Hello everyone, I’m trying to create a private torrent. I’ve followed several guides online, and I believe I’ve done everything correctly. I’ve opened the port for the built-in tracker server and enabled its execution. When I create the private torrent, I enter http://myexternalip:port/announce in the tracker field.
In the client, the newly created torrent correctly appears in seeding mode, and the tracker section shows that the tracker is functioning. However, when I try to distribute the torrent by providing the magnet link, the other person can’t even receive the metadata, and the download doesn’t start. Even though they see the tracker as functional, they remain stuck on receiving metadata. What am I doing wrong? Thank you in advance.
Private Torrent
Re: Private Torrent
Magnets don't work with private torrents. You are supposed to..
1) create torrent file
2) upload it on website
3) website (tracker) fills out the tracker url with your passkey included
4) you download the torrent file from website
5) you start seeding
other people get the same file from the website.
if you just want to send files to someone, then you can make a torrent public - being private or public does NOT mean people can steal your files. you can also try using this program called SyncThing (free) which also works like torrent.
1) create torrent file
2) upload it on website
3) website (tracker) fills out the tracker url with your passkey included
4) you download the torrent file from website
5) you start seeding
other people get the same file from the website.
if you just want to send files to someone, then you can make a torrent public - being private or public does NOT mean people can steal your files. you can also try using this program called SyncThing (free) which also works like torrent.
Re: Private Torrent
Apparently, I didn’t quite understand the concept of a private torrent. Having seen that I needed to specify an additional port and manually indicate my external IP address as the tracker, I thought it would be sufficient for peer-to-peer exchange without relying on public trackers.
I use SyncThing as a backup within my private network, but I was hoping for a mainstream solution like torrents to share personal files with a specific recipient without having to upload the files to third-party sites. Thank you for your help.
I use SyncThing as a backup within my private network, but I was hoping for a mainstream solution like torrents to share personal files with a specific recipient without having to upload the files to third-party sites. Thank you for your help.
Re: Private Torrent
Nonono its even more confusing.
So... uh phew.
If you mark a torrent private, you disable DHT and other peer exchange features.
These features do NOT expose your files whatsoever. So if you are sharing a file with your friend, you do NOT have to mark it as private.
Secondly, always add trackers. A lot of them.
For example: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ngosang/trackerslist/master/trackers_all.txt
Yes, all of them.
And of course both peers will have to be port forwarded, openly connectable, etc, etc.
So... uh phew.
If you mark a torrent private, you disable DHT and other peer exchange features.
These features do NOT expose your files whatsoever. So if you are sharing a file with your friend, you do NOT have to mark it as private.
Secondly, always add trackers. A lot of them.
For example: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ngosang/trackerslist/master/trackers_all.txt
Yes, all of them.
And of course both peers will have to be port forwarded, openly connectable, etc, etc.
Re: Private Torrent
I tried to create a torrent following your advice, and I managed to share it with my friend without major issues.
However, I didn’t quite understand the purpose of the Private Torrent function if, even in the other way, my data cannot be intercepted by others unless I provide them with the torrent file or magnet link.
Thank you for your help!
However, I didn’t quite understand the purpose of the Private Torrent function if, even in the other way, my data cannot be intercepted by others unless I provide them with the torrent file or magnet link.
Thank you for your help!
Re: Private Torrent
So first of all, you know private tracker sites, I assume?
They are websites where you have to register (or get invited) and then they have a set of rules like how much you have to seed, what kind of torrents you can upload, etc.
Why do they exist?
- A lot of them serve a specific group of people; like music fans, old movie fans, etc.
- Thanks to these rules, speeds are usually much faster than public torrents.
- Thanks to moderators and Staff, the chances of running into content with virus is close to 0%.
- Since they are closed and invite-only, they are generally safer if you live in a country where p2p is illegal.
But how do these sites know that YOU download and upload?
Basically every user has a "passkey". And when you download a torrent file from the site, it has the passkey in it.
Here comes the "private torrent" thing.
If you DON'T make it private, people can get the .torrent file and just get the content using DHT, Peer Exchange, etc.
And they would download the content from the seeders of this private website community. Making it kind of unfair to those people.
So that's all. The Private Torrent flag will disable this behavior.
Hope it makes sense?
I tried AI to make an ELI5 about it:
A "Private Torrent" is a type of torrent file used for sharing files over the internet, but with some extra restrictions to keep the sharing more controlled and secure. Here's a simple explanation:
What is a Torrent?
A torrent is a file that contains information about files you want to download and share.
It works by connecting your computer to other computers (called peers) that have the files you want, allowing you to download pieces of the files from multiple sources simultaneously.
What Makes a Torrent "Private"?
