How to Download with BitTorrent Using a Proxy

A simple how-to guide that will show you another way to mask your IP address and safeguard your BitTorrent downloading habits from the prying eyes of copyright holders.

As the entertainment industry continues to target BitTorrent users for illegally sharing copyrighted material, especially in light of the recent campaign targeting tens of thousands individuals in a mass extortion effort, file-sharers will need to ensure their IP addresses are protected against unwanted attention.

The use of VPNs and Tor routers are some of the more common methods people use, though the latter is intended for web browsing and not P2P since the data consumption rates slow down connection speeds for others.

Another method is the use of proxies to mask your IP address while downloading content with BitTorrent.

How does it work? It’s fairly easy, and will be explained in a few easy steps.

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1. Find a Proxy Server Address

There’s a great list that can be found here and here. Note that some are free and some require a modest monthly fee.

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2. Open Your BitTorrent Application

In this case I’m using uTorrent. Go to options > preferences > connection.

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3. Enter the Proxy Server Address

Under “Proxy Server” select “HTTP” from the drop down menu box, and then enter the IP address of the the proxy server you’ve chosen where it says “Proxy.” The last four digits after the semicolon correspond to the port which should be entered in the “Port” option. Also be sure to check “use proxy server for peer-to-peer connections.”

Example: The proxy server address I selected was 112.65.135.54:8080.

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4. Select “Ok”

Simple select the “Ok” button at the bottom and that’s it.

See the example below after loading a a torrent tracker for the show “Pioneer One.”

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It’s just that easy.

Stay tuned.

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