The Best VPN for Torrenting

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Torrents & Private Internet Access (The ultimate guide to using PIA as a torrent VPN or Proxy) – TORRENT VPN GUIDE #82

tg-z opened this issue Sep 11, 2019 · 0 comments

Torrents & Private Internet Access (The ultimate guide to using PIA as a torrent VPN or Proxy) – TORRENT VPN GUIDE #82

tg-z opened this issue Sep 11, 2019 · 0 comments

dev guide how to, read me, documentation security related to security, surveillance, and consumer privacy rights

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tg-z commented Sep 11, 2019

Torrents & Private Internet Access (The ultimate guide to using PIA as a torrent VPN or Proxy) – TORRENT VPN GUIDE

How to use Private Internet Access for Torrents

Private Internet Access is one of (if not the most) popular VPN services in the world, and one of the best choices for bittorrent users who are looking to make their downloads anonymous.

PIA is one of the most affordable, torrent-friendly, and security conscious VPNs in the world. That’s why we named them our top torrent VPN of 2015, and why they also top our list of the most torrent-friendly VPNs in the world (with a perfect score of 10).

Best of all, a subscription to Private Internet Access includes both VPN, and non-logging SOCKS proxy service. They’re one of only a handful of companies that include both. As you’ll see, the ability to use a VPN and/or a proxy for your torrents will give you a _ton _of flexibility in how you download torrents anonymously.

This guide will show you step-by-step how to hide your torrent IP address, encrypt your torrents, and obscure your download history by using Private Internet Access. Let’s get started.

Article Sections (Skip Ahead)

Here are the topics we cover in this guide. Click the links below to skip ahead if you’re only interested in a couple topics and don’t need to read the whole thing.

General Sections:

Introduction to Private Internet Access
2 methods of anonymous torrents (proxy vs. VPN)
How to use PIA as a VPN for torrents
How to get your login/password for PIA’s proxy server (required for proxy setup)

Proxy Settings:

uTorrent settings for PIA
Vuze settings for PIA
Deluge settings for PIA
QBittorrent settings for PIA
How to use VPN + Proxy simultaneously

Private Internet Access: Quick Look/Features/Pricing

Features:
No Activity Logs. No Metadata. Period.
256-bit AES Encryption (industry standard)
Control of encryption strength/algorithm
Torrent Friendly
SOCKS5 Proxy Included (Bonus!)
Port forwarding
NAT Firewall
7-day 100% refund guarantee
Read our Full PIA Review

Pricing
$6.96/month
Best Offer:$3.33/month (1 year)

Private Internet Access is the most popular VPN service among visitors to this website. We consider their combination of price/security/features virtually unbeatable.

When people are looking for their first VPN, I generally recommend everyone try PIA first (since it’ll save you $$ vs the competition) and upgrade later if necessary.

Here’s why PIA has consistently topped our list of recommended VPNs:

Logging Policy: PIA is based in the USA, which has no data retention requirements for VPN services. PIA does not monitor or log your VPN activity, web, or download history.

Furthermore, they are one of the few VPNs that doesn’t keep metadata/connection logs. This gives users the greatest level of anonymity (which we love).

Torrent Friendliness: PIA is extremely torrent friendly and doesn’t restrict torrents to specific servers or locations. In fact, they have an incredibly unique solution for rerouting torrent activity to more torrent-friendly countries.

**Security/Software: **PIA’s software is easy to use, offers 256-bit encryption (same strength as top-secret U.S. military communications) and gives users custom control over the type of encryption and key strength used (if you want faster speeds/less encryption)

Two ways to use PIA for torrents (Proxy/VPN)

Every subscription to Private Internet Access includes both VPN service and anonymous SOCKS proxy service. This gives you a ton of flexibility in how you choose to anonymize your torrent downloads.

Best of all, since PIA allows 5 simultaneous connections, you can use both the VPN + Proxy simultaneously with some serious advantages.

Here’s a quick summary though.

**Using only a Proxy
**Usually faster than using a VPN, but your only encryption option is to use your torrent client’s built-in encryption. This can be a problem if your ISP throttles or blocks your torrents.

With a proxy, your torrent IP address will be different than your web browser IP (which we like).

**Using only a VPN
**A VPN gives you extremely strong encryption (prevent throttling/monitoring by your internet provider) and gives you more server/country locations. Downloads may be slower. Your torrent IP address will be the same as your browser IP.

