BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (p2p) way of sharing files between users on the internet, and it is used for distributing large amounts of data. BitTorrent is one of the most common forms of sharing very large files, and it can be used to download whole movies, albums, and audio books by BitTorrent downloading programs all at one time.
It is proof of the popularity and sheer effectiveness of BitTorrent that Isohunt - the BitTorrent and p2p search engine that is most preferred by internet users worldwide, gets huge volumes of traffic every day, 24 hours a day. So do the DivX BitTorrent servers, from users looking to download music, movies, and audio book BitTorrent providers make available.
BitTorrent search engines account for an estimated 30% or higher of all Internet traffic (depending on geographical location). The BitTorrent form of file sharing allows users to receive large amounts of data without putting the same amount of strain on an internet connection that former versions of p2p downloading caused. The way BitTorrent and mobile BitTorrent programs work seem confusing at first, but it really is easy once you understand the process. First, a user is chosen to provide the original file source by uploading a file to the network. This first user's file is called a “seed,” and because the original provider made it available, other users (called “peers,” hence the name “peer-to-peer,” or “p2p”) are able to download it to their computers from the online database. For example, if one user uploaded a Battlestar Galactica episode to the system, it could then be distributed to other users looking for the same Battlestar Galactica BitTorrent file.
As new peers continue to download the same file, their computer receives a different piece of the data from the seed. Once many peers have all different pieces of the seed, BitTorrent allows each to become the new provider for that one small piece of data. This effectively takes on a small part of the task of new uploads by more and more users, and relieves the initial user’s internet connection from carrying the entire strain of the upload from their computer to thousands of users all at once, dragging down their connection speed. There is only one thing to be cautious of, other than the standard cautions of p2p file sharing and legality. BitTorrent files often contain spyware, so be sure to run your virus checker before opening any files!
