How to Increase Torrent Speed in 2023: Speed Up Downloads

If you’re tired of slow torrent speeds when using torrent clients like uTorrent or BitTorrent, you’re not alone. Many people, including me, experience frustratingly slow downloads, leaving them wondering if they should even bother continuing. Fortunately, there are solutions to help increase the speed of your torrent downloads and get the most out of your P2P file-sharing experience.

One of the most significant issues that can cause slow download speeds is bandwidth throttling. This is when your internet service provider (ISP) intentionally slows down your internet speed, making it difficult to use streaming, downloading, and P2P sharing services.

However, there's a solution to this — using a VPN. By encrypting your data, a VPN can hide your online activity from your ISP, allowing you to enjoy faster download speeds without interference. In addition, I laid out some additional tips and tricks to increase your torrent speed so you can enjoy your needed content sooner.

My top pick for speeding up torrents is ExpressVPN. Its premier security and privacy features ensure safe torrenting, and it’s the fastest VPN I tested. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test ExpressVPN risk-free.

Try ExpressVPN for Fast Torrenting >>

7 Ways to Speed Up Torrenting

1. Get a Fast VPN That Supports Torrenting

All of the VPNs I recommend in this article support torrenting and gave me great speeds. However, ExpressVPN was the fastest on both nearby and faraway servers, so it’s my top pick. In addition to choosing a fast VPN, there are several steps you can take to increase your torrent speeds and enjoy faster downloads while using the VPN. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Choose a server near your location. This will give you the fastest speeds as the internet traffic will travel less distance.
• Connect to a server that's optimized for torrenting. This will help ensure that your traffic is routed through a server that's designed to handle P2P traffic and will give you the best speeds. However, if your VPN doesn’t offer special P2P servers, it’s best to check with customer support to give you a list of the most reliable servers to use.
• Consider changing the VPN protocol you're using. WireGuard is generally considered the fastest protocol, followed by OpenVPN. If you use ExpressVPN, I recommend choosing its Lightway protocol, which is optimized for speed and security and it’s based on WireGuard.
• Change the port you're using. Some ISPs block certain ports used for P2P traffic, so switching to a different port may help improve your speeds. This feature should be available in the settings of your VPN if it offers it.

However, keep in mind that the speeds you can achieve will also depend on factors like your base internet connection speed and the number of seeders available for the torrent file you're downloading.

Try ExpressVPN for Torrenting >>

2. Stick to Healthy Seeds and Peers

When you download a torrent, your client connects to other computers (peers) that are also downloading or uploading the same file. The more peers that are connected to the torrent, the faster the download speeds will be.

However, not all peers are created equal. Some may have poor connectivity, while others may have incomplete files, which can slow down your download speeds.

To ensure that you're connecting to healthy seeds and peers, follow these tips:

• Check the seeder-to-leecher ratio: A healthy torrent will have more seeders than leechers. Seeders are users who have already downloaded the file and are now sharing it with others. Leechers are users who are still downloading the file. The more seeders there are, the faster the download speeds will be.
• Read the comments: Before downloading a torrent, read the comments to see if other users have reported any issues with the file. If there are a lot of negative comments or warnings about viruses or malware, it's best to avoid that torrent.
• Use a torrent health checker: There are several websites that allow you to check the health of a torrent before you download it. These sites analyze the seeder-to-leecher ratio and other factors to determine if a torrent is healthy or not.

3. Use an Ethernet Cable

While Wi-Fi is convenient, it's not always the most reliable or fastest option, especially if your router is far away from your device or if there are many other devices connected to the same network.

Ethernet cables offer a direct and stable connection between your device and router, resulting in faster download and upload speeds. If you're serious about torrenting, it's recommended to use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi.

Even better, you can get a pre-configured VPN router and connect it to your devices with an Ethernet cable. This way, you’re killing two birds with one stone, as you’ll also avoid ISP throttling since the VPN changes your IP address and encrypts your data. ExpressVPN offers its own VPN router called Aircove, plus it also comes with a router app and custom firmware if you opt for manual configuration on your existing router.

