What is a seedbox?

You might have heard or seen seedboxes being mentioned somewhere. The word seedbox implies exactly what it is: a box to seed your torrents with. It is a server, usually connected to a high speed network with improved peering (connectability) to other torrent users.

Check this youtube video : –> What is a Seedbox? - Introduction to Seedbox ←-

Can you recommend a Seedbox provider ?

We highly recommend Seedit4.me !

Can I use any provider ?

You can use any provider you want, just keep in mind there are huge differences and not all providers will give you the same results.

Do I need to let ExYuSubs know if I get one?

Yes, you can read more about it here.

Why do I need one

You do not need one, but it makes your life on private trackers easier. If you have a slow connection though, it's almost a must to get a seedbox.

  • Speed: You let your seedbox do the downloading and uploading of torrents you want, and I can assure you it will be much faster than you would do it at home (downloading and uploading a like). This will give you an extra upload buffer and will enable you to acquire more content.
  • Free my network: You are a part of a private torrent site which requires you to seed as much as you can and build a ratio. That usually means leaving your torrent client open taking most of your home traffic (your upload speed) away for seeding purposes. A seedbox will seed for you, as much as you want without affecting your home network for one bit.
  • ISP issues: While there are some who have not witnessed traffic shaping /throttling, a lot us are well familiar with it: your ISP (internet service provider) is messing with your Bandwidth. You might be downloading way slower than you can or will barely be able to upload at all. A seedbox will free you from worrying about it at all.

Anonymity

A seedbox is pretty anonymous. If you ever got a DMCA notice from your ISP, and you are afraid that the wonderful MPAA/RIAA are looking at you as we speak, fear no more. Bittorent is a file sharing protocol where you share bits and pieces with other people in the swarm. This means everyone in your swarm can look at your IP, sometimes those likeable creatures such as the MPAA/RIAA are able to do so. The seedbox will give you an extra layer of anonymity, since the only IP that those people in the swarm will see is for that seedbox. You can even use a VPN as well to act as an extra level of security but that is covered in another guide.

No matter where you are

  • If you have a seedbox, you can remote desktop to your server, download the .torrent file and add it to your seedbox client no matter where you are. Thus enabling you to add torrents at other locations than your home link. And it doesn’t end there:
  • You can ftp to your seedbox from wherever you are, and share those files you downloaded with friends, family , gf’s/bf’s or even your favorite massage parlor. There’s nothing like torrenting with a massage with a happy ending, trust me.

Different type of seedboxes

Shared/slot

  • The most popular and affordable solution for your seedbox needs. A shared seedbox is a big dedicated server which shares its resources among the users of that server.
  • You as a user get a part of the HDD while you share the ram, cpu and of course the line speed with a bunch of others. The main difference from a semi-dedi server is that the amount of people you share this resources with is much larger. This depends from one provider to another, while most of those providers are actually resellers who bought a dedi server and resell it as a shared seedbox. With some providers you can chose the torrent client you can install, and with some it comes pre installed.
  • While it is the most affordable solution for a seedbox, the sharing of resources can lead to issues with stability, speed or downtime.

Dedicated server

The ultimate seedbox experience. A dedicated server (dedi) is basically a server which sits in a huge datacenter connected to super turbo fast internet lines. If you rent a dedi, you rent it all by yourself without sharing the resources of the server with anyone else. This means, your dedi server line speed, ram, cpu, HDD write/array is all for you (and your friends if you’re looking for a cheaper solution). It's also the most expensive option.

Semi dedicated

The concept is basically like the dedi servers, but the only difference is that you share the resources of the server with a few more users (which you know nothing about). That doesn’t mean they have access to your files, but you usually share the ram,cpu,hdd and of course, the Bandwidth with a few others. It is a more affordable solution to people who can’t afford buying a dedicated server. The plans most providers offer for semi-dedi’s vary from one to another, and with them the amount of people you share the server and line speed as well. Usually the resources are shared between up to 4-5 people, but then again they could be shared between only two, depends on the host and the plan they offer. Most of the semi-dedi’s comes pre managed, while you have the choice of choosing which torrent client you want, as well of other applications you might want to install. The semi dedi is the closest thing to a dedi server- offers more resources than a shared server, but is more affordable to people who can’t buy a dedi.

What else should you know about seedboxes

  • Seedboxes can be highly addictive. There are some people that believe the faster speeds they will get will contribute to building a bigger ePen0r. Let alone the comfort of being able to download the content and share it with your friends and family. The simple truth is, your helping out the community by allowing them to download from you at a good speed which is why you yourself are able to download at a good speed in the first place. Just think about that for a moment.
  • It’s not all roses and violets:
    • A lot of the shared seedboxes providers/resellers are overcrowding their servers to the point that the speeds are worse than your home link. Always Google a bit and ask your tracker friends for their opinion on one distributor or another.
    • Another issue with a shared seedbox and even a semi-dedi seedbox is that if you and another user on that same seedbox are ExYuSubs members, and use the seedbox at the same time to upload the same torrent, your ratio per that torrent will be messed up. A good solution for this problem is to ask for your provider a dedi-ip, which will report your stats correctly to the tracker (this might be an additional charge since the provider will need to register another ip). This problem is irrelevant for a dedi server.
    • Beware of free seedboxes- not just because of the quality, but because you don’t know who is behind them.
    • Always look at the technical specifications of the seedbox/s: some providers mention how many users will share the same server, and others don’t. Always ask about this. Keep in mind that too many users all downloading/uploading at the same time on the same server might kill the performance. All tech factors play a role, not just the line speed: RAM, CPU and most important are how many people are sharing the same HDD.
    • Always check if the bandwidth per month is unlimited/unmetered, and if it isn’t, know your limits. A lot of them get capped after you upload a certain amount of data outside the datacenter of that supplier and your stuck with it until the next time you renew in which case its useless.
  • Don't forget to add the seedbox to your profile here.

So which seedbox should you get

Don’t go over your budget. Decide what kind of server do you want: Dedi, semi or shared and see if there are any plans that will work out for you. Always look at the small prints and the provider faq and always google for opinions about this supplier or another. If you decide to get a seedbox but still aren't sure where to get one, call into our irc channel and ask the regulars there for there thoughts. Some will be only too happy to help, staff will assist you where possible as well.

Last modified: le 2023/01/17 13:06