> -----Original Message----- > From: Nick Rout [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, 16 December 2006 5:37 p.m. > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: DHT
> The original bittorrent protocol relies on a tracker for each torrent. > Each client (e.g. ktorrent, utorrent etc) contacts the tracker and reports > how much of the file it has and what it wants. It is given a list of other > clients. It downloads from and uploads to the other clients. The tracker > can keep statistics, like "Reg has downloaded 10G and uploaded 1G, he's a > hit and runner..." etc > > DHT is and extension to the original protocol and is a way of spreading > torrents far and wide without always needing a tracker. > > Private trackers invariably keep track of members ratios in an effort to > deter hit and running. Also they also don't want non members joining in > their torrents. Private trackers are very "ratio" oriented, ie if you > don't seed back stuff you have downloaded your name is mud and eventually > you get banned. This makes for very good download speeds because there are > always plenty of people seeding stuff back. Contrast theis to the crap > situation you have on many public trackers where there are many unseeded > torrents, slow downloads, etc. > > As DHT is "trackerless" your uploads and downloads don't get counted at > the originating tracker. Also with DHT non members get to download the > torrent. Therefore private trackers take advantage of the part of the > protocol that allows you to say "do not allow this torrent to utilise the > DHT protocol." Therefore no matter how much you tell your client to use > DHT on a private tracker torrent it SHOULDN'T utilise DHT on that torrent. > > I emphasise "shouldn't" because some clients had a history of not > following the protocol in that regard, and have been banned from many > private trackers. Thanks for the explanation Nick, I think I understand it a bit better now, but as to whether it is a private or public I still don't know, for sure the difference or how to tell, but I can say that I am downloading a file and ktorrent says I have a 2.25 ratio. The upload seems to also be faster than the download. Reg
