Published on August 2nd, 2020 | by Bibhuranjan

How to Use Torrent Sites in Blocked Countries 2020

Torrenting refers to the sharing of files through the internet by following the P2P protocol. Torrenting is considered illegal in many countries because it is usually used to share copyrighted material. Therefore, copyright violations have increased and many countries have blocked torrent websites.

Blocking did not really stop the users from torrenting, rather they figured out various ways to access the torrent sites on the internet. Given below are the most commonly used and effective ways to unblock and use torrent sites like the pirate bay.

VPN

VPN or Virtual Private Network is the most popular and effective technique to get access to torrent or any other blocked websites. VPN comes as software that connects the user’s device privately to a public network and hides the user’s IP address and makes them anonymous. Hence, the user cannot be tracked by either the Internet Service Provider or the authorities of the country where the sites are blocked.

VPN connects the user’s server to a different location so that it cannot be tracked. The user can also select a location of his choice, and in doing so the user can select the location where torrent sites are not blocked.

VPN software needs to be installed on the user’s computer for using them. It is advisable to go through various VPN service features before buying any of them to find out which plan works well for the user. There are many free and freemium VPN plans available as well, for people who do not want to spend a huge amount on this software.

Proxy Server

A proxy server is an intermediary between the actual website and the user. It will take the user’s request to the original website and will return to the user with the data. A proxy server, like a VPN service, will also hide the IP address on the original website and prevent the user from being tracked.

To use proxy servers, simply Google “proxy sites for torrents” and a number of results will be available. The user can also specify the particular site whose proxy they are looking for, like, “proxy sites for Thepiratebay”. Not all the proxy sites given on the list would work, that is they could be blocked as well. The user will need to click and check which site is unblocked. When the unblocked site is found, downloading torrent is exactly the same as on the original sites.

Using a proxy site is a good option for those who do not want to spend money on VPN services, but if the user is looking for safety, it is advisable to use VPN over proxy sites.

Mirror Sites

Mirror sites are similar to proxy servers which are used when the actual site cannot be accessed. When the Internet Service Providers block the torrent sites then only one domain gets blocked at a time, which does not mean that the servers have stopped or the website is deleted. So, to get access to the same content mirror sites are used in place of the actual websites.

Finding a mirror site is similar to finding proxy sites. The user must Google “mirror sites for torrents” or “mirror sites for Thepiratebay” and a list of results will appear. Also, like the proxy servers, all the mirror sites do not work and the user needs to find out the one that actually works. So, in this case, also, VPN still remains the best option to use.

Tor

Tor or The Onion Router is free as well as open-source software, used for anonymous surfing and sharing. Tor works by directing the internet traffic through an overlay network, which means a network over another network. Thus, Tor hides the user’s identity through this process and makes it extremely difficult for the authorities to track the user. Tor is, therefore, an effective method to access the blocked torrent sites.

Tor comes as a separate browser that needs to be installed on the user’s device to use it. Though Tor does not provide end to end encryption like a VPN, and so using a VPN software is a safer way than using the Tor browser.

Seedbox

The seedbox is a remote server with high bandwidth and is used for sharing files via the P2P protocol. Basically, seedboxes use the BitTorrent protocol. When the seedbox has a complete file the users can download it on their devices using the HTTP, FTP, SFTP, or Rsync protocols. In this process, the users need not worry about the share ratio. This method makes the users anonymous.

Connect Port 80

Port 80 is by default the port for all sorts of HTTP data transfer, and thus, it’s never blocked by the Internet Service Provider. The user needs to set their torrent client to use only port 80. To do so, the user must go to the torrent client’s network preferences and uncheck the “Random Ports” option and check the Port 80 option. The user must also uncheck UPnP and NAT-PMP options. The only problem with this technique is that it will completely slow down the torrenting.

Change the DNS

Internet Service Providers usually only block the DNS or Domain Name System. The DNS is the thing that translates the IP addresses into the website names. The DNS is controlled by the Internet Service Provider by default, and so, switching the DNS to a public one will unblock the blocked torrent sites.

The most commonly used free public DNS servers are given below.

Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4
OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 | 208.67.220.220
Comodo DNS: 8.26.56.26 | 8.20.247.20

To change the DNS on Windows 10 follow the given steps.

Click on the Control Panel.
Go to the Network and the Internet.
Then click on the Network and Sharing Center.
Click on the Change Adapter Settings.
There will be some network icons here. Right-click on the network that you are currently using and click on Properties.
A dialogue box will appear with a number of options. Select the IPv4 and click on Properties.
Another dialogue box will appear where you have to click on “Use the following DNS server addresses:”
Then enter any of the DNS servers given above. Then click OK and close all the boxes.

After following the steps accurately, accessing the blocked torrent sites should not be a problem anymore.

Tags: DNS, download, server, torrenting, VPN

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.