人们普遍认为BitTorrent技术是非法的。长期以来，它一直与媒体盗版联系在一起，以至于许多从未使用过它的人无法区分人们使用BitTorrent所做的事情 和技术本身。
如果您不知道，BitTorrent是一种文件共享协议，可将文件存储在用户的计算机上。当有人想下载文件时，他们会通过对等网络从文件中接收到零碎的信息。当您的计算机开始构建文件的副本时，它也会将它们传递给其他计算机。因此，您也在向其他所有人提供数据。当您的计算机拥有该文件的完整副本时，它会停止下载并开始将其提供给其他所有人。这称为播种(seeding)。网络中至少需要有一个种子，否则无法重建整个文件。
洪流有什么用？
BItTorrent有很多合法用途。例如，必须为大量客户提供数据服务的公司可能会将这些客户用作点对点网络。还有一些实体使用BitTorrent分发开源软件或无 DRM 软件。这是一种解决一般小公司或非营利组织无法承受的大量服务器和带宽成本的方法。因此，洪流是任何大规模数据分发的食物，无需中央托管。
种子如何使用？
下载种子的传统方式非常简单。您只需要一个 torrent 客户端和实际的 torrent 文件。安装 torrent 客户端后，您可以使用它打开 torrent 文件，然后下载将开始。
大多数不了解的人可能只会使用这种简单的洪流方法。但是，您应该避免直接下载种子并改用“SeedBox”的原因有很多。
什么是种子盒(Seedbox)，为什么它更好(Better)？
种子箱是一种基于云的计算机（或虚拟计算机），它位于数据中心，只有一个工作——种子下载。一旦种子盒完成下载您的 torrent，您可以使用BitTorrent以外的协议将其直接下载到您的计算机上。
这样做有很多原因，但最重要的一个是避免您的互联网服务提供商因使用种子而受到处罚。由于其盗版连接和高水平的带宽使用，一些ISP(ISPs)严重限制了BitTorrent流量。使它们无法使用。
使用种子盒也快得多，因为它们位于带宽规格非常好的数据中心。
最后，通过从种子箱播种，您不会占用自己的本地上行带宽，如果您的家庭连接不对称，这一点尤其重要。上传速度比下载速度慢。
种子盒实际上是一种通过以高比率播种文件来在洪流群中实现更高速度的方法。种子越慷慨，它为共享相同“跟踪器”的未来种子分配的带宽就越多，“跟踪器”是在BitTorrent群中协调对等点的系统。
如何获得种子箱
获得种子盒与注册任何在线服务没有什么不同。虽然那里有免费的种子箱服务，但我们不推荐其中任何一种。它们通常几乎不可用，并且可能包含烦人的广告。种子箱(Seedboxes)不一定很贵。
对于本教程，我们已经从 Pulsed Media注册了Value250 XS种子盒。它的价格约为 6 欧元，存储空间和速度比任何普通用户都需要。
注册(Sign)并支付您选择的种子箱，您将收到一封电子邮件。这包含种子箱的访问详细信息。这包括：
- 访问种子箱的 URL
- 您的用户名和密码
- SFTP 访问详细信息
请妥善保管此电子邮件，因为您必须不时参考它。
访问您的种子箱
要访问您的种子箱，请单击电子邮件中的 Web 访问 URL(click on the web access URL in your email)。系统将提示您输入用户名和密码。登录后，您将看到 Web 界面。
我们追求的是基于 Web 的 torrent 客户端。在这种情况下，它是流行的 ruTorrent。如果您曾经在您的计算机上使用过本机 torrent 客户端，那么您应该非常熟悉。
现在我们必须去寻找一个真正的 torrent 下载。对于此示例，我们选择下载Ubuntu Linux的最新桌面光盘映像。我们单击下载页面上的链接并下载 .torrent 文件。(click the link on the download page and download a .torrent file.)
现在，只需将 torrent 文件从下载位置拖到 ruTorrent( drag the torrent file from the download location into ruTorrent)中。它应该很快开始下载。
torrent 应该会很快完成下载，你可以让它播种一段时间，或者右键单击 torrent 并选择“停止”(right click on the torrent and choose “stop”)。
现在我们已经准备好从种子箱下载文件了。
把你的文件放到你的电脑上
您可以使用文件资源管理器直接将种子箱上的任何文件下载到本地 PC，但我们强烈建议您不要这样做。文件传输不安全，此外，如果您的下载中断，您将不得不重新开始。
相反，我们将使用一个名为WinSCP的可信SFTP(SFTP)客户端来访问种子箱并处理文件管理。SFTP是一种安全的加密文件传输协议。这(Which)意味着监控您的互联网连接的任何人都不会知道您正在下载什么。FTP传输通常也不会受到限制，因此您将享受互联网连接的全速。
请(Please)注意，该程序的Windows Store版本不是免费的！从WinSCP站点直接下载不需要任何费用。下载并安装 WinSCP(Download and install WinSCP)。然后打开程序(open the program)，你应该会看到这个屏幕。
现在参考包含您的访问详细信息的电子邮件，然后像这样输入它们。
出于安全原因，我们省略了用户名，但您当然应该输入您的用户名。保持端口不变，并确保您已选择SFTP作为文件协议。现在单击保存( click save)以保留此信息以供下次会话使用。
单击确定(Click OK)，然后单击“登录”(click “Login”)以登录您的种子箱。
如果您收到安全警告，请忽略它。毕竟，我们已经从种子盒提供商那里手动输入了正确的地址，所以我们知道我们正在连接到正确的服务器。如果您在上一步中选择不保存密码，您现在也必须输入密码。
成功登录后，您应该会看到如下屏幕：
(Navigate)在右侧窗格中导航到您的下载并右键单击它。(right-click on it.) Choose Download>Download in Background。
选择一个文件夹并启动文件传输。您的下载应该开始了。很快您的文件将安全地保存在您的本地硬盘上。恭喜，您刚刚完成了第一次快速、匿名和安全的 torrent 传输！
Use a Seedbox and WinSCP for Fast, Private Torrents
There’s a common misconception that BitTorrent technology is illegal. It’s been associated with media piracy for sυch a long time that many people who have never used it can’t ѕeparate what people do with BitTorrent and the technology itself.
