Torrent Proxy: How to Use a Proxy for Torrenting Anonymously

Proxies are more lightweight alternatives to VPNs that can be used to download torrents anonymously. However, unlike a VPN, a proxy has to be configured manually in your torrent client’s settings to work properly.

Below, you will find everything you need to know about how to use a proxy for torrenting.

What Type of Proxy Should You Use for Torrenting?

There are different types of proxies for different use cases, but the most commonly used are HTTP and SOCKS5 proxies. However, SOCKS5 proxies are a much better option for torrenting than HTTP proxies.

HTTP proxies are high-level proxies designed to transmit HTTP data, making them the best option for web browsing. On the other hand, SOCKS5 proxies are low-level “all-purpose” proxies that can easily handle any program, protocol, or type of traffic.

There are several reasons why you should opt for SOCKS5 for torrenting, including:

• SOCKS5 is a lightweight proxy that sits at layer 5 of the OSI model. That means it can handle various types of traffic protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, POP3, and SMTP, making it an ideal choice for most internet activities, including P2P sharing, web browsing, and file transfers.
• SOCKS5 proxies generally offer downloads at a faster speed because they transfer smaller data packets. Therefore, they are the obvious choice for torrenting and P2P sharing.
• Unlike other proxy types, SOCKS5 proxies provide optional authentication. That means that only authorized users can access the proxy server.

On the other hand, HTTP proxies are primarily designed for anonymous HTTP browsing, so they will likely leak torrent data if used for downloading torrents.

Why Use a Proxy for Your Torrent Client?

Any time you torrent, your IP address is exposed to the torrent client, as well as other users in the torrent swamp. In other words, whenever you download a torrent, anyone else who is downloading or uploading that same torrent can see your public IP address.

That poses a security risk, as your IP address can be used to trace your ISP and geographic location, potentially leading to cyber-attacks and online identity theft.

With that in mind, here are the main benefits of using a proxy for torrenting:

1. Your IP Address Stays Hidden

The main reason for using a proxy for torrenting or any other activity is to hide your IP address.

A proxy acts as an intermediary between the internet and your device. When you use a proxy server for torrenting, your peers will see the proxy’s IP address instead of your own, which makes tracing your torrenting activity back to you extremely difficult.

2. Faster Torrent Transfers

Unlike a VPN, a proxy doesn’t encrypt your internet traffic; it only masks your IP address. The lack of encryption makes proxies less secure than VPNs, but it also results in much faster download speeds for torrenting.

3. Proxies Keep No User Logs

The only way to link the proxy’s IP activity to your IP address would be through user logs, and the only one who has access to these logs is the proxy server provider. However, the best proxy server providers out there keep no user logs.

When using a proxy for torrenting or any other activity, make sure you choose a paid proxy server, as they are the only ones that keep no logs of user activity. On the other hand, free proxies may even sell user logs to third-party marketing or advertising firms to make a profit.

4. Proxies Support Torrent Traffic

A properly configured proxy will route all of your internet traffic through a remote server, guaranteeing no IP leaks will occur. However, to ensure all your torrent traffic is routed toward the proxy server, you must use a SOCKS5 proxy instead of an HTTP proxy.

How to Setup a Proxy on BitTorrent?

Here are the steps you need to follow to configure a BitTorrent proxy on your computer.

Note that BitTorrent has three versions: Android, Web, and Classic, and proxy settings can only be modified in the Classic version, which is the desktop client available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

1. Open the BitTorrent client.
2. Click on Options and select Preferences from the dropdown menu.

3. Go to Connection.
4. In the Proxy Server section, select Socks5 under Type.

5. In the Proxy field, enter the IP address of the proxy server you want to use. Then, in the Port field, type the port number. You will get this information from your proxy service provider.
6. Check the Authentication field, and enter the proxy username and password you chose at signup.
7. To avoid any IP leaks, check the two options: “Use proxy for hostname lookups” and “Use proxy for peer-to-peer connections.”
8. Also, check everything under Proxy Privacy.

9. Click on OK, and restart your BitTorrent client.

How to Setup a Proxy on uTorrent?

Setting up a proxy for uTorrent works similarly. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Launch uTorrent on your PC.
2. Go to Options and choose Preferences from the menu.

