What is BitTorrent?
BitTorrent is a download technology based on the open source
P2P protocol, and is considered to be the most efficient system for
distributing large media files. Like other P2P systems, the peers (clients) in
the BitTorrent network are all connected and exchange data directly with each
other, in contrast to the client-server protocol where the clients only
download from the hosting server. There is a central server known as a torrent
tracker, which manages the peer connections to a particular torrent download and
helps direct traffic for the shared data. The server does not upload any actual
content files, so the bandwidth required to distribute content to a large
number of peers is very small. All of the bandwidth is shared between the peers
in the network, so the larger the number of active peers, the faster the
download speeds are. The BitTorrent system enables extremely large files to be
delivered to a large network of clients at maximum speeds and at a very low
cost for the server that hosts the tracker.
To distribute content using BitTorrent, a .torrent file is
first created from a folder that contains all of the media content files. This
is a small file that contains information about the content to be distributed.
The .torrent file is uploaded to the torrent tracker, and published so that
peers are able to download it. The peers open the .torrent file in a BitTorrent
client, which then connects them to other peers who are active for that
torrent. There always needs to be one peer that has the entire media content
folder on their system connected to the torrent, which is called a “seed.” The
seed can upload content from anywhere in the world, and is not dependent on the
central server.
When a torrent is first uploaded, there is only one original
seed. As peers connect to the torrent, the seed distributes a different piece
of content data to each peer. The peers then begin to share their pieces with
other peers, taking the upload burden off of the original seed. The peers
continue to exchange data until they get to 100% completion, at which time they
too become seeds. Since seeds only upload, the more seeds that are active in a
torrent, the faster the download speed is for the remaining peers.
Visit Brian's
BitTorrent FAQ and Guide for more information.
Where can I get a BitTorrent client?
Before you can download torrent files, you need to first
install a free BitTorrent client application that you will use to connect to
the tracker and download/upload the files.
Our preferred clients are:
A list of clients for all supported operating systems can be
found Brian’s BitTorrent FAQ.
How do I download BitTorrent files from Long Live Rock?
To download torrent files, click on the .torrent link for
the DVD or CD that you would like to download. Links for the .torrent file can
be found on the Downloads page (the RED link
under Purchase), the Browse
page (the folder icon  ),
or the Torrent Details page (under File Statistics).
Clicking on the link will open the .torrent file in the BitTorrent client you
have installed. The .torrent file is a very small file that contains
information the client needs to connect to the torrent and download the media.
The client will then connect you to other users who are active on the torrent,
and you will automatically begin the actual download of the CD or DVD.
During the download, the BitTorrent client will display the download progress.
Once the download is 100% complete, your client will inform you that the
download was successful. Download times of CDs and DVDs vary, depending on the
number of people active on the torrent and your connection speed. The more
seeds there are the faster the download speed will be. The number of seeders
and leechers are displayed in the S and L columns on the Browse page, and also
under Peers on the Torrent Details page. It usually takes a few hours to
download large DVD files, so plan on having your client run in the background
while you do other work on your computer.
Visit our Software
Help for more information.
What happens if I stop and restart a torrent?
You can stop downloading any time without losing any data
that you have downloaded. When you restart the torrent, the BitTorrent client
will check your downloaded data, and will resume from where it left off.
What are the site rules for downloading?
You must maintain a download ratio of 0.25 in order to be
able to continue downloading. Go to “What is ratio enforcement?” for more
information. We recommend that new members start by downloading new torrents
that are still active in order to ensure that your share ratio stays above the
cap.
It is preferred that you seed the files you download until
you have uploaded at least the same amount as you have downloaded in order to
maintain a share ratio of 1.00 or more.
Remember to leave a comment when you download a file.
Visit our Site
Rules page for more information.
What does “seeding” and “leeching” mean?
Seeding refers to uploading the contents of a torrent, and leeching
is downloading. A “seed” is a peer that has 100% of the torrent downloaded, and
a “leech” is a peer who is in the process of downloading.