In case you didn’t know, BitTorrent is a file sharing protocol that stores files on the computers of users. When someone wants to download the file, they’ll receive bits and pieces from it via a peer-to-peer network. As your computer starts to build up a copy of the files it also passes them along to other computers. So you are also contributing data to everyone else. When your computer has a complete copy of the file, it stops downloading it and starts serving it to everyone else. This is called seeding. There needs to be at least one seed in the network or there is no way to reconstruct the entire file.
What are Torrents Good For?
BItTorrent has plenty of legitimate uses. For example, companies that have to serve a lot of clients with data may use those clients as a peer-to-peer network. There are also entities that distribute open source software or DRM-free software by using BitTorrent. It’s a way to get around massive server and bandwidth costs that would be unaffordable to the average small company or non-profit. So torrents are food for any mass-distribution of data without the need for central hosting.
How Are Torrents Used?
The traditional way to download a torrent is pretty simple. You just need a torrent client and the actual torrent file. When the torrent client is installed you open the torrent file with it and the download will start.
Most people who don’t know any better will probably just use this straightforward torrenting method. There are however more than a few reasons why you should avoid direct torrenting and use a “SeedBox” instead.
What’s a Seedbox and Why is it Better?
A seedbox is a cloud-based computer (or virtual computer) that sits in a data center and only has one job – torrenting. Once the seedbox has finished downloading your torrent, you can download it directly to your computer, using a protocol other than BitTorrent.
There are quite a few reasons to do this, but the most important one is avoiding penalties from your internet service provider for using torrents. Because of its piracy connection and high-levels of bandwidth use, some ISPs throttle BitTorrent traffic severely. Making them unusable.
Using a seedbox is also much faster, since they are in data centers with incredibly good bandwidth specifications.
Finally, by seeding from a seedbox, you don’t tie up your own local upstream bandwidth, This is especially important if your home connection is asymmetrical. With a slower upload speed than download speed.
Seedboxes are actually meant as a way to achieve higher speeds in torrent swarms by seeding files at a high ratio. The more generous a seed is, the more bandwidth it is allocated for future torrents that share the same “tracker”, which is the system that coordinates peers within a BitTorrent swarm.
How To Get a Seedbox
Getting a seedbox is no different than signing up for any online service. While there are free seedbox services out there, we wouldn’t recommend any of them. They are usually barely usable and can include annoying adverts. Seedboxes don’t have to be expensive.
For this tutorial we’ve signed up for a Value250 XS seedbox from Pulsed Media. It’s priced at about six Euros and comes with more storage space and speed than any casual user would ever need.
Sign up and pay for the seedbox of your choice and you’ll receive an email. This contains the access details for your seedbox. This includes:
- The URL to access the seedbox
- Your username and password
- SFTP access details
Keep this email safe, as you’ll have to refer to it from time to time.
Accessing Your Seedbox
In order to access your seedbox, click on the web access URL in your email. You will be prompted for your username and password. Once logged in, you’ll see the web interface.
What we are after is the web-based torrent client. In this case it’s the popular ruTorrent. If you’ve ever used a native torrent client on your computer is should be very familiar.
Now we have to go look for an actual torrent to download. For this example we’ve chosen to download the latest desktop disc image of Ubuntu Linux. We click the link on the download page and download a .torrent file.
Now, simply drag the torrent file from the download location into ruTorrent. It should start downloading soon.
The torrent should complete downloading very quickly, you can either leave it to seed for a while, or right click on the torrent and choose “stop”.
Now we’re ready to actually download the file from the seedbox.
Getting Your Files Onto Your PC
You can download any files on your seedbox to your local PC directly using the file explorer, but we strongly recommend against it. The file transfer isn’t secure and besides, if your download is interrupted you’ll have to start all over again.
Instead, we’re going to use a trusted SFTP client called WinSCP to access the seedbox and handle file management. SFTP is a secure, encrypted file transfer protocol. Which means no one who monitors your internet connection will know what you are downloading. FTP transfers are also generally not throttles, so you’ll enjoy the full speed of your internet connection.
Please note that the Windows Store version of this program is not free! The direct download from the WinSCP site will cost nothing. Download and install WinSCP. Then open the program and you should see this screen.
Now refer to the email with your access details and enter them like so.
We’ve left out our username for security reasons, but of course you should enter yours. Leave the port as is and make sure you have selected SFTP as the file protocol. Now click save to keep this information for your next session.
Click OK and then click “Login” to log into your seedbox.
If you receive a security warning, just ignore it. After all, we’ve manually put the correct address from the seedbox provider, so we know we are connecting to the right server. If you chose not to save your password in the previous step, you will also have to enter it now.
After successfully logging in you should see a screen like this:
Navigate to your download in the right-hand pane and right-click on it. Choose Download>Download in Background.
Choose a folder and initiate the file transfer. Your download should begin. Soon your files will be safely on your local hard drive. Congratulations, you’ve just completed your first fast, anonymous and secure torrent transfer!
