Most VPN services have what it takes to stream content and provide basic Internet security, but not every VPN service has the capability to torrent quickly and securely.
IPVanish is a quality, reliable VPN for torrenting.
The torrent policy IPVanish holds is that it fully supports torrenting, and all servers are enabled for P2P file sharing.
This VPN is fast, reliable, secure, and private, and it has some great perks, like unlimited simultaneous connections, unlimited bandwidth, and 24/7 live-chat support!
Keep reading for the scoop on IPVanish for torrenting…
In a Hurry? Here’s How to Torrent Anonymously with IPVanish VPN Service
How to Torrent Privately with IPVanish
The SOCKS5 proxy is a great feature for torrent users looking for an incredibly fast download speed for torrent activity.
SOCKS5 proxy is super flexible, it supports BitTorrent traffic and the typical HTTP web traffic.
While SOCKS5 is available to anyone as an Internet protocol, IPVanish offers it as a feature with your IPVanish subscription.
SOCKS proxy manages to provide incredibly fast speeds because it does not encrypt your data, which takes up a lot of time.
Even though nothing is encrypted, your privacy is still secured by the virtual IP address, the no log policy, the Kill Switch, and the IP and DNS leak protection you need as a torrent client.
Follow these steps to use the SOCKS5 proxy for all your torrent traffic using a uTorrent client.
- Purchase a subscription for IPVanish.
- Go to the IPVanish client control panel and log into your account.
- Enable UPnP or manually set up port forwarding on Qbittorrent.
- Select SOCKS5 proxy and click on the Reset Credentials option.
- Open your preferred torrent client; for this example, uTorrent.
- Click on Options, then click on Preferences, and select Connection from the drop-down menu.
- Unmark all of the boxes under Listening Port.
- Select the proxy server type SOCKS5.
- Enter the preferred IPVanish SOCKS5 address next to the proxies. You can find it in the Host Names list that came up when you selected SOCKS5 proxy in step 3.
- For the recommended setting for IPVanish’s proxy in uTorrent, enter the type Socks5 proxy: ams, socks.ipvanish.com, port 1080, and use Proxy for peer connections.
- Under Proxy Server and Proxy privacy, check all of the boxes and use proxy for hostname lookups.
- Put in your username and password, then click apply and OK to restart uTorrent
- Open the torrent site, search for the torrent file you want to download, and click the link.
- When prompted, accept the download.
VPN Server Network
With IPVanish, there are only 1,900 servers in 75 countries around the world as part of the VPN server network.
Every server in the IPVandish network is owned by IPVanish, which isn’t the case for all VPN services that often share servers.
In addition, every server in the network is a P2P-enabled server.
How to select a server for torrenting
You have a few options for selecting your preferred server to download torrents.
The easiest option is to select quick connect, which automatically connects you to the best server available for you.
If you prefer to select your own server, go to the tab with the server list and you can choose your preferred order, including alphabetical, favorites, load time, or ping.
If you want to stick with servers in torrent-friendly counties, you can list Switzerland, Spain, Poland, and The Netherlands as favorites, or just go for the one with the best download speed!
Server Speeds
IPVanish performed well on speed tests for torrent downloads. Here are some samples of speed tests for downloading a 4.43 GB movie using IPVanish, so you can get a sense of typical download speeds.
When connected to a nearby server location it took 12 minutes to download the movie. The maximum speed was 954.6 KB/s and the average speed was 723.1 KB/s.
On a long-distance connection, downloading torrents was a bit slower, as expected. It took 14 minutes to download the movie with a maximum speed of 784.5 KB/s and an average speed of 600 KB/s.
The socks5 proxy server got much faster speeds for downloading torrents. The movie was able to download in just under 9 minutes. The maximum speed was 1.3 MB/s and the average speed was 984.6 KB/s. It’s able to get such great Internet speed because it doesn’t encrypt anything.
Overall, IPVanish has the kind of speed that torrent clients want while still maintaining privacy and security for its users.
Security Features
IPVanish is a safe and secure VPN provider. It has all of the necessary features torrent users seek.
Security features include a Kill Switch, no logs policy, DNS and IP leak protection, and military-grade encryption.
Encryption
Everything that goes through the IPVanish VPN tunnel is encrypted with top-of-the-line military-grade AES 256-bit encryption. That means even if someone manages to hack into your account, all of your VPN traffic will be indecipherable, even to your Internet provider!
DNS and IP leak protection
A DNS leak is when a DNS request is accidentally sent via your ISP instead of your encrypted VPN tunnel, which means your real IP address or even your actual location could be compromised.
