If you were looking to write a job description for a VPN, some of the qualifications you would list would be: ability to unblock streaming sites, maintain online security, access geo-restricted locations, and torrent safely.
After our reviews of 300+ VPN services, I was surprised to see that most VPNs up for the job did not have these basic qualifications, and, therefore, would not be hired. Unfortunately, of the 300+ reviews, many fell short in privacy and security features.
Without adequate safety and security features, torrenting can go from a harmless hobby to a dangerous experience.
If you are looking for a dependable VPN for torrenting, ExpressVPN not only delivers great download speeds and connection speeds, but also security and privacy features that will protect you from any dangers on the web. Using this VPN, you will get a secure connection, leak protection, encrypted torrent traffic, and a hidden IP address.
After our reviews of more 300 VPNs, we concluded that, for torrenting, ExpressVPN is the best.
Why You Should Use a VPN for Torrenting
It’s always a good idea to use a VPN when you are going to download torrents. Without a VPN connection, your data, IP addresses, and torrents are vulnerable to hackers and prying eyes.
Here are some of the reasons why a VPN service is so important for torrenting:
1. Securing your data
Whenever you are peer-to-peer sharing, your IP address is exposed to other users — (most likely) none of whom you know or trust. If you are baring your IP address for all to see, you and your torrents and data are vulnerable to attacks, malware, and hackers. Using a VPN masks your actual IP address and replaces it with an IP address from the VPN server to which you connect, encrypting your identity, location, torrents, and activity.
2. Unblocks geo-restricted services
Many services available on the web are only accessible in certain regions. If you are in the US, you will not be able to access Indian Netflix. If you are in England, Hulu will be geo-blocked. If you are trying to get access to a torrent site that is restricted in your location, a VPN provider will gain you access. A VPN hides your local IP address and lets you connect to one of its server locations in the country in which you wish to be, giving you an IP address in that country. The website you are trying to reach then believes you are a local and gives you access.
3. Defense from concerns over legality
While we are not condoning any illegal activity, it is very easy to inadvertently download a file that you shouldn’t have. While it is rare, there are occasions when you may face fine or criminal charges if you accidentally cross the law. A VPN conceals your identity, location, and traffic, so it’s impossible to trace any accidental illegal activity back to you; and, because all of your traffic is encrypted, it will not be comprehensible even if it is traced.
Based on our reviews, we recommend that you use ExpressVPN. Torrenting will be secure and private with this dependable VPN.
How to Torrent with ExpressVPN
Quick Steps to Torrent with ExpressVPN
- Download and install a torrent client
- Sign up for ExpressVPN
- Turn on the ExpressVPN app
- Choose your server
- Start torrenting
1. Download and install a torrent client
The first step is to find a torrenting client, like uTorrent or BitTorrent. These are the two most reliable, safe torrent clients. It is still a very good idea to make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date and enabled and you are using a password manager — just in case you encounter any cybersecurity issues.
2. Sign up for ExpressVPN
Choose your ExpressVPN subscription plan (the 2 years plan will give you the best deal) and follow the steps to create your account. If you are not sure you are ready to commit to a 2-years plan, remember that you have a 30-day money-back guarantee; so, if you decide you aren’t happy with ExpressVPN, cancel it. If you like it, you have locked in the best price.
When your account is established, download ExpressVPN’s app to your device, plug in the activation code, and you’re ready to go!
3. Turn on the ExpressVPN app
Go to the ExpressVPN app menu and choose “Options.” In the “Protocol” option, switch the settings from “Automatic” to “UDP” or “TCP.”
Next, go back to the menu and click “General,” and find “Network Lock,” which is ExpressVPN’s kill switch. The top box in this section should be auto-enabled. It is crucial that you keep this Network Lock kill switch on at all times because this is what will “kill” your Internet connection if your VPN malfunctions, ensuring that your location, identity, and data are not exposed.
In “Settings,” go to “Advanced,” and check that your DNS and IPv6 leak protection are also enabled. These are also auto-enabled, but it is easy to accidentally unclick the boxes.
Make sure these steps are completed before you start downloading torrents!
