Create & Share Torrents with Transmission

Sharing Files with Torrent: A Comprehensive Guide

A MakeUseOf reader, Tilman Bauer, inquired about the most efficient way to distribute a 350MB file to a large group of 200 recipients without incurring costs. Several solutions were proposed, including leveraging the Torrent protocol for file sharing.

Understanding Torrent Technology

The Torrent protocol is widely recognized and utilized for downloading files. However, a significant disparity exists between those who download via Torrent and those who actively create and publish torrents.

Despite its popularity as a download method, comparatively few individuals are familiar with utilizing Torrent to share their own files. This knowledge gap presents an opportunity to explore its potential benefits.

Exploring the Advantages and Disadvantages

Employing Torrent for file distribution presents both benefits and drawbacks. A detailed examination of these aspects is warranted to determine its suitability for various scenarios.

The core concept revolves around peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing, distributing the load across multiple users rather than relying on a single server. This can be particularly advantageous for large files and numerous recipients.

Why Create Torrents?

While downloading is common, creating torrents offers a unique solution for sharing. It bypasses the limitations of traditional file-sharing methods.

Consider these points:

Reduced Server Load: The burden of distribution is shared among users.
Resumable Downloads: Downloads can be paused and resumed without loss of progress.
Increased Reliability: Files remain available even if the original source goes offline.

These features make Torrent a viable option for distributing large files to a wide audience, as initially posed by Tilman Bauer’s question.

Creating a Torrent File: A Step-by-Step Guide

This guide details the process of creating a torrent file, demonstrated using Transmission for macOS. However, the principles apply to other operating systems and popular torrent clients as well.

Below are the essential steps involved in generating a torrent.

Upon launching Transmission, initiate the process by clicking the "Create" button. Alternatively, navigate to the "File - Create New Torrent File" menu option (using the Command + N shortcut)...

Similar options exist in other clients; for instance, uTorrent features a "Create New Torrent" function (accessible via Ctrl + N).

Next, locate the file(s) you intend to share. Select the desired file(s) and confirm your selection by clicking the "Select" button.

The subsequent stage involves customizing the torrent settings. This includes adding trackers, entering a descriptive comment, selecting the "Private" option if desired, and finally, clicking the "Create" button.

For those unfamiliar, a "tracker" is a server that facilitates communication between peers utilizing the BitTorrent protocol. As defined by Wikipedia:

A BitTorrent tracker is a server that assists in the communication between peers using the BitTorrent protocol. It is also, in the absence of extensions to the original protocol, the only major critical point, as clients are required to communicate with the tracker to initiate downloads. Clients that have already begun downloading also communicate with the tracker periodically to negotiate with newer peers and provide statistics; however, after the initial reception of peer data, peer communication can continue without a tracker.

The OpenBitTorrent tracker is a freely available resource you can utilize for your torrent.

While creating a torrent without a tracker is possible, my experience suggests adding at least one. I observed a lack of activity in torrents created without trackers.

The time required for torrent creation is dependent on the size of the file(s) being shared.

The generated torrent file is small in size and can be easily shared via email.

The recipient can open the torrent file with any installed torrent client to begin downloading the shared file.

Remember to also open the torrent within your own client and maintain an internet connection to act as a seeder. Closing the client will halt the download on the recipient’s end.

Encourage your friends to keep their torrent clients open even after the download completes. This allows them to function as seeders, increasing download speeds for others.

If multiple users continue seeding after downloading, you can disconnect your computer without interrupting the download process for others, as they can obtain file parts from alternative seeders.

A primary drawback of torrent file sharing is the requirement for the creator’s computer to remain connected to the internet. However, this method is ideal for organizations with consistently connected computers.

This is my initial experience with creating and sharing files via Torrent, and I may have overlooked certain steps. If you have valuable tips or tricks, please share them in the comments below.

Be sure to explore our other articles related to Transmission.