How Anonymous Am I?

**CaseySimplified** · September 24th, 2008, 12:55 PM

I have been using bittorrent to download stuff for a while now. I just got to college and heard that it is a lot easier to get caught on a university network then at home. So I've trying to find a way not to get caught while downloading stuff at college.

Could anyone tell me how anonymous am I from getting caught with the precautions I am currently taking while downloading from bittorrent?

I use PeerGuardian for Mac OS X on the default settings and lists.
I use Azureus and use the Level 1 list in the IP Filter option.
I only download torrents from private bittorrent sites.

I know that it is impossible to have 100% anonymity while downloading stuff from bittorrent but is there anything else I can do to lessen my chances of getting caught by the big wigs?

Does anyone know of an free internet proxy for Mac OS X that would change my IP address? Would using a different IP address even lessen my chances of not getting caught? I know about Tor but I have heard that you should not use the Tor network for downloading from bittorrent.

Any insight you guys my have would be greatly helpful! Thanks in advanced!

CaseySimplified

**Mels_Smileys45** · September 24th, 2008, 01:07 PM

Its really impossible to stay anonymous but with the state of the economy I would say that the resources of the law enforcement agencies are stretched already without worrying about arresting college students for sharing files. As far as the major studios go, Im not sure they even bother sending letters anymore. If they do, I never here about it.

I think as long as you stay away from posting pre releases you will be just fine.

**drtoker** · September 24th, 2008, 01:21 PM

I think a majority of college people that got letters were using public sites or semi-private sites. Not to say your 100% safe by any means, but I would feel fine dling from closed private sites at a university.

**CaseySimplified** · September 24th, 2008, 03:03 PM

Mels_Smileys45: posting pre releases? I don't understand. Pre releases like down try to download or upload a movie that is still in theaters? I don't upload anything onto bittorrent sites if thats what you mean. When you say that major studios don't send out letters anymore do you mean that don't bother trying to catch people that download illegal copies of their movies?

drtoker: what are semi-private sites? thepiratebay.org is a public bittorrent site, correct? I thought a site that you have to register and sign in to to download torrents are private. Am I wrong? Do you know of any good fully private bittorrent sites that I can sign up for?

**drtoker** · September 24th, 2008, 03:11 PM

Public: Open for signup most of the time, or no signup required
Semi-private: Open for signups once and a while, registration required to download
Private: No open signups (at least for a while), either no new members allowed, or an invite is required to join.

If your on a site where anyone can download or signup, wheres the protection? The idea is to have a closed community where all the members are responsible for who they invite into the group.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions...

**Mels_Smileys45** · September 24th, 2008, 03:50 PM

Actually there are no private sites. All sign up new members at some point. Some send invites which are traded to other people no one knows or they have open sign up days. Whether private or public sites ate more safe is up to debate. As far as I know more people have served TIMED using private sites while public sites usually just gets you a letter in the mail.

**CaseySimplified** · September 24th, 2008, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Mels_Smileys45

Actually there are no private sites. All sign up new members at some point. Some send invites which are traded to other people no one knows or they have open sign up days. Whether private or public sites ate more safe is up to debate. As far as I know more people have served TIMED using private sites while public sites usually just gets you a letter in the mail.

I thought I was safer to use private sites since it is harder for the **AA and MP** to gain access to those sites and see who is downloading illegal items. Are you to say that I am actually safer to use public sites since if or when I get caught I will just get a letter in the mail rather than a jail sentence? Also, if I am on a university network how are they able to trace the downloading all the way back to me? Aren't I protected against the university trying to see what I am doing since I have the edu block list on peer guardian?

**CaseySimplified** · September 24th, 2008, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by drtoker

Public: Open for signup most of the time, or no signup required
Semi-private: Open for signups once and a while, registration required to download
Private: No open signups (at least for a while), either no new members allowed, or an invite is required to join.

If your on a site where anyone can download or signup, wheres the protection? The idea is to have a closed community where all the members are responsible for who they invite into the group.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions...

Okay so my idea of a private site was completely wrong. For some reason I thought if you had to sign up for a site to download the torrents it made it safer. But it makes sense that it would be no safer than a public site since anyone can join at anytime. Do you have any suggestions for private bittorrent sites?

**drtoker** · September 25th, 2008, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Mels_Smileys45

Actually there are no private sites. All sign up new members at some point. Some send invites which are traded to other people no one knows or they have open sign up days. Whether private or public sites ate more safe is up to debate. As far as I know more people have served TIMED using private sites while public sites usually just gets you a letter in the mail.

Source?
This is the first I've heard that opinion, and I've only seen letters sent to huge private sites like torrentleech for example, but again, only letters. I've NEVER seen anyone serve time for downloading anything. Its a fine, never jail time... But I've never seen or heard of anyone on a private site actually get sued either, unless they were the original uploader that started the torrent, and that only applied to sites that were busted (oink for example).

None of the regular users at oink have been sued or prosecuted, only the admins and uploaders (not seeders, uploaders).

**CaseySimplified** · September 25th, 2008, 09:09 AM

So regardless of whether I use a public or private torrent site as long as I do not download pre-releases and do not initially upload anything on to these sites I should be (mostly) in the clear?

I have heard that the only people getting letters are torrent sites, initial uploaders, people that download pre-releases, and people that download all day everyday. Is this true?

**drtoker** · September 25th, 2008, 09:52 AM

I download all day everyday, and seed 24/7. I download pre-releases often as well. I've never gotten a letter or anything. I only use private (closed) sites with small userbases (less then 10k members) and newsgroups. I live in the USA as well. I also upload to a few sites that allow user uploads. Never pre-release stuff, mostly older stuff thats hard to find, legally or not.

Am I 100% safe? No. Do I feel safe? Yes.
I have several friends doing the same as me, all in the USA, none have recieved warnings or letters for the years we've all been torrenting.

Also, Yes, a lot of 'private' sites were open for signups at one point or another, but most of the sites I use have been closed for years, and only have invites. Some have even removed invites for most of that time. All sites I belong to make you responsible for who you invite. If they cheat, or don't use the site, they will be disabled, and the inviter could be disabled as well. All of these things make the site safer IMO.

**CaseySimplified** · September 25th, 2008, 10:06 AM

How would I go about becoming a member to one of those private (closed) sites you speak of, drtoker?

**Mrs Robinson** · September 25th, 2008, 10:09 AM

Hi Casey,

Remember me...

..I now know that you use BT.

Sorry, joking aside, you are pretty safe using bit torrent unless you are an original uploader of pre-relaese material.

If you want to make it really expensive and time consuming for the bad guys to find out who you are is to use anonymous p2p.

I agree with mel that private sites are the wrong way to go as they are really not that private.

**drtoker** · September 25th, 2008, 11:15 AM

Mrs Robinson:
You are aware that people using public sites are still recieving warning letters. True, they may not be prosecuted, but the ISP can still cut service for violation of the TOS.
I STRONGLY advise against using public sites if you live within the USA.

**wapazoid** · September 25th, 2008, 01:01 PM

As long as you're registered to an assigned ip address, I'm afraid there isn't much anonymity to be had. Proxies, ip blockers and even ssl encryption won't exactly cloak your activities. Using P2P apps these days is far riskier than it used to me. I recommend you use a fair amount of caution.