**Using a VPN + Proxy Together
**In my opinion, this is the best of both worlds. You get extremely strong encryption, a double layer of anonymity (your IP is changed twice) and your torrent IP address is still different than your web browser IP.

Optimally you would use 1 company as a VPN service and a different for your anonymous SOCKS proxy service, but the vast majority of users will be happy using PIA for both (and save a bunch of $$$ in the process). If you think you may want a separate torrent proxy provider, we recommend using Torguard or BTGuard (and use PIA as your VPN).

Using PRivate INternet Access VPN For Torrents

This is the easiest option because you don’t have to change any settings inside your torrent client (uTorrent, Vuze, etc).

**There are only 6 steps required:**

Sign up for Private Internet Access
Download PIA’s desktop VPN software (Windows/Mac available)
Login to the VPN using your username/password (emailed to you when you sign up)
Connect to a VPN server (we recommend Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada)
Enable PIA’s ‘Kill-Switch’ (optional, but recommended)
Launch your favorite torrent client

That’s it! Your torrents are now encrypted, and your true IP address will be hidden from your torrent peers.

How to sign up for PIA

Signing up for Private Internet Access is quick and easy. You can literally signup, pay, download, and connect to their VPN in under 5 minutes. They require very little information to create an account.

An email address (to receive your login information)
A form of payment (Credit cards, Paypal, and anonymous Bitcoin payments accepted)
If you pay by credit card, your billing information is also required

PIA even lets you use leftover gift cards from popular retailers to pay anonymously if bitcoin is a bit too confusing. Honestly most users should be fine opting for the convenience of paypal payments.

Once you signup and pay, PIA will immediately send you an email with your login information and a download link for their software (so make sure to use a valid email address).

Software Security Settings

Our recommended settings look like this (Click the ‘advanced’ button when you open the software to access this menu).

Advanced settings menu

Note: The autologin/autoconnect options are completely up to you.

The Settings:
Connection type – UDP (this should give you the fastest speeds)
VPN Kill Switch – This will kill your internet connection if the VPN fails (prevent your IP from leaking)
DNS Leak Protection – Makes your computer only users PIA’s DNS servers (hide web history from Internet Provider)
IPv6 Leak Protection – Optional, but prevents IP leaks via the new IPv6 protocol

Check your setup and troubleshoot problems

It’s important to check your torrent IP address to make sure everything is working as expected. We wrote a complete guide on verifying your torrent IP address change.

If speeds are WAY slower than expected (like under 500kbps) you should enable auto port mapping in the connection settings/options menu of your torrent client. Look for an option that says ‘uPnP’ or ‘NAT-PMP‘ and check the box. This will make sure your torrent packets are properly forwarded through your router and don’t get lost/blocked.

Here’s where to find it in uTorrent: Options > Preferences > Connection

uTorrent Port Mapping Settings

That’s it, your torrents should now be encrypted and anonymized. You can optionally add a proxy connection as well (at the same time as the VPN) for enhanced privacy or if you prefer your torrent IP address to be different than your web browser IP.

How to get Login/Password for PIA’s Proxy (DON’t Skip)

Every PIA subscription comes with access to their SOCKS5 non-logging proxy server in the Netherlands. It is quite fast and is perfect for use with your favorite torrent software.

**Note: Don’t skip this 1st step, which is to generate a login/password combo for the proxy. It’s different than your VPN login details.

**Alright, let’s go ahead and generate a username/password for the proxy server

How to get your proxy login/password combo

To generate your username/password to access the proxy server, you need to login to your account panel on their website.

Then scroll down until you see this section:

Create a proxy login/password in your account panel

Then simply click the ‘Regenerate Username and Password’ button. Leave the window open so you can easily copy/paste your username/password when we use them in a bit.

The Info you need to setup PIA’s Proxy

Now that you have your username/password (from the step above) there’s only a few more pieces of info you need to use PIA’s SOCKS5 proxy server with any major torrent software. You can even use it with Flud (if you’re on Android).

**Username: **(from previous step)
**Password: **(from previous step)
**Server Hostname/Address: **proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com
**Port: **1080

Some important notes:
If you are using only the proxy (without the VPN) you may want to enable encryption in your torrent client. This will reduce your # of available peers, but will also prevent your ISP from throttling your torrents, or seeing what you’re downloading.