IPVanish uses IPV6 leak-protection technology to prevent any DNS leak from occurring and leak tests confirm that it seems to be working.
Kill Switch
If your VPN connection drops unexpectedly, a Kill Switch will cut your Internet connection automatically until the secure connection comes back. This will prevent IP leaks of your public IP address and Internet activities when your VPN disconnects for any reason.
Zero Log Policy
IPVanish guarantees that it maintains no logs of user activity or IP addresses. That means even if the government demands it hands over information, it won’t have any records to give them.
That’s really important since IPVanish is based in the US, which is part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance.
Privacy & Security Testing
When testing for security and privacy adequacy, here are the features to which we paid attention:
IP Address Detection
When tested, the IP address matched the one from the IPVanish server and the actual IP address was not detected.
The Kill Switch will ensure it stays private even if your VPN services drop unexpectedly.
DNS Leak Protection
The DNS leak protection feature is doing its job.
When tested, only IPVanish DNS servers were detected, plus the Kill Switch guarantees you stay safe even if your VPN connection drops.
Torrent Client Address Detection
When you use UPVanish, there is no link between you and the public IP address that appears in torrent swarms, which is how torrent activity is tracked worldwide.
When tested for leaks during torrent downloads, only the VPN provider’s IP address was identified.
Compatibility
IPVanish has great compatibility with all of the popular mobile devices, desktops, and laptops. It has apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Windows phones, Chromebook, Fire TVs, and routers.
Not only is it compatible with all your favorite devices, but you also get unlimited connections to the app at the same time so everyone in your household can take advantage of its great service at once!
IPVanish works with torrent clients, including uTorrent, Vuze, Deluge, and BitTorrent. These torrenting apps have a built-in VPN functionality.
Logging Policy & Company Location
Back in 2016, there was a bit of a scandal with IPVanish when it passed along information to the Department of Homeland Security despite claiming it had a no-logs policy.
Since that time, IPVanish has improved its game and guarantees a strict no-logs policy, including IP addresses and activity logs.
The company is based in the United States and is part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. That means it would be obliged to hand over user information to Homeland Security should it request it; but assuming it is true to its no-logs policy, there would be no information to hand over, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
Overall, IPVanish is a good VPN for torrenting. It provides strong encryption, good torrenting speeds, and solid safety and privacy feature.
Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of using IPVanish for torrenting.
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Accepts payment by Bitcoin
- Zero log policy
- Military-grade encryption
- Good security features (Kill Switch/leak protection)
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Fast speeds
- Offers SOCKS5 proxy server
- Based in the non-privacy-friendly USA
- The monthly plan does not offer a 30-day money-back guarantee
- On the slower side
IPVanish Pricing
The pricing options for IPVanish are as follows:
Monthly subscription for $11.99/month
Yearly subscription for $3.99/month (billed at $47.89 for the year)
Two-year subscription for $2.92/month (billed at $69.99 for the 2 years)
Since IPVanish comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee on its yearly plans, you can take advantage of the less expensive 2-year plan without risking being stuck in a long contract with a service you don’t like.
Keep in mind, if you opt for the monthly plan, you don’t get the 30-day money-back guarantee.
FAQs
Not all VPNs work for torrenting. Many VPN providers claim to be a great VPN for torrenting but it’s not always true, so it’s worth doing a bit of research.
Make sure your VPN for torrenting is compatible with popular torrent clients, like BitTorrent and uTorrent, is fast enough for torrenting, and has all the VPN features needed to keep your virtual private network private and secure!
Yes! It’s a good VPN service for torrenting.
IPVanish torrenting is private and secure, compatible with most users’ favorite torrent client, and has good speed, especially when using the SOCKs5 proxy settings.
Despite the 2016 privacy scandal, it does seem to have enhanced its privacy, and is a VPN provider you can trust.
When it comes to encryption, IPVanish uses top-of-the-line technology, and maintains a strict no-log policy for secure Internet access.
When tested, the VPN connection showed no DNS leaks so the software it is using on the IPVanish app is doing its job.
The automatic Kill Switch adds an extra layer of protection against leaks of any kind!
Conclusion
IPVanish torrenting capabilities hold up well when compared to other VPN providers.
The VPN is easy to use, reasonably priced, private, secure, fast, and all its servers are enabled for P2P file sharing. Overall, IPVanish is a solid choice if you’re looking for a reliable VPN for torrenting.
Still, if you are looking for the fastest VPN that is also located in a privacy-friendly locale, it is a better option to go with ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark, which have premium features and a better track record for success.
