Hip Tracker FAQs - Printable Version

Hip Tracker FAQs - Printable Version

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Hip Tracker FAQs - chris - 12-07-2004

Since I get a lot of PM's and emails asking questions about the tracker, and how to do certain things, I figured I might as well start a thread, and post all the questions/answers.

If you have further questions, please PM me, don't post them in this thread.

Here's a question I got asked today:

Q: Should I be seeding or super-seeding?

A: Only the original seeder, the person who posted the .torrent file in the first place, should use super-seed mode. Everyone else should just use the standard "seed" mode.

- chris - 12-10-2004

Q: I signed up, and now I can't login? It says invalid (username/password).

A: Did you get the confirmation email? If not, check your Junk Mail folder. If you did, be sure that you verify your account before trying to sign in.

Usernames and passwords are case sensitive.

Another error, which I am working on a solution for, is that if you try to sign up with a username that is already taken, the system doesn't let you know.

If you still can't access the site, send an email to help at hipfans dot com

- chris - 12-23-2004

Q: Can I just download this show, burn it on a DVD and play it in my DVD player or is the whole process more complicated than this?

A: That's exactly what you should do, although there may be an issue with NTSC vs. PAL depending on where you live.

As well, fan produced DVDs are generally region code free.

Burn the files to disc without altering the file structure, file names, locations, etc. Doing so may render the files useless.

I burn all of my shows as DVD-ROM (UDF).

- chris - 12-27-2004

Q: Is it possible to upload to more than one tracker at a time? For example, can I upload at the hip tracker and etree at the same time?

A: It is possible to seed on multiple trackers at the same time, but you need to create a new torrent for each tracker you want to connect to. Contained in the .torrent file is a link to the tracker website. This is used by your BT client software to determine what it is you are trying to download, and where to find the other pieces.

As well, posting the same torrent to multiple trackers, at the same time, will slow things down dramatically for all users trying to download/leech the show. I would suggest that you seed it to completion at one site and then post it to the second tracker.

- chris - 12-30-2004

For those who don't like to search, here are a bunch of great threads within Hipbase detailing the steps/pros/cons/etc of Bit Torrent:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5250">http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5250</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5181">http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5181</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4901">http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4901</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4486">http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4486</a>
And a great primer as written by "Polar_Bear_Gus": <a class="postlink" href="http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2628">http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2628</a>

- chris - 12-31-2004

Q: I signed up for tracker, but I never got my confirmation email. What should I do now?

A: First thing is to check your junk mail folder. Often the confirmation emails end up there.
Secondly, send me a message with the email address that you used and I'll look into it.

Please do not sign up multiple times in an attempt to get the confirmation email.
I can manually add members, and confirm accounts without the email notification being sent out.

- chris - 01-03-2005

Q: Can I download more than one show at a time?

A: Yes; you can download as many shows as your connection/computer will support. Keep in mind that the slower your upload per torrent, the slower that torrent will download.

- chris - 01-03-2005

Q: What happened to all of the shows that were already posted? I can only see the most recent postings on the main page.

A: Once a torrent has been posted to the tracker, it stays there. To locate the old torrents, use the search feature, and display all torrents, including dead ones.

- chris - 01-18-2005

Q: Sorry Chris, just a quick question about the tracker....I'm not very "tech" savvy...I know how to download torrents, and I also can seed them so, but I have no idea about "ports and firewalls"...as far as I know, I'm not behind any firewalls, but I really DON"T wanna get the boot....how do I ensure I stay in the good graces ???? I don't mind sharing what little I have, and leaving shows up on my ABC for others....but once I have the show, do I need to do anything to become a seeder??? Just wanna make sure I'm doing my part....sorry if this is a really dumb question...

A: The ports 6881 - 6889 must be open in your firewall in order for you to contribute to the BT community. Opening these ports will greatly increase your speeds, and help spread the files faster.

Here is a thread that has lots of info on how to do this, and includes links to other sites on the web that will talk you through this: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5181">http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5181</a>

- chris - 02-02-2005

Q. I'd like to put a show on the tracker..I know i could read about how to do it in the forum somewhere, but I just don't have the patience..could you give me a quick overview? I was also wondering if I had to convert the files from mp3 to..flac or shn..thanks in advance.

