Torrenting is a great way to share large files and content through a shared network without having to upload or download from a server.
Also known as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) sharing, torrenting has become a popular way to share media over the years.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with torrenting, users prefer to use VPNs for downloading torrents anonymously and securely.
Many people have chosen to use PIA for torrenting.
PIA is a popular torrenting VPN provider due to its extensive global connections, good speeds, and unlimited bandwidth. It’s considered one of the most security-conscious VPNs for torrent users and offers split tunneling, port forwarding, and a Kill Switch.
While some other VPN providers have a limited number of P2P-supported servers, or may even block P2P sharing for various reasons, Private Internet Access supports P2P sharing across its network of servers.
As an added bonus, users can choose to use both the proxy service and VPN simultaneously for torrent downloads through the proxy settings.
In a Hurry? Here’s How to Torrent with PIA
Does Private Internet Access Allow Torrenting?
Yes, While most VPNs restrict torrenting and P2P sharing, Private Internet Access allows it on all of its servers, which is a huge benefit as PIA offers over 30,000 servers in more than 78 countries!
On top of this, Private Internet Access also offers access to the SOCKS5 proxy with a standard subscription along with other features, like military-grade encryption, split tunneling, port forwarding, and seeding on all servers outside the USA.
Why Is PIA One of the Best VPNs for Torrenting?
There are many reasons why PIA VPN is known to be a great VPN service for torrenting and peer-2-peer connections.
Here are some of the features that make Private Internet Access so popular:
Speed
Poor speeds can be a killer when it comes to torrenting!
Private Internet Access has a Wireguard protocol that allows it to have great download speeds when downloading torrents.
Its expansive server network is constantly growing and improving, which means less traffic on each VPN server, and faster speeds for each user.
Of course, having a good Internet connection is important for download speeds, but you can also toggle and disable features in the tools menu to get even faster speeds.
Enabling port forwarding is a great way to help you get optimal speeds, and this can be done in a few easy-to-follow steps:
- Disconnect from the PIA servers
- Go to “settings” and, once you’re in the VPN client, click “Advanced.”
- On the right-hand side, you will see “port forwarding,” Click “enable,” and then “save.”
- Next, when you enter the VPN, you will be given a certain port where you are given a 5-digit code.
- Finally, head to torrent clients, and in the settings enter the 5-number code you were given.
Split Tunneling:
Split tunneling allows you to choose which of your Internet traffic you route through your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and which you route through an encrypted VPN tunnel.
With PIA, you can use the split tunneling feature to choose which traffic goes through your ISP and which through the VPN server, allowing you to increase the speed of downloads in your torrent client by routing your other traffic through your regular Internet Service Provider connection.
SOCKS5 Proxy:
You can also use a Proxy connection with SOCKS5 proxy to get faster download speeds at no extra cost.
It’s important to keep in mind, however, that while a proxy does hide your real IP address by giving you a torrent IP address, it tends to be less secure since it doesn’t include encryption, so it won’t protect torrent privacy.
It’s also possible to route your torrent traffic through the SOCKS5 proxy. You can set this up by following simple steps:
- In the PIA settings menu, go to “Preferences,” then “Connection.” Where it says “Proxy Serve,” put in “SOCKS5” and fill in the information.
- Next, you are going to want to disable all local DNS lookups, as well as features that leak identifying information. Also, be sure to disable connections unsupported by proxy.
- Once you’ve done that, select “Use proxy for p2p connections” and “Use proxy for hostname lookups.”
- Once those options have been selected, just enter your PIA username and password in the account panel and you’re all set.
P2P Support:
Private Internet Access offers P2P sharing and torrenting on all of its servers as opposed to many VPN providers that limit and restrict P2P sharing and torrenting to only a small number of optimized torrent-friendly servers.
When you use a VPN for P2P activity, a VPN hides your IP address from torrent peers so you can download torrents anonymously.
If you come across any trouble, don’t hesitate to contact PIA’s customer service to help walk you through the proxy setup or any PIA client issues.
No Logs Policy:
PIA has a zero-logging policy, so it doesn’t monitor your online activity and can’t leak identifying information about you, such as your location, real IP address, or any personal information.
The only information that is collected by them is your email, payment information, and temporary cookies to improve services.
On its official site, Private Internet Access does state that it complies with valid subpoena requests, while still remaining protective to users. This statement was actually tested in court and held up, so it can be trusted by users.
Compatible with all torrent clients:
PIA is compatible with every major Torrent client, including Utorrent client, Deluge, BitTorrent, and others, so you won’t need to download any new software or torrenting clients.
All you’ll have to do is go to the Proxy settings and select the torrent client through which you wish to connect.