DHT (Distributed Hash Table) Disabled:
In regular torrents, DHT helps find other peers to connect to by keeping a decentralized list of peers.
In a private torrent, DHT is disabled, meaning your torrent client cannot use this decentralized method to find peers.
Peer Exchange Disabled:
In regular torrents, peer exchange allows your torrent client to share information about other peers with the ones you are connected to, helping you find more sources for the files.
In a private torrent, this is turned off, so your client won't exchange peer information with others.
Tracker Dependence:
Private torrents rely heavily on a central tracker server. This tracker keeps a list of all peers and manages connections between them.
Your torrent client connects to this tracker to find peers, making the sharing process more controlled.
Why Use a Private Torrent?
Security: By restricting how peers are found and connected, private torrents reduce the risk of unwanted or malicious users joining the swarm (the group of peers sharing the files).
Control: The administrators of the private tracker can enforce rules, monitor usage, and ensure that only authorized users can access the torrent.
Community: Often used in closed communities where sharing is limited to trusted members, such as in private file-sharing clubs or certain online groups.
Key Points to Remember
No DHT or Peer Exchange: Private torrents do not use these decentralized methods to find peers.
Central Tracker: Relies on a specific server to manage peer connections.
Restricted Access: Usually requires an invitation or approval to join the tracker and share files.
In summary, a private torrent is a more secure and controlled way of sharing files using the torrent method, relying on a central server to manage connections and disabling features that could expose the sharing process to the wider internet.
They are websites where you have to register (or get invited) and then they have a set of rules like how much you have to seed, what kind of torrents you can upload, etc.
Why do they exist?
- A lot of them serve a specific group of people; like music fans, old movie fans, etc.
- Thanks to these rules, speeds are usually much faster than public torrents.
- Thanks to moderators and Staff, the chances of running into content with virus is close to 0%.
- Since they are closed and invite-only, they are generally safer if you live in a country where p2p is illegal.
But how do these sites know that YOU download and upload?
Basically every user has a "passkey". And when you download a torrent file from the site, it has the passkey in it.
Here comes the "private torrent" thing.
If you DON'T make it private, people can get the .torrent file and just get the content using DHT, Peer Exchange, etc.
And they would download the content from the seeders of this private website community. Making it kind of unfair to those people.
So that's all. The Private Torrent flag will disable this behavior.
Hope it makes sense?
I tried AI to make an ELI5 about it:
A "Private Torrent" is a type of torrent file used for sharing files over the internet, but with some extra restrictions to keep the sharing more controlled and secure. Here's a simple explanation:
What is a Torrent?
A torrent is a file that contains information about files you want to download and share.
It works by connecting your computer to other computers (called peers) that have the files you want, allowing you to download pieces of the files from multiple sources simultaneously.
What Makes a Torrent "Private"?
DHT (Distributed Hash Table) Disabled:
In regular torrents, DHT helps find other peers to connect to by keeping a decentralized list of peers.
In a private torrent, DHT is disabled, meaning your torrent client cannot use this decentralized method to find peers.
Peer Exchange Disabled:
In regular torrents, peer exchange allows your torrent client to share information about other peers with the ones you are connected to, helping you find more sources for the files.
In a private torrent, this is turned off, so your client won't exchange peer information with others.
Tracker Dependence:
Private torrents rely heavily on a central tracker server. This tracker keeps a list of all peers and manages connections between them.
Your torrent client connects to this tracker to find peers, making the sharing process more controlled.
Why Use a Private Torrent?
Security: By restricting how peers are found and connected, private torrents reduce the risk of unwanted or malicious users joining the swarm (the group of peers sharing the files).
Control: The administrators of the private tracker can enforce rules, monitor usage, and ensure that only authorized users can access the torrent.
Community: Often used in closed communities where sharing is limited to trusted members, such as in private file-sharing clubs or certain online groups.
Key Points to Remember
No DHT or Peer Exchange: Private torrents do not use these decentralized methods to find peers.
Central Tracker: Relies on a specific server to manage peer connections.
Restricted Access: Usually requires an invitation or approval to join the tracker and share files.
In summary, a private torrent is a more secure and controlled way of sharing files using the torrent method, relying on a central server to manage connections and disabling features that could expose the sharing process to the wider internet.
Re: Private Torrent
Peter wrote:
> - Since they are closed and invite-only, they are generally safer if you
> live in a country where p2p is illegal.
It's nowhere near good enough to remove the need for a VPN, and if you have a VPN, the difference is negligible.
> - Since they are closed and invite-only, they are generally safer if you
> live in a country where p2p is illegal.
It's nowhere near good enough to remove the need for a VPN, and if you have a VPN, the difference is negligible.