BitTorrent is also a conversation protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing that enables users to share data and electronic files over the web in a redistributed way.

BitTorrent is one of the foremost common protocols for transferring giant files; like digital video files containing TV shows and video clips, or digital audio files containing songs. P2P networks are calculable to, together, account for concerning forty-third to seventieth of web traffic relying on location, as of Gregorian calendar month 2009. In Gregorian calendar month 2013, BitTorrent was to blame for three.35% of all worldwide information measure quite 0.5 the 6 June 1944 of total information measure dedicated to file sharing. In 2019, BitTorrent was a powerful file-sharing protocol and created a substantial quantity of web traffic, with 2.46% downstream, and 27.58% of upstream traffic.

To send or receive files, a private uses a BitTorrent consumer, on their Internet-connected pc. A BitTorrent consumer is also a bug that implements the BitTorrent protocol. fashionable purchasers embrace Xunlei Thunder, Transmission, qBittorrent, Vuze, Deluge, BitComet, and Tixati. BitTorrent trackers offer a list of files on the transfer market and allow the consumer to hunt out peer users, remarked as "seeds", United Nations agency could transfer the files.

Programmer Bram Cohen, a University at Buffalo alumni designed the protocol in April two and discharged the primarily on the market version on 2 July 2001. As of June 2020, the foremost recent version was enforced in 2017. BitTorrent purchasers are on the market for an expansion of computing platforms and operative systems, as well as a political candidate consumer discharged by BitTorrent, Inc.

 


BitTorrent has fifteen to twenty-seven million coincident users at any time. As of Jan 2012, BitTorrent is used by one hundred fifty million active users. supported this figure, the complete variety of monthly users might even be calculable to quite one / four of billions. Torrenting could typically be restricted by web Service suppliers (ISPs), on legal or copyright grounds. In turn, users could value more highly to run seedboxes or Virtual non-public Networks (VPNs) as AN alternate.

On May 15, 2017, AN update to the protocol specification was discharged by BitTorrent, known as BitTorrent v2. BitTorrent was updated to support the remake on Sept six, 2020.

The BitTorrent protocol is usually accustomed to cut back the server and network impact of distributing giant files. rather than downloading a file from one supply server, the BitTorrent protocol permits users to hitch a "swarm" of hosts to transfer to/download from each other at the same time. The protocol is another to the older single supply, multiple mirror sources techniques for distributing information and will work effectively over networks with lower information measure. exploitation the BitTorrent protocol, many basic computers, like home computers, will replace giant servers whereas with efficiency distributing files to many recipients. This lower information measure usage conjointly helps stop giant spikes in web traffic throughout a given space, keeping web speeds higher for all users typically, despite whether or not or not they use the BitTorrent protocol.