Im new to torrents/qBittorrent and I read that as soon as I start downloadinga file, my ip adress will be visible to anyone dealing with that same file. So im looking for a way to hide it.
It seems that that most popular way to do it is using a VPN, however I dont want to buy a VPN service just to download ONE file (VOD from a stream no longer available) via torrent.
So, are there any free alternatives? Or maybe im missing something and there is a way to hide my IP directly from the qBittorrent application…?
Thanks.
get a vpn. Your ISP will throttle you insanely. I recommend MullVad , it’s 5$ , and the benefits of having a vpn regardless of whether you are torrenting or not far outweigh the cost.
I2P via BiglyBT.
If your file is a popular one, you may find seeders in I2P for the same file.
Mullvad all day everyday. Only apps that don’t go through are games, Plex, and elgato control for my lights. $5/month is worth it
You don’t need vpn to download so random crap.
So… having your IP address out there is like having your physical address on a delivery service.
Unless you have bad locks, busted fence or a crack on your walls, someone having your address is not a bad thing. They can deliver stuff to you.
My point is that by default someone having your IP address means nothing, they can do nothing to you.
Yes, you need to be mindful about what programs you are using and allow to connect to your PC. But by default, your router is closed and your firewall is closed and unless you initiate the connection, noone can connect to you!
Your IP address is already all over the place… Your ISP has it, every single website that you ever connected has it, every DNS server you asked website name from has it.
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There are safety practices you can follow if you want to do safe torrenting. If you want to do it regularly. But to download one thing, it is not that different from you pressing download on google drive (and google has your IP and so much more)
I use PIA. $60 for bi-yearly subscription (comes out to $2.50 usd per month). Works great for my media server and my other devices. They finally have a Linux app which works on headless units.
Been using them for 5 years now. Haven’t had any issues with my use cases. Split tunneling works for me without an issue plus it easy to configure qbit to use it’s ethernet device. So when it gets disconnected it cuts it off.
I don´t worry if my IP is visible for others. I download and seed torrents 24h/day and I use Kaspersky total security and never have trouble. Also you don´t have a internet security suite, the Windows defender make you job and don´t permit nothing dangerous for you. Just use torrents and relax.
You can try simple IP changer software if its just to download a file, there are plenty out there, such as IP Viper or Masquerade etc.If you change your IP to an anonymous one then the footprint will show the anon IP as the source of the download, not your own IP.
This was a very interesting help to me. Thank you! Because I am a ‘belt and bracers’ kinda guy (as my grandfather says) is this the tool that you are talking about? https://mullvad.net/en and it’s wiki page… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullvad
Yeah, you can get one month subscription for $5. Worth the peace of mind versus using some sketchy ass free VPN
Just get a VPN, a cheap one I use often is surf shark. They have deals every so often too
Yeah, all of the free trials demand credit card information, and i dont like that. It is really just one file, i have been aware of the existance of torrents for years and this is the first and likely only time i have to use one at least in the forseeable future.
Ill take a look at Cloudflare, thanks.