Frequently Asked Questions. Aka 'FAQ'
Q.What is BitTorrent?
A.BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (or P2P) protocol used for the distribution of large files. More information:
The official BitTorrent website
Brian's BitTorrent FAQ and Guide
The Wikipedia BitTorrent page
Q.Where can I get a BitTorrent client?
A.uTorrent (a lightweight and easy-to-use client)
The official BitTorrent client
Azureus (a more advanced BitTorrent client)
BitComet (a user-friendly BitTorrent client)
Q.What is TorrentState?
A.TorrentState is a big torrent search engine and directory. Our goal is to provide an easy-to-use directory and search engine for all kinds of torrent files. Visitors of TorrentState can anonymously upload torrents to this website, tracked by any BitTorrent tracker. Scrape data (amount of seeds/leechers) is collected a few times a day. Note that we try to keep TorrentState family-safe, so adult submissions are not allowed.
Q.Why should I register at TorrentState?
A.Once you have registered an account, other people can see which torrents you uploaded (if you prefer so).
Q.I've got a suggestion, how can I reach you?
A.You can contact us through the contact page.
Q.How can I advertise on this website?
Please send your advertising proposals through the contact page.
Q.What is a .torrent file?
A.This is a small metadata file. Metadata here means that the file contains information about the data you want to download, not the data itself. Your BitTorrent client needs the .torrent file to connect to the tracker (see below) and download the actual data you're interested in.
Q.What are seeds?
A.A seed is a client that has a complete copy of the data of a certain torrent. Once your BitTorrent client finishes downloading, it will remain open until you click the Finish button (or otherwise close it). This is known as being a seed or seeding.
Q.What are leechers?
A.A leecher is a client that is currently downloading the data of a torrent. A leecher does not have the complete file, otherwise it would be called a seed.
Q.What is a tracker?
A.A BitTorrent tracker is a service on the internet that assists in the communication between BitTorrent clients. When you open a torrent file, your machine contacts the tracker and asks for a list of seeds and leechers to connect to.
Q.What is a private tracker?
A.A private tracker is a tracker which requires registration at the tracker website (click on the tracker link in the red warning message on the general information page of the torrent) before you can use the torrent. This means that registering at TorrentState won't help! Such trackers usually have a high amount of seeds, because users get banned if their ratio is too low. See for more information the Wikipedia entry regarding private trackers.
Q.What is a magnet link?
A.Magnet links are a new way of linking torrent files. Instead of downloading the torrent from a webserver, you download it directly from a seed/leecher. The biggest advantage is that you might be able to download the content of the torrent, even if the tracker is down or closed for registration. You need the latest version of the Azureus client with DHT enabled (open your UDP port) to use this feature.
Q.How can I stay up-to-date with TorrentState?
A.We offer an RSS feed to stay up-to-date with this website. You need an RSS reader to use this feature. In Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer 7, and Safari, just click the RSS icon in the right corner of the address bar of this browser window. In Opera the newsfeeds will automatically be subscribed when you click this link, the feed will show up under "Newsfeeds" at the bottom of your "Mail" panel. Users with other browsers have to download a RSS reader, you can find a list here.