VPN-Virtual Private Network - Download Torrents Safely

Okay, first thing’s first … what is a VPN, and why do I need one?

In order to understand VPNs and why they are extremely useful — some might even say necessary — when torrenting, we have to break down what they are. The term “VPN,” as you may have guessed by now, is actually an acronym. It stands for Virtual Private Network. At their most basic, they are useful (especially when it comes to torrenting) in that they create a private internet connection out of an otherwise public one. Even if you are home, though, and connected to your own private internet access, that doesn’t mean that your connection is secure and anonymous. Therefore, using a VPN is the safest and most private way to do anything on the internet (torrenting included).

Unfortunately, we live in a day and age in which privacy is all but a thing of the past. Whether it is the prying eyes of would-be hackers gaining access to your data, without a VPN, you’re just not 100 % safe.

If you want to be able to download free indie movies, music. TV shows, open-source software, games, and more, the only truly safe way to do so is with a solid torrenting VPN. The question is not, ‘do I need a VPN for torrenting,’ it is ‘which VPN for torrenting is going to be the best one for me?’

How do VPNs work?

Basically, a VPN will construct a tunnel for your data to travel through. This tunnel leads from your local connection to what is called an exit node, a VPN server network located in another location. Sometimes these exit nodes can be thousands of miles away, making it appear to anyone who would be spying on your online activity that you are, say, in Bulgaria when you are actually in California.

To further illustrate the benefits of relying on a VPN to torrent files, think of it as something of a data scrambler. The best VPNs utilize strong encryption technology to mask your IP address and any data that is sent through this tunnel. Encryption, of course, makes this data unreadable to anyone but you, leaving your online activity and your real IP address hidden.

As you can see, finding a good VPN is ideal for torrenting, but it is a smart move more generally as well, from a privacy and security standpoint (especially when on public internet connections, which are inherently less secure). Without a Virtual Private Network connection, a hacker has potential access to your entire browsing history (even after you’ve deleted it). When you browse the internet while connected to a VPN, however, that history remains hidden. This is because the internet activity is associated with the VPN server’s IP address, not your own.

Whether you torrent all the time, every now and then, or you never download files with a torrent client, you will want to use a VPN if you value privacy, safety, and security online at all. The best VPN providers don’t just sell IP encryption … ultimately, they offer peace of mind.

Can my VPN be tracked?

Nope! That is one of the things that make VPNs such a worthy investment to begin with. As I just mentioned, VPN services encrypt all of your online activity and change your IP address. For all intents and purposes, to any hackers who would try to track you, your computer will be located at whatever server locations you choose. The best VPNs offer hundreds of unique server locations all around the world, giving you full control over how you protect your privacy.

Some hackers might be able to tell that you are, in fact, taking advantage of a VPN connection, but that is where their knowledge stops. They will not be able to tell where you actually are or what you are doing online. By jumping around various VPN servers, all torrenting activity remains 100% anonymous and untrackable.

Is torrenting safe with a VPN?

If you are looking for the safest, best torrenting experience imaginable, making use of a P2P friendly VPN service is the way to go. I know that safety is a huge concern for people when they are deciding whether or not to use torrenting and P2P websites. And this is an understandable concern. I mean, many P2P sites are called “torrent trackers,” after all. This doesn’t exactly sound like a beacon of privacy, does it?

If we are talking about protecting privacy and keeping you safe, a VPN for torrenting is the ultimate solution. That being said, VPNs do not take away all of the risks that can come with downloading torrent files.

I am talking about malware and viruses. It is important to note that VPNs do not safeguard against any potential threats that you may inherit on your hard drive when downloading torrents. A VPN, in other words, is not an anti-virus program (although some of the best VPN services do come bundled with excellent antivirus software too). So, make sure that you use common sense when torrenting, always. Even without an antivirus tool at your disposal, finding the best, most reputable torrent download sites is the first place to start.

Are there any free VPNs?

You know the saying, ‘you get what you pay for.’ More often than not, in my experience, this old cliche turns out to be true. Unfortunately, this also appears to be the case with free VPNs.

Sure, there are quite a few VPN options that offer their services for free. The question, though, becomes ‘at what cost?’ When you sign up for a free VPN, you should be aware of the fact that you will pay in other, non-monetary ways. These tech companies need to make a profit somehow, right? Hosting a large network of servers is not a cheap endeavor. A great deal of the free VPNs that exist make their buck off of employing invasive, annoying ads or, worse, by selling your so-called private data to third-party companies (which kind of defeats the purpose of connecting to a VPN in the first place, don’t you think?).

So, if you want to make sure that you have the best torrenting VPN, chances are you will have to pay. The good news, though, is that torrenting with a VPN can be surprisingly affordable. Even the most popular, most reputable torrenting VPN can run you as little as $2.50 per month. You don’t have to worry about breaking the bank when it comes time to find the best P2P optimized VPN with a huge number of servers, lightning fast connection speeds, top-notch security features, and an ironclad privacy policy.

What is the best VPN for torrenting?

This is a hotly debated question in the world of torrenting VPNs. Ultimately, though, there is no way for me to simply name one torrenting VPN as the best of all time. This is partially because of the fact that new Virtual Private Networks are being released all the time, and current VPN service options are constantly upgrading and changing the scope and quality of their services.

However, I will say this: there are a few characteristics to look for while you browse my list of the best torrent VPN platforms on the market. The best torrent VPN provider is the one that combines great speeds, excellent customer service (with 24/7 live chat support), zero logs (no recording of your data), a 30-day money back guarantee, simultaneous connections, DNS leak protection, and mobile friendly access with great VPN apps available as well.

Oh, and last but not least, your chosen VPN absolutely needs to support P2P traffic with excellent download speeds. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and browse my list of the best VPN software today and start torrenting without worries!