For more info on using built-in torrent encryption, read our torrent encryption guide.

In the following sections, we’ll show you how to install these proxy settings in your favorite torrent software. Each torrent client will have it’s own section (generally sorted in order of popularity).

uTorrent Settings (PIA Proxy)

To access the proxy settings in uTorrent, go to:
Options > Preferences > Connection (tabs on the left)

Enter the information below in the appropriate fields as shown:

Type: Socks5
**Proxy: **proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com
**Port: **1080
**Username: **username generated in previous step
**Password: **password generated in previous step

and make sure to check all 6 boxes marked with a green dot to prevent leaking identifying information via utorrent.

uTorrent proxy settings for PIA

Next you have the option to add encryption. If you’re not using a VPN this step will help prevent ISP throttling/monitoring, but may reduce your number of available peers. Read our torrent encryption guide for full details.

uTorrent Encryption Settings

Go to Menu > Options > Preferences > BitTorrent, and make your settings look like these:

‘Forced Encryption’ Mode (Help prevent throttling)

uTorrent’s built-in encryption is better than nothing can help if your internet provider is throttling/slowing torrent downloads. Our Torrent Encryption Guide has a full explanation of how to encrypt your torrents effectively.

Vuze Proxy Settings (For PRivate Internet Access)

To access the Vuze proxy settings, go to.
**Menu > Tools > Options > Connection (Tab on the left) > Proxy
**Note – you must be in advanced usermode to edit the proxy settings. Go to Options > User Mode to switch

Use the settings listed below along with the username/password for the proxy server you already generated so that your settings match the image below. Make sure to check all the same boxes.

Settings:
**Host: **proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com
**Port: **1080
**Username: **(your username)
**Password: **(your password)
**Socks Version: **V5

One you enter your username/password in the appropriate field, your settings should look exactly like this. Then click the ‘TEST SOCKS’ button to confirm your setup is working.

Vuze proxy settings for Private Internet Access

Vuze Encryption Settings

If you’re using only the proxy, and not a VPN simultaneously, it’s recommended you use Vuze’s protocol encryption to prevent your ISP from throttling or reading your torrent downloads. For a full explanation of torrent encryption and it’s benefits, read our Torrent Encryption Guide.

To access the encryption settings in Vuze, go to **Menu > Tools > Options > Connection > Transport Encryption

**For ‘Forced’ encryption (meaning no unsecure connections allowed) change your settings to match those below, and uncheck all the boxes:

Vuze ‘Forced’ Encryption settings

Here are some more guides you find extremely helpful if Vuze is your torrent client of choice:

How to check your torrent IP – use this guide to verify that your proxy settings are hiding your IP as expected
How to use Vuze Anonymously – Proxy + VPN setup instructions for vuze.

Deluge Proxy Settings

To use PIA’s proxy server with Deluge, first go to Edit > Preferences > Proxy (from the categories on the left)

Deluge requires you to manually configure the proxy settings for each service individually. We will use the exact same proxy settings for each, but you have to enter them 1 by 1.

The 4 services are: Peers, Web Seed, Trackers, DHT.

Here are the settings you’ll want to enter for each:

**Type: **Socks V5 W/ Auth
**Username: **Your username
**Password: **Your password
**Host: **proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com
**Port: **1080

when you’re done it should look like this:

Deluge Encryption Settings

If you’re not using a VPN, you may want to use Deluge’s built-in encryption (read our full encryption guide)

To access the encryption settings, go to the **Network **(category) in the Preferences (menu)

Change your settings to match these (will only allow fully encrypted transfers)

**Inbound: **Forced
**Outbound: **Forced
**Encryption Level: **Full Stream
**Encrypt Entire Stream: **Checked

Deluge ‘Forced’ Full-Stream Encryption

Other Helpful Guides

Make sure to check out our other guides to get the most out of Deluge. You’ll definitely want to check your torrent IP address to verify the proxy setup is working.

