How to Create BitTorrent Files

Just a few years ago, sharing media over the Internet was but a pipe dream. The files were too big and the transfer rate too slow. Then BitTorrent software arrived and changed everything. Now sharing large files is very user friendly--simply create a BitTorrent file and uploading for all to share.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose the file to share as a BitTorrent file. The commonly shared files are music or video files. If there are multiple files then create a folder to place all the files. Some people use a compression tool like Winrar to create an archive file to share. Do not do this. Just simply put the files in a folder and share that folder. The reasons is that it adds another layer for the user on the other end, and it makes it less likely the user will share the file with others.

2. Launch the BitTorrent file sharing utility. Some BitTorrent software has the ability to upload within the application. This utility is most often in the "File" menu on the BitTorrent application. If the particular software does not have this option available, there are separate utilities available on the Internet for download.

3. Determine the piece size of the files. Piece size is the amount of information transferred at one time. The BitTorrent file is divided up into bits and pieces to make sharing more efficient. The larger the piece size, the less efficient the download is. The most common file piece sizes are 512K or 256K. Some BitTorrent applications allow the user to select "Auto" which lets the software choose the piece size.

4. Click on the "Create torrent" option. Be sure to create the BitTorrent file in the same directory as the shared file. For starters, only create a single torrent file. Some BitTorrent applications have the ability to create multiple files. Unless a user is experienced, this is more trouble than it is worth.

Resources

• Utilities for uploading BitTorrent files.