Seedbox - High-Bandwidth Remote Server

I have been torrenting for a while now, and I keep seeing this term, “seedbox” … What is a seedbox, and what are seedboxes for?

Are you ready to have your mind blown? A good seedbox will, no doubt, revolutionize the way you torrent.

According to our friends at Torrent Freak, “A seedbox is BitTorrent jargon for a dedicated high-speed server, used exclusively for torrent transfers. With a seedbox, you’ll be able to download and upload faster than you ever imagined. Additionally, you can manage your torrents through a browser from anywhere, anytime.”

To put this more concretely, if your seedbox has a download and upload speed of 100 Mbit/s (this is fairly typical), you can expect to see a 1GB file download in under 2 minutes. That same 1GB file, then, can be uploaded to other users just as quickly, resulting in a 1:1 share ratio. Because seedboxes enable users to download and seed files so rapidly, they are extremely desirable to torrenting communities (especially private torrent trackers).

If that is too technical an illustration for you, allow me to put it this way: using a seedbox is like injecting your torrent client with steroids. They are used to enhance the performance of your torrent downloads and uploads, transfer lots of large files at an unthinkably high speed, provide a ton of additional cloud space where your files can live, and create a fully remote way for you to manage your downloads and uploads.

In short, seedboxes are the ultimate life hack when it comes to high performance torrenting. Here are some specific examples of how a seedbox can make your life easier:

Become a baller on private torrent trackers

Although there are many benefits to becoming a member of a private torrent tracker, the best ones can be rather competitive. Most of them have rather demanding download-upload ratios that must be met in order to maintain your membership. I wouldn’t say that these ratios are impossible to meet without a seedbox, but they are extremely difficult. Get a seedbox to ensure that you pull your own weight on your favorite private tracker; never have your account restricted or limited thanks to a 1:1 ratio for every file you download

Satisfy your need for speed

Are you sick of feeling like your downloads are sluggish because of the limitations of your local ISP? Seedboxes allow you to access superfast connections that are likely to make your home internet speeds look like a joke. Tap into unimaginably high speed the minute you get your seedbox set up. I was seriously shocked when I conducted my 1st download via seedbox.

Bypass throttling and bandwidth limitations

Unfortunately, a lot of the big ISPs out there (Comcast, Spectrum, etc.) like to throttle your torrenting traffic. And, speaking of Comcast, the ISP giant has recently announced its plans to set data caps throughout the United States, charging users who exceed their limitations. Seeing as any traffic that is channeled through your seedbox cannot be accounted for by your ISP (because it goes through your seedbox’s internet connection), your ISP cannot throttle this traffic; nor will it contribute to any potential traffic or bandwidth limitations enforced by Comcast or others.

It may seem as if only the most advanced peers would need to use a seedbox because of heavy traffic or the need to upload large files, it is beginning to look as if even the most casual downloader of files should consider gaining access to a seedbox.

How much does a seedbox cost per month? … Is it possible to try it out first and get my money back?

I wish I could say that there was a simple and direct answer to this question. But this is far from the case. Most seedbox hosting companies offer many different price points and plans. I have written some seedbox reviews for companies that offer 30+ unique options, each with its own price per month.

There are many factors that contribute to the monthly price of using seedbox servers. You have, for instance, shared seedboxes — which have a significantly lower monthly price than, say, a dedicated server, which will give you sole access to the traffic allowances, storage space, data, speed, etc. of your own seedbox.

Again, the type of seedbox that you get will depend on the kind of upload speed, network, disk type, features, etc. that you need. Therefore, there is no catch-all answer to this question. I have written seedbox reviews for shared servers that claim to have superfast network speeds, unmetered bandwidth, and adequate storage space for as low as 5 bucks per month.

Contrast that with a dedicated seedbox rife with one-click apps, terabytes of data, additional streaming capabilities, top-notch upload speeds, and more — you know, the works. These can run you upwards of 70 or 80 bucks monthly. So long as you choose a seedbox server from my list of the best VPS providers on the web (and you do a little bit of your own research, too), I am 100% confident that you will find the best VPS for your unique requirements.

As for your second question: yes, nearly all of the best seedbox providers offer some kind of money-back guarantee. The amount of time that you will be allotted to try a VPS out and get your money back if you are not satisfied varies, predictably, from one provider to the next. Generally speaking, though, the best seedbox server providers will let you try out their network for anywhere between 7 and 14 days.

There is literally no risk, then, to seeing if a seedbox might be right for you. As long as you have 5 bucks to spare, why not use a shared server on trial for a week and see how you like it? Worst case scenario, you cancel your box and get your money back. No harm, no foul.

Is it safe to use a seedbox?

Honestly, downloading files with a seedbox is much safer than downloading files without one. If security is a concern of yours (rightfully so), then you should definitely use a seedbox. The best VPS providers on the web are able to secure your data (many of them even undergo independent, third-party data and security audits, too, providing even more confidence that your data will be in good hands).

A seedbox, in terms of privacy, works similarly to a VPN. Because you are not actually going to be downloading files directly to your computer or via your home ISP network, you don’t have to worry about being tracked by anybody. This is because all of your downloads are conducted via a remote server. Nothing is tied to you.

Using a seedbox can, at least when it comes to transferring files, guarantee full privacy, just as effectively as even the best VPN on the web. Regardless of how much time you spend seeding your torrents, you will have full-time privacy through your remote seedbox. Anybody who wishes to see your data will see nothing but the server’s information, located in Norway or something.

In fact, you may even be able to say goodbye to your VPN once and for all if you invest in a seedbox (at least for torrenting purposes). Then, take the money you will save every month from ditching your VPN, and — voila! — the seedbox pays for itself.

What else can my seedbox do?

So, the allure of high-speed torrent downloads, blazing-fast upload speeds, unmetered bandwidth, enhanced privacy and security, and affordable rates per month haven’t convinced you to use a seedbox yet? Well, maybe some of the fun and useful additional features that come with many seedbox plans will entice you to join the community!

As I mentioned earlier, the most desirable virtual remote server plans don’t stop at just offering high speed and huge storage access … they also provide access to plenty of one-click apps and streaming features via popular streaming media centers like Plex and Emby. As a customer of any plan-based software, I completely understand wanting to make sure that you get the most features possible –you got to get the biggest bang for your buck, right? Of course!

What the heck is a one-click app?

Great question … sometimes I forget that not everybody is as big a seedbox nerd as I am. Remember when I said earlier that you’ll want to find a seedbox that has a good selection of apps and other features? Well, this actually goes way beyond merely providing the customer with access to high-speed streaming via Plex. There are tons of other apps that help you to unlock the full potential of your seedbox.

For instance, I prefer seedboxes that are compatible with a wide range of torrent clients. From uTorrent to Deluge, I want to ensure that, should my preference change down the road, my seedbox will support my preferred client in full.

There are also hundreds of other apps, too, that are designed to optimize your torrenting experience and performance. The most desirable seedbox plans are the ones that A.) allow me to choose from a long list of available apps, and B.) provide an intuitive and user-friendly dropdown menu for one-click installation. And that is the beauty of the one-click app, ladies and gentlemen.

Wait … What was that about streaming on Plex?

That’s right! One of the most entertaining features of seedboxes is the fact that some of them support Plex, turning your personal server into a Plex media server on command. Access your torrents from any device (so long as that device is able to support Plex), and you will be able to stream your torrents from your seedbox without ever needing to transfer them directly to your computer.

Streaming via Plex isn’t just a fun and exciting way to access your files, though. Using a Plex-ready seedbox also keeps your bandwidth down and disk space cleared (no need to transfer files to your computer) since you can access Plex directly from your server.