A. Come on, it's so easy to find the answers by searching, but instead you take the time to send me a PM and ask a question which I've answered a hundred times.

Here's a simple how-to that I wrote for creating .torrents and seeding:

1. In the folder that your Bit Torrent client downloads new BT’s into, create a new directory into which all of the compressed (FLAC or SHN) or DVD files will be processed. Name it “YYYY-MM-DD – City Name, Province/
State (substitute the details pertinent to the show your will be seeding)”

2. Create a text file that contains the details of the source/venue/
equipment used/person who taped show, and a complete setlist. Name
this file “YYYY-MM-DD – City Name, Province/State (substitute the details
pertinent to the show your will be seeding)” and save it into the directory
created in step #1.

3. Start your compression program (FLACer, xACT, FLAC Frontend, etc)
and select the audio tracks (WAV or AIFF) that you want to compress. Or start your DVD ripper software, and select the DVD you want to rip.

4. Choose the folder you created in step #1 as the output destination, and compress your audio.

5. Start your Bit Torrent creating software.

6. Choose “Create a Torrent” or similar.

7. Select the directory you created in step one as the folder/files you
want to torrent.

8. The tracker/announce URL is “http://www.thehiptracker.com/announce.php”

9. Save the torrent with a file name that is identical to the folder name
you created in step #1.

10. Log on to <a class="postlink" href="http://www.thehiptracker.com">http://www.thehiptracker.com</a> and select “Upload Torrent”
from the menu.

11. Choose the torrent file and the text file you just completed and enter
a basic description.

12. Select a .torrent type and click the “Upload .torrent” button.

13. Finally, in order to seed your show, start up your Bit Torrent client
application and open the .torrent file that you just created/uploaded to
the tracker. It should take care of itself from there...

- chris - 02-21-2005

Q. What is seeding? How do I do it? Why should I leave the client open after it finishes downloading?

A. First, you may want to review the answers to the question on terminology. A seed is a client which has a complete file. Seeding is the process of connecting to a torrent when you have a complete file. There are two ways to do this:

...by leaving your client open after the download completes.
Once you have the entire file you become a seed, and the BitTorrent
client remains connected to the swarm, sending to other users until you close it.

...by clicking on a torrent link (or opening a saved .torrent file) and selecting a filename of a file that has already completed.
BitTorrent will check over the file and realize that it's already complete,
and continue to connect to the tracker and serve as a seed.

It's generally considered a good idea to leave your client open as
long as possible, since it helps other users. Some communities have
guidelines on when it's permissible to disconnect, typically after the ratio of bytes received to bytes sent reaches 1:1, or 24 hours after the download completes. Please be nice, and do what you can to contribute to other users.

- chris - 02-21-2005

Q. What do all these words mean? (seeding, uploading, share rating, etc.)

A. Here is a brief list of words associated with BitTorrent and their meanings. (Most terms are defined as they relate to the original BitTorrent application. Some meanings may vary slightly depending on the client you are using.)

torrent
Usually this refers to the small metadata file you receive from the web server (the one that ends in .torrent.) Metadata here means that the file contains information about the data you want to download, not the data itself. This is what is sent to your computer when you click on a download link on a website. You can also save the torrent file to your local system, and then click on it to open the BitTorrent download. This is useful if you want to be able to re-open the torrent later on without having to find the link again.

In some uses, it can also refer to everything associated with a certain file available with BitTorrent. For example, someone might say "I downloaded that torrent" or "that server has a lot of good torrents", meaning there are lots of good files available via BitTorrent on that server.

peer
A peer is another computer on the internet that you connect to and transfer data. Generally a peer does not have the complete file, otherwise it would be called a seed. Some people also refer to peers as leeches, to distinguish them from those generous folks who have completed their download and continue to leave the client running and act as a seed.