4. Choose your server (use Smart Location to do it easily)
When it comes to choosing a VPN server, there are two options: auto-connect or manual selection.
If you click the circular “connect” button on your app, by default ExpressVPN will choose an automatic Smart Location for you. This will be the best location for you, based on ExpressVPN’s algorithm. If you don’t need to connect to a particular country to access your content, this is a great option.
If you are not having fast-enough speeds when using this auto-connect feature, you can choose from 3,000 servers in over 94 countries. Keep in mind that the further your distance to the server, the slower your speed.
After you have selected a server, click “connect” and you’ll see the circle turn from red to green to show that you’re connected.
5. Start torrenting
While you’re now ready to torrent, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re not experiencing any leaks before you begin. Go to ipleak to confirm that your IP address has been replaced with the new ExpressVPN IP address. You should not have any leaks at all with a VPN provider like ExpressVPN.
All you have to do next is to begin torrenting!
What Makes ExpressVPN a Great Choice for Torrenting
Our team has conducted reviews of over 300 VPNs on the market, determining that ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs in every category. Here are the features that make it our top choice for downloading torrents:
Unlimited bandwidth
No matter which ExpressVPN plan you choose, ExpressVPN offers unlimited bandwidth and data, so you can torrent to your heart’s content, no matter how large the files are.
No server restrictions
Some VPNs have dedicated p2p servers. This sounds like an additional perk, but, in reality, it can be a restrictive feature. All of ExpressVPN’s server options allow p2p sharing, so your choices for torrenting are as vast as your choices for streaming or gaming.
Ultra-fast speeds
ExpressVPN is best known for its top-notch speeds. We put it to the test and found that it beat out all of its competitors in download speeds and connection speeds, even connecting to a server in another country, so you will always have plenty of speed to torrent. If you are using ExpressVPN on your router, you can use port forwarding to send traffic to your device, which will increase your connection speed. This is a great option for downloading torrents.
Strict no-logs policy
ExpressVPN has a verified, strict no-logging policy, so you will never have to worry that they keep logs of your personal details or activity.
ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands is safely outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance and has no laws mandating data retention, so you can take ExpressVPN’s privacy policy at face value.
Strong encryption
With ExpressVPN, good security is a given. ExpressVPN uses top-of-the-line security features, like its military-grade AES 256-bit encryption — the highest level of encryption available. ExpressVPN also has a kill switch that will make sure that none of your private data is ever leaked if the VPN malfunctions on any of your devices.
Vast network of servers
ExpressVPN has over 3,000 high-speed VPN servers in 94 countries around the globe, all of which can be used for p2p sharing. ExpressVPN has server options in twice as many countries as does NordVPN.
With VPN server locations in any country you could possibly want to reach, you will never have any trouble streaming geo-blocked services or downloading torrents from anywhere with ExpressVPN.
FAQs
Free VPNs do not offer their services out of the goodness of their hearts. They are making money, but just not from your subscription fee. Instead, many sell your private information to third parties for profit. This is a huge breach of customer privacy that makes you vulnerable to phishing scams and cyber-attacks.
The free options often have fewer, more crowded servers, which slows your speed significantly. On top of this, they limit your data usage and throttle your connections. If you are a frequent torrenter, you know that you use a significant amount of data.
If you’re worried about whether you want to commit to paying a subscription fee for ExpressVPN, remember that you can use ExpressVPN for free for 30 days with its 30-day money-back guarantee. If you have any questions, ExpressVPN’s 24/7 live chat customer support is super responsive and will guide you through any troubleshooting.
In terms of compatibility with your devices, uTorrent works with Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux, while BitTorrent is compatible with all of these except for Linux.
BitTorrent is the larger torrent client, and will take up about 3 MB of space on your device’s operating system. If you use uTorrent, you’ll see that it only takes up about 1 MB, so it is certainly the lighter of the two.
Conclusion
If you are looking for the best VPN software to deliver the best torrenting experience, ExpressVPN is the way to go.
Download torrents safety, securely, and quickly with the one of the best VPN providers on the market.