**How to check Deluge’s IP Address **- Verify your proxy setup is working as expected to hide your IP address
**Deluge Anonymity Guide **- How to use Deluge with a Proxy and/or VPN for optimal privacy

QBittorrent Proxy Settings (For Private Internet Access)

To use PIA’s proxy service with QBittorrent, match the appropriate settings below to the fields in the QBittorrent’s options menu as shown below. To access the proxy settings, go to: **Tools > Options > Connection

**Settings

**Type: **Socks5
**Host: **proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com
**Port: **1080
Username: generated in PIA account control panel in previous step
**Password: **generated in account control panel

Optional Encryption for QBittorrent

If you’re NOT using a VPN + Proxy together, then it’s recommended that you use QBittorrent’s built-in encryption if your speeds are slower than expected. This is because slow speeds are often the result of your Internet Provider blocking or throttling (slowing) common bittorrent ports.

Read our Torrent encryption guide for full details on how/when/why to encrypt your torrents. Or just match your QBittorrent settings to match those below:

Under Tools > Options > Bittorrent
Change the ‘Encryption mode’ dropdown to ‘Require Encryption’

How to enable encryption in QBittorrent

Other Helpful Guides

You will want to check your deluge IP address to verify that your proxy setup is working correctly (and not leaking your true IP address. We’ve also got a full deluge anonymity guide.

How to check your torrent IP address
**How to use Deluge anonymously **- VPN/Proxy/Encryption settings for Deluge.

How to use PIA VPN & Proxy together

PIA subscribers can choose to use Private Internet Access VPN and Proxy service at the same time, for downloading torrents anonymously. This may be the best option for many users and has several advantages:

Your torrents will be encrypted with extremely strong 256-bit encryption
Your torrent IP address will be different than your web-browser IP address
Both your browser and torrent IP will be different than your true IP address (which will stay hidden)
Using VPN+Proxy together may be faster than VPN alone (anecdotal evidence)
a SOCKS proxy may prevent IP leaks better than a VPN kill-switch alone

How to set it up

Step 1 – follow the PIA proxy setup guide in this article, to install the correct proxy settings in your favorite torrent software.
Step 2 – One the proxy settings are configured and tested, there is no special settings required for the VPN

How to use PIA VPN/Proxy together

There’s only one important rule to follow here:
**Make sure you connect to the VPN server before opening your torrent client!

**If you open the torrent software first, it can cause a proxy error when your underlying IP address switches when you eventually do connect to the VPN. This will often cause the proxy server to disconnect and block you from future connections for a short period of time.

If you do this by mistake, simply close your torrent software, wait a few minutes, reconnect to the VPN, then open your torrent software as normal.

Other Helpful Guides/Articles

Thanks for reading our guide on using PIA for torrents. We hope you found extremely helpful (please share it with a friend if you did!)

Here are some other useful guides to help make your torrents as secure and anonymous as possible.

Popular Guides

NordVPN

IPVanish

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Private Internet Access
NordVPN Review/Torrent Guide
IPVanish VPN Review
TorGuard VPN Review
More Reviews. >
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- VPN For Android >
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  - Why you need a VPN
  The text was updated successfully, but these errors were encountered:
  
  dev guide how to, read me, documentation security related to security, surveillance, and consumer privacy rights
  
  The Best VPN for Torrenting
  
  One of the main ways to ensure anonymity when torrenting is through the use of VPNs, also known as Virtual Private Networks. However, not all VPNs allow torrenting. So, which ones allow for that torrenting software and which provide the fastest speeds for downloading torrents? We did the research for you by testing out a bunch of VPNs, and we’ve got the 411.
  
  List Statistics
  
  Number of servers 2,000-5,246
  
  Number of countries 33-148
  
  Split tunneling 3/5 VPNs
  
  Maximum download difference 65% slower
  
  Our Two Favorite VPNs for Torrenting
  
  Before we get into our top picks of VPNs for torrenting, we wanted to explain a bit more why we opted for VPN software when it came to torrenting and why the VPN market is expected to reach $35.37 billion by 2022. 1 Using a VPN that encrypted our web traffic and provided us with new IP addresses when we downloaded file shares made us feel more comfortable that what we did online would stay private. NordVPN and ExpressVPN were our top two favorite VPNs for torrenting.
  