Try ExpressVPN on a Router >>

4. Change Your ISP

Changing your Internet Service Provider (ISP) could potentially increase your torrenting speed. Here are some things to consider when it comes to choosing an ISP:

• Bandwidth: Different ISPs offer varying levels of bandwidth. Choosing an ISP that offers a higher bandwidth can provide faster torrent download and upload speeds.
• Throttling: Some ISPs limit or throttle their users' bandwidth when they detect torrenting activity. Changing to an ISP that doesn't engage in throttling can help you avoid speed issues. However, that’s rare to find, so instead, I recommend using a VPN to avoid ISP throttling.
• Hardware/Technology: ISPs that use outdated technology may not be able to offer the same speeds as ISPs that use newer technology. Upgrading to an ISP that uses modern, faster technology can increase your torrenting speed.

Keep in mind that changing your ISP is not a guaranteed solution to increase your torrenting speed. You might also want to consider asking your existing ISP for a new internet plan upgrade.

5. Add a Firewall Exception for Your Torrenting Client

A firewall can prevent incoming and outgoing traffic on your network, which can sometimes slow down your torrenting client.

By adding a firewall exception, you allow the torrenting client to bypass the firewall and communicate freely with other peers. This can help increase your torrenting speeds and allow you to download files faster.

To add a firewall exception, you'll need to access your computer's firewall settings and add the torrenting client to the list of allowed apps.

6. Choose a Good BitTorrent Client

When it comes to downloading torrents, choosing the right client for you can make a big difference in terms of speed and overall performance. Below are three popular torrent clients to consider. But if you’d like to see other options, there are other clients you can choose from.

uTorrent: A widely-used, lightweight torrent client developed by BitTorrent with a simple and organized interface. It offers a wide range of customization options and scheduling downloads to prioritize files, set bandwidth limits, verify seeds, manage the client remotely, and find torrents with its built-in search engine.

qBittorrent: This is an open-source, ad-free client that is highly customizable and frequently updated. It offers a wide range of features, including RSS feed support, extensions, sequential downloading, torrent creation, media playback, IP filtering, bandwidth scheduling, a UI lock, and more. These features could help you download torrents faster and manage them better.

BitTorrent: A user-friendly and customizable torrent client available in over 70 languages. It offers a range of features, including a built-in bandwidth booster, scheduling, magnet link support, and IP filtering for advanced users. While its free version contains ads and bundled software, you can decline them, upgrade to the Pro plan, or use an ad blocker. Most of the VPNs I recommend below come with ad blocker features that block pop-ups on torrenting clients.

Block Pop-Ups With CyberGhost >>

7. Adjust the Settings of Your BitTorrent Client

You can find your BitTorrent client’s settings in menus named Options, Settings, Preferences, or similar. When it comes to changing those settings, there are a couple of general ones to consider:

• Adjust the upload and download speed limits. These are the steps you can take if you use uTorrent, but it’s similar on most other clients, with some differences in the wording of the features:
  • Connection > Port used for incoming connections: Increase this number to any value above 10000.
  • Bandwidth > Global Maximum Number of Connections: Increase this value to 500 or higher to maximize the number of peers you can connect to.
  • Bandwidth > Maximum Upload Rate: Set this to 80–90% of your maximum upload speed to prevent your downloads from slowing down.
  • Bandwidth > Maximum Download Rate: Set this to 0, or set it to a high number if you have a fast internet connection.
• Enable port forwarding: Port forwarding allows incoming connections from other peers. It's recommended to use a random port between 49160 and 65534 to try increasing your speeds.
• Increase the maximum number of connections per torrent and per client: This will allow your client to connect to more seeds and peers, which can increase your download speed.
• Enable uTP: uTP (micro Transport Protocol) is a protocol designed to automatically adjust its own bandwidth usage to avoid interfering with other activities on your internet connection. This helps prevent saturation and maintain a fast and stable connection while torrenting.
• Prioritize your downloads: If you have multiple downloads in progress, you can prioritize specific files or torrents by right-clicking on them and selecting "Bandwidth Allocation" > "High" on uTorrent.
• Limit the number of active torrents: Most torrent clients have this option where you can add a max number of torrents that you can download at a time. If your chosen client doesn’t have this option, just make sure that you don’t download more than 2 smaller files simultaneously if your connection is slow.
• Add more trackers: Trackers are servers that help your BitTorrent client find other users who are sharing the same file. You can find trackers online or use a tracker exchange website like OpenTrackr.

