection and which not. It is optional, but you can enable it if you want to keep the real IP address available for some sites.
Step 5: Use an AntiVirus Software
For additional protection, install good Antivirus software like McAfee, Norton, Windows Defender, Malwarebytes, Avira, etc. It will scan all the Torrent files for malware, viruses and spyware to remove or resolve the issue.
Step 6: Download a Safe Torrent
Not all Torrents are safe, as hackers sometimes fill them with spyware or malware. Thus download verified torrents from a safe and reliable Torrent website to avoid phishing attacks. Some of the reliable Torrent websites to consider are:
- PirateBay
- 1337x
- Limetorrents
- RARBG
- YTS
Why Do You Need to Hide Torrent from Your ISP?
There are several prominent reasons to hide Torrents from your ISP, like:
- To prevent ISP throttling and snooping
- To keep your IP and ISP address safe
- To access restricted content
- To avoid paying the penalty for illegal torrenting
- To download large movie, video and games files
FAQs
Torrenting works through a Swarm process where a user downloads a Torrent file by simultaneously uploading parts of that file to other users. This process involves the exposure of IP addresses to other users. Users can use a VPN or proxy server to protect their IP address and privacy.
While your ISP cannot see your Torrent files, they can detect that you are Torrenting by analyzing your data packets. If they detect multiple simultaneous uploads and high-bandwidth usage on your network, they can get the idea that you are downloading a heavy Torrent file.
Yes, a VPN hides Torrents from your ISP by masking your real IP address. It encrypts your online activities and reroutes the traffic through a virtual server before sending it to the destination. As a result, your ISP can’t track your online activities.
It is not the ISP who reports the illegal downloads but the content owners. They track the IP address and the ISP associated with it to ask them to cease illegal activities by issuing a notice against them.
Conclusion
Torrenting is not illegal, as it is a simple way to transfer files online. However, if you download copyrighted content, your ISP can penalize you, restrict your online activities or throttle your internet.
It is better to mask your online activities and IP address using an encrypted VPN or proxy server to avoid this and other cyber attacks. Choose only the reliable VPN servers, Torrent Client and Torrenting websites to protect your data. And if you don’t remember what your ISP is, use ISP Finder to get the information quickly.