There are many ways to download files, but arguably one of the most popular methods is to download files via torrents. Torrents and direct, HTTP downloads (downloading files from websites directly to your computer) are probably the two most prevalent ways to get the files you want, whether they’re movies, video clips, images, e-books, games, software or whatever else you like to download.
However, the problem with downloading files with torrent software is that this file-downloading option is notoriously unfriendly from a privacy standpoint. Files transferred using the bittorrent protocol are downloaded from peers, or other computer users from their computers. As such, peer-to-peer downloads require that information about you be transmitted when you’re downloading files, specifically your IP address, which can compromise your privacy. Anonymous torrent downloads may seem like an oxymoron, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Anonymizing your torrent download activity
There are a few ways that you can anonymize your torrent download activity. Firstly, there are torrent-friendly VPN services like BTGuard.com. A VPN is like a secure “wrapper” for your internet traffic, one that not only hides your real IP address, but also prevents your ISP from seeing the sites you visit and the files you download. However, comparitively few VPN service providers allow bittorrent traffic, so you’ll need sign up with a torrent-friendly VPN provider. This particular provider costs $9.99 per month, and that’s on the low end for torrent VPN services.
An alternate option for anonymous torrent downloads is to use a Seedbox. Seedboxes are basically, in simple terms, computers you rent that act as a “torrent middleman” between the torrent file and your computer. If you use a seedbox, you will download torrents to the seedbox first, then you can direct-download those files from the seedbox to your computer via HTTP or FTP. Seedboxes can cost anywhere from $3 per month to $100 per month, depending on a lot of factors, but in far too many cases they aren’t overly user-friendly for those not familiar with configuring software on a remote-located computer. Seedboxes also hide your IP address from other torrent-file downloaders, but not all seedbox services are inherently privacy friendly for the downloader.
The third option, which is the option I best recommend for people who like to download torrents but want to do it anonymously, is to use a hybrid download service like PutDrive. Putdrive is a premium multihoster service, like the service I use regularly, but with a twist. A pretty big twist, if you ask me: instead of simply getting premium-like access to scores of filehosting sites like Filepost, Filemonster, Uploading.com, Hugefiles, Sendspace, Uploaded.to and more where you can download files from these services like a premium account member for one low price, you also get anonymous torrent downloads (like a torrent-friendly VPN) and cloud storage for your files (Like a seedbox) for the exact same price as other popular multihoster services.
Fast, anonymous downloads from websites and torrents
Personally, I think Putdrive’s multihoster service is phenomenal for what they offer. A 100GB online storage account for your files and anonymous downloads for torrents, filehosting sites, premium file hosters and the ability to download and save videos from popular video-streaming and “-tube” sites.
If you like downloading the files you want, quickly, and you want the assurance that comes with anonymous downloads, I highly recommend that you check out Putdrive and test out a
1-month account today.
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