Here’s a relatively simple 3-step guide that will show
you how to set it up.
I wouldn’t recommend BitTorrent over SSH as a permanent
solution since it will cripple the servers of the SSH providers. If
you’re looking for a long term solution check out a VPN service
such as
Relakks.
1. Get an SSH account.
You need an SSH account in order to get this working. You can
try one of these
free shell providers from this list. I currently use
silenceisdefeat which
requires a small $1 donation. However, the account is immediately
activated and works fine for me.
2. Download, Install and Configure Putty
Download
Putty,
store it somewhere on your computer and run it. In the session
screen enter the host name (I use ssh.silenceisdefeat.org), the
port number (22), and tick the connection type box (SSH).
Next, go to SSH –> Tunnels, enter a source
port and tick the dynamic box. I’m using port 23456, but you are
free to choose any post you like as long as it’s available.
When you’re done, it might be a good idea to save the session so
you don’t have to enter the info next time you run Putty. If you’re
ready, hit the “open” button in the session screen. A command-line
interface will pop-up so enter your username and password that you
received from your shell-provider, and you’re done.
3. Configure your BitTorrent client.
The last step is to configure your BitTorrent client. I will
show you how it’s done in uTorrent and Azureus but other BitTorrent
clients use a similar setup.
uTorrent: go to Options >
Preferences > Connection. Enter your port number (I use
23456), socks 4 or 5 as type, and localhost in the proxy field.
Azureus: go to Tools > Options >
Connection > Proxy Options. Tick the “Enable proxying
of tracker communications” and “I have a SOCKS proxy” box. Next,
enter your port number in the port field (I use 23456) and
localhost in the host field.
When you’re done, restart your BitTorrent client and you’re
ready to go. BitTorrent over SSH tends to be a bit slower than your
normal connection, but it’s a great solution when BitTorrent
connections are blocked or throttled.
For those on a Mac OSX, please check out this
great tutorial (which in part inspired this article) for more
details. It includes instructions on how to do this on a Mac, using
Azureus.
