Downloading files from websites is a pretty common occurance nowadays. While the legality of downloading certain files is debatable, the fact remains that downloading media and applications online is a very popular hobby. When it comes to downloading files online, like full games, and audio mp3 albums, though, there are two primary channels that you can use - torrents and direct-file downloads. This is as relevant today as ever before, so our goal here is to compare these two download options, fairly, to help you decide which option might be better for you. Direct file downloads - computer to server connections Direct downloads are just that: a file is stored on a computer, or a server, and when you click on a download link, that file is downloaded directly to your computer. No third-party, peer-to-peer connections necessary to download the file. Currency Exchange Website Template. Both HTTP and FTP downloads are considered direct downloads.

Why is the torrent download speed higher than that. Do I consume the same amount of data in a direct download or a torrent. Catch Beer Game here. Why is torrenting faster than.

Torrents - peer-to-peer downloading Using direct downloads, you're obtaining a file from a single source. With torrents, this isn't the case. Torrenting is referred to as p2p file sharing, which can be translated as peer-to-peer file sharing or person-to-person file sharing. So, torrent downloads allow you to obtain a file from a group of users whereas direct downloads allow you to download a file from a single source.

Download speed comparison In general, torrent downloads are slower than direct file downloads. The speed of a torrent is dictated by the available peers, or the number of people actively uploading a specific file, along with the bandwidth available for that particular torrent. Obviously, your own internet speed factors in to how quickly a torrent file will download. Downloading torrents does not magically give you more bandwidth, unfortunately. The speed of a direct file download, on the other hand, is only affected by two things: the speed of the server that hosts the file and your available internet connection speed. Sometimes, downloading a torrent file may be faster than using a file-hosting service to download files.