How does a private torrent tracker associate the downloader with my account?
Hi, I was wondering how they do this and if there is a way to "cheat" the amount of data you are downloading or seeding.
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Hi, I was wondering how they do this and if there is a way to "cheat" the amount of data you are downloading or seeding.
You have a unique "passkey" in the torrent that you download, and the tracker won't let you connect without it. I wouldn't try to cheat it, or you'll likely end up banned. Trackers have scripts to detect tampering.
The passkey is also why you shouldn’t share torrent files.
Wait, you mean the *.torrent file, right?
Yes! Private sites’ .torrent and magnet links know who you are so they can track your ratio.
Alright, for a moment I thought you meant the actual files I download
That wouldn't make sense tho
My fault. Sorry for the panic!
Additionally magnet links. The torrent files and magnet links (which are equivalent) need to have your user key in them not only to track your ratio but just to make sure you're a member of the tracker.
In other contexts this kind of user tracking is called a session key and using someone else's torrent file is called a replay attack or a session hijack.
Not to mention its not a huge scene. If you get black-listed, you might have a hell of a time getting back in to decent trackers if the admins share info on known blacklisters