bittorrent - Does downloading the same torrent from more than one server increase the sources / seeds?

07
2014-07
  • Petruza

    Does downloading the same torrent from more than one server increase the sources / seeds?

    edit:
    What I meant with servers is those like mininova, isohunt and the like.

    Now I know those aren't the trackers, what I want to know is if when more than one of those indexing sites are linked for the same torrent, if they likely contain different lists of trackers, so getting the torrent from both sites will increase the trackers, hence the seeds, or if it's just in case one of the sites goes down.

    I guess I can test this getting one torrent from one site with a torrent client and the same torrent, from another site with another client and comparing the list of trackers and the amount of seeders and leechers.

  • Answers
  • Daniel Beck

    If you contact multiple trackers for the same torrent, you get peer information from each of them. Since trackers only send you e.g. 80 peers each, you can get a lot more peers if you contact multiple trackers.

    If you can handle many connections, it will likely increase your download speed.

  • Journeyman Geek

    Servers? No, trackers, potentially - though its a matter of having different trackers, and DHT might cover some of those.

  • harrymc

    Bit-torrent doesn't have servers, just trackers.

    Having multiple trackers for a torrent generally improves its performance. Having alternate trackers means you can connect to more peers and seeders, thus allowing more stable connections. This provides redundancy in the case that one tracker fails, the other trackers can continue to maintain the swarm for the torrent.

    Trackers are placed in groups, or tiers, with a tracker randomly chosen from the top tier and tried, moving to the next tier if all the trackers in the top tier fail. If one has too many trackers, it might take longer before a suitable tracker is found and for the download to start.


  • Related Question

    bittorrent - Why does my torrent stops uploading when being completly downloaded?
  • Chris

    The title says it all, Why does my torrent stops uploading when being completly downloaded? It has nothing to do with ports because it starts uploading when I'm downloading.

    I use BitComet


  • Related Answers
  • 8088

    Is it exactly when you finish downloading all the time? If it's not you may not be noticing the share ratio. Bitcomet has a feature where it can stop uploading after you reach a certain share ratio. You can check this under Options -> Preferences -> Task:

    alt text

    The default is "no limit".