  The Best VPNs for Torrenting
  1. NordVPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Privacy
  2. Surfshark – Best Torrenting VPN for Affordability
  3. Private Internet Access VPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Windows Software
  4. ExpressVPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Travelers
  5. CyberGhost – Best Torrenting VPN for Mac
  A Breakdown Of Our Top VPNs for Torrenting
  
  With so many VPNs on the market, it was hard to know which was best for our purpose of torrenting without testing them out ourselves, so that’s what we did. Here’s a breakdown of features included in our favorite VPNs for torrenting:
  
  Private Internet Access VPN
  
  ExpressVPN
  
  CyberGhost
  
  The Details of Our Favorite VPNs for Torrenting
  
  1. NordVPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Privacy
  
  Editors Rating:
  9.7 /10
  
  What Worked Well
  - Double encryption
  - No logging of IP addresses, web activity, downloaded files or servers used
  - Six simultaneous connections per subscription
  - Netflix streaming abilities
  What Needed Work
  - No split tunneling
  - Unreliable kill switch when using with iOS devices
  - Same IP address with every use
  - Customer service
  Double Encryption
  
  NordVPN is considered a double VPN. But what exactly does that mean? Well, it’s an advanced security feature that offers double the encryption. When we went online, NordVPN encrypted our traffic and then encrypted it again through a second VPN server. By the time we reached our destination, our IP address had been encrypted twice, meaning we had multiple layers of privacy and security.
  
  No Logging of IP Addresses, Web Activity, Downloaded Files or Servers Used
  
  We always look at privacy policies to make sure the VPNs have a strict data logging policy, meaning the company wouldn’t keep web activity or other online footprints on record. According to NordVPN’s privacy policy, the company didn’t keep records of our IP addresses or web activity. It also didn’t record visited websites, files downloaded, and the amount of data transferred. With NordVPN, we could sleep easy knowing the company wouldn’t track what we did online and wouldn’t pass any of our information to third parties, like the government or advertisers.
  
  Multiple Device Connections
  
  The majority of Americans use multiple devices to browse the Internet or torrent files, 2 and we definitely fall into that majority. That’s why we were pleased that with NordVPN, we didn’t have to choose which device to connect to the VPN at one time; we had the option to connect up to six of our devices to just one subscription. If that wasn’t enough, we connected NordVPN directly to our router, in which case all of our devices were considered one.
  
  2. Surfshark – Best Torrenting VPN for Affordability
  
  Editors Rating:
  9.5 /10
  
  What Worked Well
  - Affordable pricing
  - Multiple entertainment streaming options including HBO and Netflix
  - Split tunneling
  - Unlimited simultaneous connections per subscription
  What Needed Work
  - Slower speeds
  - Kill switch needed to be set up manually on Windows software
  - No browser extension for Safari
  - Static IP addresses
  Affordable Pricing
  
  Surfshark was one of the most affordable VPNs for torrenting we came across. For just $1.99 a month, we could have total Internet privacy and protection. That being said, the $1.99 price was for a two-year subscription. We felt comfortable committing to the lengthy extension because of Surfsharks 30-day money-back guarantee. But for those who wanted less of a commitment, Surfshark offered a monthly subscription for $11.95 and a yearly subscription for $5.99. As you can see, none of the subscription options burned holes in our wallets.
  
  Multiple Entertainment Streaming Options
  
  Using Surfshark, we watched our favorite shows on some of the most popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and the BBC. It was great to have all those options work with our VPN software because watching a TV show is how we decompress after a long day.
  
  Unlimited Simultaneous Connections Per Subscription
  
  We loved having the option to connect unlimited devices to a single Surfshark subscription at the same time. Other VPNs put limits on how many devices we could connect to a single subscription simultaneously, so this was a plus, especially since we are known among our friend group as the ones who constantly add devices to our collections.
  
  3. Private Internet Access VPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Windows Software
  
  Editors Rating:
  9.4 /10
  
  What Worked Well
  - Doesn’t track IP addresses or web activity
  - Very fast on Windows Vivobook
  - Netflix access
  - Dynamic IP addresses
  What Needed Work
  - Headquartered in the United States
  - No split tunneling
  - Slow on Macbooks
  - Subpar customer service
  Strict Privacy Policy
  
  When it came to our data, Private Internet Access kept logs of our names, email addresses, and payment information, but not of our IP addresses or web activity. Considering Private Internet Access is located in the United States, it was particularly important that we knew their privacy policy. That’s because the United States is part of Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes, meaning the company is legally required to hand over user information to government authorities if it’s requested. As a result of that, we wanted to make sure we knew exactly what the company kept track of in the event our information was passed on to government officials.
  