Remember to save your changes and restart your torrent client for the settings to take effect. Keep in mind that some settings may not work well with certain ISPs or network configurations, so it's recommended to test different settings to find the optimal configuration for your setup.

When choosing a torrent client, it's important to consider factors like ease of use, speed, and the features you need. Additionally, you can try each one out and see which one works best for you. I recommend using your torrenting client with a VPN to keep your data secure and your device healthy without malware.

Secure Your Downloads With ExpressVPN >>

Best VPNs to Increase Torrent Speed in 2023

1. ExpressVPN — Fast Speeds to Ensure Quick Downloads With Your Torrent Client

Editor’s Choice Editor’s Choice Try Risk-Free for 30 Days
Tested July 2023

Available on:

Windows Mac Android iOS

Chrome Router Smart TV More

Try ExpressVPN >

www.ExpressVPN.com

ExpressVPN was the fastest VPN I tested. I was able to download a 4.2GB torrent file in under 5 minutes. My base speed was 121.55 Mbps, and with its Lightway protocol, my average speed while connected was 115.21 Mbps. That amounts to a small 5% decrease in download speed on average, which was unnoticeable during torrenting.

Note that all VPNs will slow down your speeds since they encrypt your data, and that data travels through an extra server. However, not all VPNs perform as well as ExpressVPN in terms of speeds, with some dropping your connection by more than 30%.

With over 3,000 servers optimized for speed across the globe that support torrenting, you don't have to worry about overcrowding or searching for specialty servers. There will also be plenty of servers close to your physical location, making it even quicker to download large files.

The only drawback I could find was its pricing plans, as they are a bit on the expensive side. However, my testing showed that it’s really worth it, considering how well it performed for torrenting. Plus, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days since it offers a money-back guarantee. When I requested a refund through the 24/7 live chat, the agent agreed immediately, and my money was refunded within 3 days.

Useful Features

• Smart Location. It connects you to the fastest server near you for the best torrenting performance. This saves you time since you don’t have to manually look for and connect to a server that will give let you torrent fast.
• Shortcuts. ExpressVPN has a handy feature that lets you add your favorite websites and apps to its Shortcuts widget, which can appear on the main screen when enabled. So you can list your most-used torrent clients for easy 1-click access each time you need to download files.
• Split tunneling. This feature allows you to choose certain apps to bypass the VPN to free up more bandwidth for faster torrenting speeds. Similarly, you can nominate your torrenting clients to only work while connected to the VPN.
• Fully-audited no-logs policy. ExpressVPN doesn’t record any of your activities when you visit torrent sites, like The Pirate Bay or whatever you do online. Plus, it’s based outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance (on the British Virgin Islands), further ensuring your data privacy.

Increase Torrent Speeds With ExpressVPN >>

2. CyberGhost — Torrenting-Optimized Servers to Reliably Download Files

Available on:

Windows Mac Android iOS

Chrome Router Smart TV More

Try CyberGhost VPN >

www.cyberghostvpn.com

CyberGhost has servers specifically optimized for torrenting, designed for high-speed P2P file-sharing while also maintaining your security. These servers are conveniently listed in a separate For torrenting tab, making them easy to find. You can also see info about your distance to each server. The closer the server is to you, the faster it should be.

While the speed of these servers did not match up to ExpressVPN's, they were still sufficiently swift, allowing me to download a file of 3GB in less than 4 minutes. Comparatively, I noticed an average speed reduction of 11% from my original speed of 122.46 Mbps. For optimal performance, my suggestion would be to use the WireGuard protocol on desktop computers and IKEv2 for mobile devices.

You can choose between long- and short-term plans with CyberGhost. However, its shortest plan is the most expensive and comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Luckily, its long-term plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee, giving you a generous amount of time to test it out risk-free for torrenting.

Useful Features

• NoSpy servers. The servers are add-ons that come at a small fee. They are housed in CyberGhost’s Romanian headquarters, outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance, and managed internally end-to-end by its expert team, providing the ultimate security for torrenting.
• Smart rules. CyberGhost offers a group of smart features that you can customize related to launching the VPN app, WiFi protection, and splitting the VPN traffic. For example, you can set the VPN to automatically connect after you launch your torrenting app.
• Block content. This feature blocks pop-ups, malware, and dangerous content that’s common on most torrent sites.
• Supports up to 7 simultaneous connections. That means you can download torrent files on a laptop while you stream, browse, or game on other devices.