Ad Blocker:
Private Internet Access has a built-in ad blocker called PIA Mace, which prevents malware from sneaking onto your device when you have a VPN connection. As not all VPN providers offer this added feature, PIA gets serious props for offering this extra protection.
Top-notch security and leak protection:
PIA has many great security features customizable in Encryption settings.
While the default level of encryption is 128-bit encryption AES with 2,048-bit RSA handshake encryption, which will give you quicker speeds than the step-up 256-bit encryption, we would recommend that for torrenting you enable the 256-bit encryption just to be safe. This can be found in advanced settings under encryption settings. If you want the faster speeds, however, AES 128-bit encryption, while not the top-level, is still plenty safe.
Private Internet Access also offers a Kill Switch that will instantly shut down your Internet connection if the VPN fails. Enabling the Kill Switch is a must when torrenting, as well as DNS leak protection options for enhanced privacy.
How to Torrent with Private Internet Access
Torrenting with PIA is can be easy and quick. Follow these steps:
1. Set up a PIA Torrent Client
- Subscribe to Private Internet Access and download to your device.
- Turn on PIA VPN client, then click the dots on the top right of the screen and choose settings.
- Choose connection in the window and ensure you have picked UDP and AES-128 in the proper fields.
2. Set up SOCKS5 with uTorrent
Remember that PIA also lets users access its SOCKS5 proxy, which can make your speeds even faster, but will not send your traffic through an encrypted tunnel. If you do not care about the lack of encryption, and speed is your priority, opt for SOCKS5.
- In PIA Settings, choose Connection.
- Click the proxy menu and pick SOCKS5.
- Connect to a Switzerland or Netherlands location and download torrents!
3. Manually set up uTorrent with SOCKS5
- Sign in to the PIA site.
- Choose Regenerate Username/Password to receive login details.
- Copy account details and then launch the uTorrent option.
- Click Options, then Preferences, and then Connection.
Once you’ve completed the steps, you are all set up and ready to go.
PIA for Torrenting: What Reddit Says
Reddit is a great source for finding unbiased opinions, especially for VPNs.
People on Reddit seem to like PIA for torrenting as opposed to other VPN services because not only does it offer a high level of security, with encryption and a Kill Switch, but it also offers good speeds and is pretty easy to use.
On top of this, PIA also offers access to over 30,000 servers spread across over 78 countries!
FAQs
Yes, it is a great VPN for torrenting. Due to the widespread network of Private Internet Access servers, robust security features, good speeds, and support for torrent software, we highly recommend this VPN for torrenting.
In the past, some users have complained about server disconnections and potential DNS leaks when torrenting, but most people have said that they rarely experienced disconnections.
And when it comes to IP leaks, it has a built-in Kill Switch so that if the connection fails, the Internet connection shuts down before your real IP can be leaked.
Some users don’t like that Kape technologies bought PIA’s parent company, but that isn’t a direct reflection on PIA’s security since they function independently. Kape technologies also owns other major VPNs, like Cyberghost and Zenmate.
The answer to this question really depends on your own personal location.
You will experience poorer speeds if you are far away from the server to which you are connected. The greater the distance, the slower the speed.
That’s why we recommend PIA subscribers use the nearest server location to them to avoid slow speeds.
Yes, despite being owned by Kape Technologies, Private Internet Access VPN functions independently and is a reputable VPN service provider.
PIA offers reliable security features with encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch, along with a guaranteed no-logs policy.
PIA also offers PIA Mace, which is a built-in malware detector to protect your device against cyber-attacks.
No, similar to any other proxy server, it only hides your IP address and doesn’t secure your data with encryption.
If you are also looking to encrypt your data, you’ll need to download the torrent client’s encryption.
We don’t recommend doing this since it limits the number of peers to which you can connect. The other option is to use the VPN and SOCKS5 proxy option with NL proxy in proxy settings, which may slow your connection.
Conclusion
While torrenting is a trend that is here to stay, many of the well-known VPN services out there restrict or limit Peer-to-Peer connections and torrenting due to various reasons, including questions about the legality of many torrenting platforms.
Private Internet Access is the most popular VPN for torrenting since it not only supports it on a wide range of servers, but also has decent speeds, reliable security features, and a price that makes it all worth it.
Private Internet Access is compatible with all major torrenting clients and has proxy servers, too, so that you can torrent using socks5 proxy as well.
Its robust security features allow you complete security and anonymity and prevent IP leaks when torrenting, P2P sharing, or browsing the web.
You can test Private Internet Access for up to 30 days with a money-back guarantee, so there is nothing to lose by testing it out now!