  Very Fast on Windows Vivobook
  
  When it comes to using Mac or Windows devices, we don’t discriminate, so of course, we have both Macbooks and Vivobooks at home. We tested the PIA software on both devices and got significantly better results in terms of speed on our Windows device. For those who are loyal and avid Windows users, we recommend considering Private Internet Access as your VPN software.
  
  Dynamic IP Addresses
  
  Every time we connected to Private Internet Access we got a different IP address, which made it harder for people to track our web activity. This gave us an added sense of security when it came to our privacy and anonymity.
  
  4. ExpressVPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Travelers
  
  Editors Rating:
  9.1 /10
  
  What Worked Well
  - Servers in more than 148 countries
  - Kill switch
  - Split tunneling
  - Unlimited bandwidth
  What Needed Work
  - Expensive
  - No phone support for customer service
  - Slower speeds on Mac devices
  - Only five simultaneous connections per subscription
  Locations in Multiple Countries
  
  Out of all the VPNs we tested, ExpressVPN had servers in the highest number of countries. In order to have the best possible speed, it was imperative for us to be near a server because the closer we were to a server, the faster the speed of our Internet. With servers all over the world, we used ExpressVPN’s software when torrenting almost anywhere, which was great for vacations.
  
  Kill Switch
  
  When it comes to VPNs for torrenting, we needed to have a kill switch. A kill switch, also known as a network lock feature, protected us in the event that our Internet connection went down while we were using a VPN like ExpressVPN. It automatically shut down whatever software or websites we were using, ensuring our privacy was always protected. This was especially crucial when torrenting because when our network connection went down, our peer-to-peer file sharing stopped automatically so no one could see what we were downloading.
  
  Split Tunneling
  
  ExpressVPN gave us the option of using our Internet connection through both private and public networks. This was useful when we hung out at local coffee shops between work and our dinner plans. We torrented a TV show privately through the VPN while checking other, non-sensitive websites, like CNN.com or Nordstrom.com, via the coffee shop’s public network. The flexibility of split tunneling was a great way for us to lower our bandwidth when connected to the web, creating faster speeds overall.
  
  FYI: ExpressVPN comes with just five simultaneous connections per subscription. In order to increase the number of connections, you need to purchase an additional subscription. You can also set up a VPN router, which allows you to connect as many devices as you want to one subscription as long as those devices are connected to the same network.
  
  5. CyberGhost – Best Torrenting VPN for Mac
  
  Editors Rating:
  8.9 /10
  
  What Worked Well
  - Fast speeds on Macbook
  - 24-hour free trial and 45-day money-back guarantee
  - Not a member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes
  - Great customer service
  What Needed Work
  - Logging policy
  - Lack of split tunneling
  - Slow speed on Windows systems
  - No manual option to turn kill switch off
  Best for Mac Devices
  
  CyberGhost worked incredibly fast on our Macbook Air. After comparing reaction times, download speeds, and upload speeds with and without the VPN connected, we noticed there wasn’t a drastic difference in speed either way. One of our biggest pet peeves is the swirly circle in the middle of our screen when waiting for a download, but we rarely saw that when using CyberGhost on our Mac.
  
  Money-Back Guarantees
  
  We loved having the chance to test out CyberGhost before committing to the software. In addition to the 24-hour free trial, the company also offered a 45-day money-back guarantee. Most other VPN companies, like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, only offered a 30-day money-back guarantee, so it was nice to have an extra two weeks to make sure the software really worked for us.
  
  Not a Member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or 14 Eyes
  
  We always check where VPN companies are headquartered and CyberGhost is located in Romania, a country we felt comfortable with since it was not a member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes. Because CyberGhost was located outside those jurisdictions, the company wasn’t required to share our data with any government officials, a policy that wasn’t the case for all VPN companies. When it came to using a VPN for torrenting, this was particularly pertinent since torrenting could be shady if used to download copyrighted content.
  
  You Should Know: Some VPN companies log files and user data, so we recommend reading each company’s privacy policy in full before making a final decision as to which software to use.
  
  How We Decided on Our Top VPNs for Torrenting: The Methodology
  
  Before becoming experts in VPNs and torrenting, we didn’t know what to look out for when buying a VPN for torrenting specifically. But after years of testing and reviewing, we learned exactly what made for the best VPN software. Take a look at how we came to our conclusions; by reading this, you too could become well-versed in VPNs for torrenting.
  
