BitTorrent

1. What's BitTorrent?

BitTorrent is a file transfer protocol that helps with the exchange of large files.

The idea is: a source person (called a seeder) shares a file using a centralized relay (called a tracker) that recipients (called leechers) can get seeder addresses from.

While downloading the file, leechers in turn become seeders. The speed of the seeders and leechers is pooled and a file, even a very large one, can be downloaded quickly. In summary, the more leechers, the faster the file will be downloaded.

It's for this reason, for the best performance of this exchange system, we strongly recommend that you leave your BitTorrent client open even when you have fully downloaded a file.

For more information: Read the article on Wikipedia

2. BitTorrent Terminology

Tracker: The tracker is the central node which brings together seeders and leechers. The tracker does not hold a copy of the file. It is simply a point of reference as to who has the file and who wants to obtain it. This is the role that Ipernity plays.

Seeder: Is the term which denotes the member(s) who have the whole file.

Leecher: A leecher is a member who wishes to obtain a file. As they start downloading the file, they become part of that files peers

Peer: The group of members sharing part or all of a file (seeders and leechers)

Torrent: A very small file which contains the information necessary to share a file, such as the URL address of the tracker where the file is stored and your IP address. It is easily recognizable due to its' ".torrent" extension.

BitTorrent Client: Software which you must install on your computer to be able to create and use torrents.

3. What software do I need?

BitTorrent software (called a client) is necessary to be able to share large files with people in your network and to open BitTorrent files.

Here is a list of free BitTorrent clients :
- BitTorrent
- Vuze (ex-azureus)
- µTorrent (microtorrent) - (windows)
- Bits on Wheel (Mac OS X)
- BitTornado (windows & GNU/Linux)

Firefox extension :
- AllPeers

4. How do I share a file with BitTorrent (Become a seeder)?

1 - Go to the Import page (link on the upper left corner of the pages) and click the "Share large files with BitTorrent."

2 - Copy the Ipernity Tracker URL.

3 - Start your BitTorrent client on your computer. We chose for example, BitTorrent itself, available for Mac, Windows and Linux.

4 - Using this software, create your torrent file: "File" / "Create New Torrent"

5 - Select your file or folder to share

6 - Paste the URL of the Ipernity tracker (see 2.)

7 - Important: check off "Start seeding" (on Mac, the option is given after validation)

8 - Return to Ipernity to import your .torrent file (you can find it either in the folder chosen by the software, or in the same directory as your source file(s))

And voila :)

ATTENTION: For the torrent file to appear active, it takes 1 to 2 minutes - then refresh the page.

5. How do I download a file from a ".torrent"?

You must first install a BitTorrent client on your PC and configure it appropriately. We suggest you use the software from BitTorrent.

1-Go to the homepage of the torrent you want and click on the link "Download this torrent".

2-Open your BitTorrent software and import the torrent that you want to download from Ipernity (menu “File” / “Add torrent file”)

Your BitTorrent software should start to download the file from those who are sharing it. Download times will vary according to the number of peers sharing the file and also its size. We recommend that you leave your BitTorrent software open as long as possible so that you can download the file as quickly as possible.

Once the file is downloaded, it will be saved either in your BitTorrent software folder or in the folder of your choice. We recommend that you leave your BitTorrent software open as long as possible so that others may download the file as quickly as possible.

6. Is BitTorrent legal?

YES! BitTorrent is a completely legal way of sharing files.
If you own the rights to a file, you can legally use the BitTorrent protocol to share it with others.
However, if you use it to share files which you don't own the rights to, you may be breaking the law. In this case you risk the immediate deletion of your account.

7. Where can I find the torrents I am sharing?

Your torrents are organized in the "Other Documents" section of your space.

8. Problems and Solutions

What do I do if a torrent is inactive?
Simply contact the author and ask them to re-seed it.
If you want to try to reimport a torrent to Ipernity, you need to wait 1-2 minutes before refreshing the page.

Downloading is slow
There are probably not enough seeders or leechers for the torrent.

Downloading is too fast, my network is overloaded
Open the "Options" in your BitTorrent client and change the bandwidth limits.

Downloading does not start
If there is at least one seeder, the problem is most likely due to the configuration of your network (firewall). Plenty of documentation is available on the Internet to help with this.

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