Is NordVPN a good choice for torrenting?
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Learn moreWhile torrenting is a convenient way to download the content you need, doing this without a reputable VPN might get you into trouble. Slow speeds, IP address exposure, and fines are the main issues you’re likely to face. Luckily, using NordVPN for torrenting will help you with that.
In this article, I will explain why NordVPN is good for torrenting, give you a couple of step-by-step instructions on how to use the tool, and offer a couple of good alternatives for those who might want to try something different.
Does NordVPN allow torrenting?
Yes – NordVPN not only allows torrenting, but it’s also one of the most P2P-friendly Virtual Private Networks available online.
Even though it doesn’t allow torrenting on all of its servers, there’s still plenty to choose from. You are free to use any of its P2P-optimized servers in 47 countries including Switzerland, Poland, Canada, Spain, and the Czech Republic.
Why use NordVPN for torrenting?
Using NordVPN for torrenting will give you lots of benefits.
Firstly, by rerouting your internet traffic through another server, the VPN will hide your real IP address. This is extremely useful because anyone can find your IP address on the seeders list. In case you didn’t know, your IP can reveal a lot about your location, making it a piece of cake to track you down.
Also, NordVPN will prevent your ISP from knowing that you downloaded copyrighted material (which may even happen accidentally). This can be life-saving in countries where torrenting is illegal (like the US or Italy).
It’s also worth mentioning that NordVPN can help you with bandwidth throttling. You see, in some instances, your ISP might try to prevent you from using too much bandwidth when doing such activities like streaming and torrenting.
Luckily, you won’t have this problem while using a VPN – by encrypting your data, it will prevent your ISP from targeting your traffic for P2P connections. As a result, you’ll experience better speeds.
Is NordVPN good and safe for torrenting?
Yes, NordVPN is the perfect choice for torrenting: especially when it comes to safety. For example, it uses market-leading AES-256 encryption, which is virtually impossible to break.
Also, the tool features the extra-fast and secure NordLynx tunneling protocol, which is a modification (or an improvement) of WireGuard.
It’s also good to know that NordVPN has a perfectly capable kill switch that will shut down your internet as soon as the VPN connection gets compromised, thus preventing IP leaks.
NordVPN’s no-logs policy is also worth a paragraph. It states that the VPN won’t collect any of your data, thus making your online activity completely anonymous. Even better – the policy has been audited twice, which is quite rare in the world of VPNs.
There’s also the split tunneling feature that will allow you to include and exclude applications from the VPN connection. You can use it to route the VPN traffic through your torrenting client only.
How to torrent safely with NordVPN
Torrenting with NordVPN is a piece of cake. All you need to do is pick one of the NordVPN P2P servers and launch your torrenting client as you always do.
The VPN service also includes the SOCKS5 proxy that can be used for torrenting, too. Keep in mind that a proxy won’t encrypt your connection – it only masks your real IP address, which means that using the NordVPN app itself is a much safer choice.
Setting up uTorrent with NordVPN
As I’ve already mentioned, you can use uTorrent with NordVPN by simply connecting to a P2P server. Here’s how it should work:
- Download and install NordVPN onto your device
- Launch the app and enter your credentials
- Go to Settings and activate the Kill Switch
- Choose a P2P server (on the left side of the window)
- Open your uTorrent client and start torrenting
However, it’s also possible to set up uTorrent with NordVPN by using the SOCKS5 proxy. You can find the full guide on the official site of NordVPN.
Setting up qBittorrent with NordVPN
Just like in the case of uTorrent, you won’t find it difficult to set up NordVPN with qBittorrent. Here’s how you do it:
- Download NordVPN and install it onto your device
- Open the application and sign in
- Go to Settings and turn on the Kill Switch
- Pick a P2P server and connect to it
- Launch yourqBittorrent client
You can also set up qBittorrent with the SOCKS5 proxy. Here’s a guide on how to do that.
How to enable NordVPN P2P servers
NordVPN's P2P-optimized servers aren't the default option when you click the “Quick Connect” button. Instead, you'll have to take a few extra steps to enjoy the best download speeds while torrenting.
- Download and install the NordVPN app
- Open the application and expand the "Specialty servers" tab
- Click on “P2P” to connect to the fastest available server in your area. Alternatively, click the three dots and pick a specific country location
- Go to one of the torrenting sites and download your chosen torrent client
- Start downloading torrents!
If you're having issues or need more help with setting up a VPN, check out our complete guide on how to torrent safely.
FAQ
Is torrenting legal?
Whether torrenting is legal depends on the country. In most countries, torrenting is legal as long as you don’t download copyrighted content. However, some countries like Italy and the US have shut down torrenting sites altogether.
What torrent clients can you use with NordVPN?
You can use NordVPN with any torrenting client like μTorrent, qBittorrent, BitTorrent, Deluge, Vuze, etc.
Does NordVPN keep logs while torrenting?
No, NordVPN doesn’t keep any logs no matter if you’re torrenting or doing other things. In fact, its no-logs policy has been independently audited twice by now.
Are all VPNs good for torrenting?
Unfortunately, not every VPN is suitable for torrenting. For example, some VPNs might not support P2P connections at all. It is usually the case with freemium services.
Is it legal to use NordVPN for torrenting?
Yes, it’s legal to use NordVPN when torrenting if you’re not doing illegal things. This means that downloading copyrighted content doesn’t become legal once you connect to a VPN. NordVPN is simply a privacy measure to keep your data for your eyes only.
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