  DNS and WebRTC Leak Tests
  
  Because we tested these VPNs for torrenting specifically, we wanted the most secure and private networks we could get our hands on. Therefore, we wanted to make sure our domain name servers, or DNS, were encrypted and that our private IP addresses weren’t being leaked as a result of WebRTC, which allows for direct communication between browsers and is the default setup for Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
  
  We did a DNS leaks test using DNSLeakTest.com, comparing our computer’s IP address with the address that appeared on the website to see if there was a leak when using the VPN. We also conducted a WebRTC test using a tool provided by ExpressVPN. For that test, we looked at local and public IPv4 addresses to see if there were any leaks.
  
  Privacy
  
  We also looked for companies outside the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes surveillance alliances. This was important when it came to torrenting because we didn’t want government officials to have access to our file sharing. Companies outside those international surveillance alliance jurisdictions aren’t required to hand over customer information to the government. In terms of privacy policies, we looked for companies that didn’t log information like web traffic, downloads, and IP addresses. Finally, for our own safety, security, and privacy, we wanted to make sure that there was proper encryption and a kill switch that shut down all our Internet browsers in the event that our VPN went dark on us.
  
  Speeds
  
  Next, we looked at how fast the VPN worked. For torrenting, we didn’t want a software that made the speed of our Internet so slow we spent hours watching the download buffer. We tested all the VPNs on a private Optimum Network in Brooklyn on both a Macbook Pro and Air and Windows Vivobook because it was crucial for us to know the speeds on different brands of devices. We used SpeedTest.net to test the download speed, upload speed, and latency, first without the VPN, and then with it. The download and upload speeds were measured in megabits per second and latency in milliseconds.
  
  It was necessary for us to remember that speed could vary based on a variety of elements, including how far away we were from the server, our operating system, or the device itself. That being said, after conducting our tests, we decided the speed differences between the VPN being connected versus disconnected should be no more than 40 percent in any category. However, because of the varying factors that could play into speed, we ask readers to take these numbers with a grain of salt.
  
  Features
  
  We looked for software that had a split tunneling feature and compatibility with entertainment streaming platforms. Split tunneling gave us the ability to simultaneously use private and public networks when surfing the web. And because we liked to use our VPN for watching movies or TV shows, we wanted ones that gave us access to torrenting, Netflix, HBO, and Hulu.
  
  How To Use A VPN For Torrenting
  
  Setting up a VPN for torrenting can be done in a few simple steps:
  1. Sign up for an account with a torrenting-compatible VPN.
  2. Download the VPN app or browser extension and connect to a nearby server that allows P2P connections.
  3. Go onto a torrenting website or web app and download files.
  One, two, three, easy as ABC!
  
  Frequently Asked Questions
  
  Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we had when looking for the best VPNs for torrenting:
  
  Torrenting is the most popular form of peer-to-peer file sharing. It allows multiple users to connect and share content without having to depend on one single web page for downloading.
  
  A VPN, which is also known as virtual private networks, is a software that allows users to send or share data over public networks as if their devices were still connected to a private one. VPNs make it difficult for hackers or others to gain access to personal information and allow users to maintain privacy and anonymity online. The software also encrypts web traffic and hides IP addresses from Internet Service Providers.
  
  We always recommend using a VPN for torrenting. A VPN encrypts your IP address and prevents your Internet Service Provider from being able to monitor your Internet activity. Torrenting without a VPN means your Internet Service Provider will be able to see your online activity.
  
  The simple answer is yes, you can get caught torrenting even when using a VPN; however, it’s very unlikely since VPNs hide IP addresses and web traffic. One way you can get caught though is if the VPN you are using doesn’t have a kill switch. If the VPN goes down while you are torrenting, without a kill switch, your torrenting will no longer be private. However, with a kill switch, the torrenting will automatically shut down in the event the VPN stops working. It’s also important to look for VPN companies headquartered outside the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes alliances. Companies outside those jurisdictions aren’t required to hand over information to the government, making it less likely you will get caught torrenting. Finally, privacy policies play into whether or not someone may get caught torrenting. You want to go with companies that don’t keep records of users’ IP addresses or web activity.
  
  Yes, you can use uTorrent without using a VPN. However, if you don’t use a VPN, Internet Service Providers can monitor your activity, slow down your service or terminate it altogether if they notice torrenting taking place. Using a VPN prevents Internet Service Providers from being able to see what it is you’re doing online.