Increase Torrent Speeds With CyberGhost >>

3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Customizable Features to Balance Speed and Security While Torrenting

Available on:

Windows Mac Android iOS

Chrome Router Smart TV More

Try Private Internet Access >

www.PrivateInternetAccess.com

I really appreciated how customizable PIA is, as it allowed me to optimize my connection based on my torrenting speed needs. During testing, I found that it lets you choose between OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols, which are both fast and secure. Additionally, you can switch from AES 256-bit to AES 128-bit encryption to boost the speeds of your torrents. I experienced an average drop of 15%, which let me download a 3.5GB file in under 5 minutes.

One minor drawback of PIA is its US-based location, which falls under the jurisdiction of the 5 Eyes Alliance. Nonetheless, PIA has a verified no-logs policy that has been independently audited, ensuring that no user logs or data are stored.

PIA offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out for free before committing to a subscription. If it doesn’t satisfy your speed requirements for torrenting, you can easily get a refund within the money-back guarantee period.

Useful Features

• MACE ad blocker. This feature blocks the trackers and malware that populate most torrent sites. It worked well to block ads on BitTorrent.
• Port forwarding. This is excellent for achieving optimal torrenting speeds. By forwarding ports to your torrent client, you can bypass network restrictions and improve your download speeds.
• Unlimited simultaneous connections. You can use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices at the same time with one subscription.
• Customizable interface. The extended view of the app includes many widgets, including one that gives you info about your bandwidth usage, so you can track your download and upload speeds when you’re torrenting. There’s also a Quick Connect widget that saves your last 6 locations for easy access next time.

Increase Torrent Speeds With PIA >>

FAQs on Speeding Up Torrents With a VPN

Is it legal to use a VPN to increase your torrenting speed?

Using a VPN to increase torrenting speed is generally legal in most countries, as VPNs are commonly used for security and privacy online. However, while a VPN can potentially improve torrenting speed by bypassing certain ISP restrictions, it is important to note that downloading copyrighted content without authorization is illegal and strongly discouraged.

Laws regarding torrenting vary between jurisdictions, and engaging in illegal activities can lead to fines or criminal charges. It is essential to comply with the laws of your country or region and respect intellectual property rights. The team and I do not support or endorse the illegal sharing or downloading of copyrighted content.

Which VPN will give me the fastest download speeds?

For the fastest download speeds, I recommend using ExpressVPN. It utilizes the Lightway protocol, which is optimized for speed and provided the fastest speeds during testing. Additionally, ExpressVPN offers unlimited bandwidth, ensuring you can download files without further speed restrictions. It also provides encrypted P2P-friendly servers, which help prevent ISP throttling and ensure efficient torrenting.

What’s more, ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means that you can try out the service risk-free for 30 days and see if it really does increase your torrent download speeds.

How can I increase my torrent speed with a BitTorrent client on PC and mobile?

When it comes to improving your torrent speed on a PC or mobile device, there are a few key steps you can take:

• Make sure that you have an ISP that provides a reliable and fast internet connection.
• Limit the number of active downloads or uploads at any given time, as this can help improve your overall speed.
• Use a high-quality BitTorrent client that offers features like encryption, scheduling, and bandwidth control. Some popular options include qBittorrent, BitTorrent, Transmission, and uTorrent.
• Consider using a VPN to hide your IP address and avoid ISP bandwidth throttling.

Which torrent client downloads faster — BitTorrent, uTorrent, or qBittorrent?

The download speed may vary depending on your internet connection and other factors, so it's best to try each client and see which one works best for you. All torrenting clients offer different features to help you increase your speed, so if you’re experiencing issues, you’ll just need to configure it for your needs.

Get Faster Torrent Speeds in Minutes

There are various tips and tricks that can improve torrent download speeds. These range from configuring your torrent client with the best settings for speeds and bandwidth to changing your ISP.

Several factors can affect the speed of torrent downloads, such as ISP throttling. To bypass such interference, using a VPN like ExpressVPN can benefit your torrenting performance by encrypting data and hiding your online activity from your ISP. You can even test it out with your BitTorrent client for 30 days since it offers a money-back guarantee.

To summarize, these are the best VPNs that can help you increase your torrent speeds...

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