3. In the Preferences window, click on the Connection tab on the left.
4. Under Proxy Server, select Socks5 in the dropdown menu next to Type.

5. Then, enter the proxy IP address and port number given to you by your proxy service provider.
6. Check the Authentication field and type in your proxy username and password.
7. To improve your privacy when using a uTorrent proxy, be sure to check the “Use proxy for hostname lookups” and the “Use proxy for peer-to-peer connections” options. That will ensure that the tracker and P2P connections use the proxy tunnel.
8. To further improve privacy, select all the options under Proxy Privacy.

9. Click OK and restart your uTorrent client.

How to Setup a Proxy on Deluge?

Deluge is a free, open-source BitTorrent client available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Follow these steps to configure Deluge proxy settings on all of these platforms:

1. Open the Deluge desktop client.
2. On Windows and Linux, go to Edit and click on Preferences.

On Mac, select Deluge from the menu bar and click on Preferences.

3. Select Proxy from the side menu on the left.
4. Under Proxy, select the Socks5 Auth option.
5. Enter your details, such as the username and password assigned to you by your proxy service provider and the server IP address and port number.

6. Click Apply.
7. If you want to improve your anonymity while using a proxy on Deluge, go to the Network tab on the side menu.
8. Under Network Extras, disable these two options: UPnP and NAT-PMP.
9. Then, click OK.

How to Verify Your Proxy Is Working?

Once you have set up a torrent proxy server, it is critical to check whether the proxy configuration is working properly. The best way to do this is with an IP-tracking website.

Using such a website will allow you to see whether your actual IP address has been successfully replaced by the proxy’s IP address, as you will be able to view your torrent IP address as seen by your peers and trackers.

Here are the steps you will need to take:

1. Visit a torrent IP-tracking site, such as ipleak.net.
2. Scroll down to the Torrent Address Detection section and click on Activate.
3. Click on the Magnet Link to open it in your default torrent client.

4. After a few seconds, the tracker page will display the IP address detected by the torrent file. You will also be able to view your torrent IP address in your torrent client under the Trackers tab for that specific torrent file.

But what do the results mean?

To correctly interpret the results, make sure you know the IP address assigned to you by your ISP (or your VPN IP, if you use one).

• If the torrent IP address displayed in the Trackers tab is different from your web browser’s IP address, whether you use a VPN or not, it means that the proxy is working properly.
• However, if the two IP addresses match, something is wrong, as the proxy isn’t doing its job, which is to hide your real IP address when torrenting.

What Are the Best Proxy Services for Torrenting?

If you are looking for a proxy server for torrenting, you may get overwhelmed by choice, as there are many proxy services to choose from. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the best proxy services for torrenting:

Private Internet Access

PIA was the first major VPN provider to offer a no-logs SOCKS5 proxy with each one of its packages. Here are its main benefits:

• It offers superb speeds.
• It gives you unique proxy credentials that are different from your VPN username and password.
• You get five simultaneous connections.
• SOCKS5 proxy with unlimited bandwidth is included in all plans.

NordVPN

NordVPN has more SOCKS5 proxy locations than any other VPN provider. Here are its main benefits:

• A proxy service bundled with all NordVPN plans.
• It has a strict no-logs policy; it doesn’t monitor or store any user logs.
• It has over 5,200 servers spread across 59 countries.
• Available SOCKS5 proxy setup guides for most torrent clients.

TorGuard

TorGuard is a lesser-known VPN provider that offers an anonymous proxy service that you can purchase as a standalone service or get as part of a VPN subscription.

• TorGuard has its own proxy setup tool that automatically installs the optimal settings for your preferred torrent client.
• It allows up to 12 simultaneous connections.
• Optimized P2P servers in numerous locations worldwide.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost offers an excellent proxy solution with its dedicated Google Chrome and Firefox browser extensions.

• Eight proxy servers are available, spread across the US, Germany, Romania, and the Netherlands.
• You can protect up to seven devices simultaneously.
• Dedicated free proxy extension.

Bottom Line

Now that you know how to use a proxy for torrenting, you can download torrents safely and anonymously. Just remember — always use a SOCKS5 proxy and a no-logs proxy service provider. Also, make sure to check whether your proxy is working properly to avoid any IP leaks, and your proxy setup will be complete.