Soon after you start downloading (leeching) a torrent, you will
begin uploading (seeding) to other peers connected to the torrent. The only
data that is exchanged between peers is what is specified in the torrent file,
so there is no danger or breech in security when seeding torrents. It is considered good BitTorrent etiquette to
upload as much as you download so that your ratio is at least 100%.
How do I reseed a torrent that I still have on my computer?
Re-open the .torrent file in your BitTorrent client. When
your client asks you for a location to save the files to, choose the location
of the existing files on your computer and it will resume/reseed the torrent. It
is important to remember that if you are downloading torrents composed of
folders, you must restart the download in the parent directory to the one which
you are downloading. For example, if the torrent creates the folder 'New Demos'
in the directory 'Pete' (...\Pete\New Demos\), you will need to resume the
download from within the 'Pete' folder, not the 'New Demos' folder, otherwise
the torrent will start downloading again in the 'New Demos' folder e.g.
(...\Pete\New Demos\New Demos\).
What is share ratio enforcement?
The share ratio is how much you have uploaded vs. how much
you have downloaded. Long Live Rock enforces a minimum share ratio cap of 0.25
for all members who have downloaded 10 GB or more. If you fall below the ratio
cap you will no longer be eligible to download, but you will be able to access
the Goldhawk Club forum and the rest of the site.
Your share ratio information is available in your account profile page. It's
important to distinguish between your overall ratio and the individual ratio on
each torrent you may be seeding or leeching. The overall ratio represents the
total uploaded and downloaded from your account since you joined the site. The
individual ratio takes into account those values for each torrent. It is the overall ratio that needs to be at
0.25 or greater.
Ratio caps that ensure each member uploads over a certain percentage of what
they have downloaded are a common practice that is used by most torrent sites.
It helps to keep older torrents on the site alive and active for new members of
the site, and also helps to ensure faster downloads for everyone by keeping
seeders on for longer periods.
How can I raise my ratio above the ratio cap?
For those of you who are under the ratio cap, there are a
number of things you can do to help get your ratio up to the desired level.
·
Open up the torrents you have downloaded and
keep seeding for others to download. Don't download anything new until your
ratio is well above the limit.
·
Donate to Long Live Rock. Every dollar that you
donate to help cover the site expenses will earn you a bonus of 0.50 GB towards
your upload ratio.
·
Make sure your firewall is open to torrents, so
that you are able to connect to everyone and to also increase your upload
speed.
·
Buy Pay per Download (PPD) releases and help
seed them. PPDs are ratio free now, so only the upload ratio will add up for
you. The ratio enforcement does not apply to PPDs, so you can still purchase
downloads from Long Live Rock if you are under the ratio cap.
·
Upload content to Long Live Rock. To do this you
must first apply for Uploader status.
·
Visit our Torrents
Needing Seeds page. If you can help seed these torrents, you will improve
your ratio.
How do I open up my firewall and forward my port?
If you have a firewall, it is important to open up and forward
a port on your computer to allow others to upload from you. If you're
firewalled, you will not be able to connect to others who are also firewalled,
so your download performance will suffer, and your share ratio will decrease.
Port Forwarding is when your firewall or router accepts
incoming or routes outgoing information through the ports, and forwards this
information to and from your computer. It is important to forward the ports you
will be using for BitTorrent, so that you may send and receive the information
you want. If you have both a firewall and a router, it is necessary to forward
the ports in both.
Visit our Firewalls
Help page for more information. More information on firewalls and port
forwarding can be found at Brian’s
BitTorrent FAQ and PortForward.com.
How do I upload new torrents?
To upload torrents on Long Live Rock, you must first apply for
Uploader status. Your application will be evaluated by the site administrators,
and if you meet the criteria you will be accepted. Once accepted, you will be
able to upload content to the site according to the upload rules.
Visit our Upload
page for the upload application and rules.
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