Share large files with your own BitTorrent tracker

Do you have large files that you want to share with your friends: photos, videos or even music? With the P2P protocol and BitTorrent protocol, you can set up a private and secure BitTorrent tracker directly on your computer.

The BitTorrent protocol is especially recommended for sharing large files with multiple people. Each person can download and send data to others, speeding up the flow.

By creating a BitTorrent tracking tool on your computer with the free uTorrent software, you will be able to share large files with your friends in a private and secure way.

Your friends will never have used a BitTorrent client (uTorrent for example) and open the Torrent file weighing a few that you will create.

Since the tracker is private, only the people who sent you will be sent the Torrent file will be able to download the selected large files. On the other hand, the exchanges being encrypted, impossible to know what you download.

In order for your tracker to be accessible at any time by your friends, you must have a fixed IP address or convert your dynamic IP address to a domain name. Free manipulation that we explain here. If you are behind a fire or a box, you must also configure to open a communication port, which we also handle in this folder.


Know your public IP

First, you need to know your public IP address in order to communicate it to your friends. This will be the address of your BitTorrent tracker.

In your web browser, go to http://www.whatismyip.com.

Your XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX IP address is displayed in large format. Write it.

If your IP address is not fixed and changes regularly, you can convert it to a domain name that is easier to remember and will always be active since it will automatically point to the correct IP address. Follow the explanations of our file: Convert your dynamic IP address to fixed IP

Configure your router

In order for your files to be accessible from the Internet, you must open a communication port in your Internet box.

On your computer, launch uTorrent.


Click the Options menu and then Preferences.


Click the Login section.

In the Listening Port topic, note the port number used for incoming connections.


Leave uTorrent open and visit the uTorrent Port Tester by opening this link in your web browser: http://www.utorrent.com/testport. Enter your uTorrent port number and confirm.


If your Internet box blocks this port, an error is displayed. You must configure your box to let communications through this port. Here are the explanations for a Livebox. The manipulations are substantially identical on the other boxes. Do not hesitate to refer to the documentation of your box to find out more. Go to the administration interface of your box and identify yourself.


Go to the LAN Servers section.


Click the New button.


Give a name to the server: uTorrent TCP, enter the port number noted previously in uTorrent in the From Port and To Port fields and select the TCP protocol.


You then need your local IP address. To find out, click Start, enter cmd and confirm. Enter the ipconfig command and confirm. Write down your local IP address.


Enter the address in the Local IP Address field of the Livebox Configuration window and click OK.


Repeat the operation to open the same port but with UDP instead of TCP. Finally, click Apply.


If you return to the uTorrent Port Tester and enter your port number, the connection is successful.


Enable the integrated tracker

To use the uTorrent client as a tracker, you must change a setting.

Launch uTorrent and open the Options menu, Preferences.


Click on Advanced.


Click the bt.enable_tracker value and select the Yes option.


Confirm finally with OK.

Secure the connection

If you want to share sensitive information, you can force the encryption of the packets exchanged.

Launch uTorrent and open the Options menu, Preferences.


Open the BitTorrent section


Pull down the Outgoing list from the Encryption Protocol section and select the Forced option.


Then deselect the Inherited Incoming Connection check box and confirm with OK.

Click the Add File button to add a file or Add Folder to select a folder and all the files it contains.


Select the large file or folder to share and click Open.


In the Tracker section, enter the following addresses by replacing ipaddress with your public IP address or the associated domain name and port with the port number you opened:

http: // ipaddress: port / announce
http: // localhost: port / announce





Check the Start Sharing and Private Torrent boxes and click Create and Save As.


The Torrent file corresponding to your share is then created. Choose a folder where to save it. Click Save and then Close.

menu and then click Add Torrent.


Select the Torrent file you received and click Open.


Choose a folder to save the shared files and click OK.


The download of files then begins.


On the source computer where the BitTorrent tracker is located, the data is being sent.


You can stop sharing by deleting the torrent in uTorrent or stopping it.


When the download of the large file is complete, click in the Finished section.


Right-click the file and click Open Receipt Folder. You then have the large file shared by your friend.