seed
A computer that has a complete copy of a certain torrent. Once your client finishes downloading, it will remain open until you click the Finish button (or otherwise close it.) This is known as being a seed or seeding. You can also start a BT client with a complete file, and once BT has checked the file it will connect and seed the file to others. Generally, it's considered good manners to continue seeding a file after you have finished downloading, to help out others. Also, when a new torrent is posted to a tracker, someone must seed it in order for it to be available to others. Remember, the tracker doesn't know anything of the actual contents of a file, so it's important to follow through and seed a file if you upload the torrent to a tracker.

reseed
When there are zero seeds for a given torrent (and not enough peers to have a distributed copy), then eventually all the peers will get stuck with an incomplete file, since no one in the swarm has the missing pieces. When this happens, someone with a complete file (a seed) must connect to the swarm so that those missing pieces can be transferred. This is called reseeding. Usually a request for a reseed comes with an implicit promise that the requester will leave his or her client open for some time period after finishing (to add longevity to the torrent) in return for the kind soul reseeding the file.

swarm
The group of machines that are collectively connected for a particular file. For example, if you start a BitTorrent client and it tells you that you're connected to 10 peers and 3 seeds, then the swarm consists of you and those 13 other people.

tracker
A server on the Internet that acts to coordinate the action of BitTorrent clients. When you open a torrent, your machine contacts the tracker and asks for a list of peers to contact. Periodically throughout the transfer, your machine will check in with the tracker, telling it how much you've downloaded and uploaded, how much you have left before finishing, and the state you're in (starting, finished download, stopping.)

If a tracker is down and you try to open a torrent, you will be unable to connect. If a tracker goes down during a torrent (i.e., you have already connected at some point and are already talking to peers), you will be able to continue transferring with those peers, but no new peers will be able to contact you. Often tracker errors are temporary, so the best thing to do is just wait and leave the client open to continue trying.

downloading
Receiving data FROM another computer.

uploading
Sending data TO another computer.

share rating
If you are using the experimental client with the stats-patch, you will see a share rating displayed on the GUI panel. This is simply the ratio of your amount uploaded divided by your amount downloaded. The amounts used are for the current session only, not over the history of the file. If you achieve a share ratio of 1.0, that would mean you've uploaded as much as you've downloaded. The higher the number, the more you have contributed. If you see a share ratio of "oo", this means infinity, which will happen if you open a BT client with a complete file (i.e., you seed the file.) In this case you download nothing since you have the full file, and so anything you send will cause the ratio to reach infinity.

Note: The share rating is just a number that is displayed for your convenience. It does not directly affect any aspect of the client at all. In general, out of courtesy to others you should strive to keep this ratio as high as possible, of course.

distributed copies
In some versions of the client, you will see the text "Connected to n seeds; also seeing n.nnn distributed copies." A seed is a machine with the complete file. However, the swarm can collectively have a complete copy (or copies) of the file, and that is what this is telling you. Referring again to the "people at a table" analogy, consider the case where the book has 10 pages, and person A has pp.1-5 and B has pp.6-10. Collectively, A and B have a complete copy of the book, even though no one person has the whole thing. In other words, even if there are no seeds, as long as there is at least one distributed copy of the file everyone can eventually get a complete file. Meditate on this, the Zen of BitTorrent, grasshopper.

choked
This is a term used in the description of the BitTorrent protocol. It refers to the state of an uploader, i.e. the thread that sends data to another peer. When a connection is choked, it means that the transmitter doesn't currently want to send anything on that link. A BT client signals that it's choked to other clients for a number of reasons, but the most common is that by default a client will only maintain -- max_uploads active simultaneous uploads, the rest will be marked choked. (The default value is 4 and this is the same setting that experimental client GUI lets you adjust.) A connection can also be choked for other reasons, for example a peer downloading from a seed will mark his connection as choked since the seed is not interested in receiving anything. Note that since each connection is bidirectional and symmetrical, there are two choked flags for each connection, one for each Tx endpoint.

interested
Another term used in the protocol specification. This is the corollary to the choked flag, in that interested refers to the state of a downloader with respect to a connection. A downloader is marked as interested if the other end of the link has any pieces that the client wants, otherwise the connection is marked as not interested.

snubbed
If the client has not received anything after a certain period (default: 60 seconds), it marks a connection as snubbed, in that the peer on the other end has chosen not to send in a while. See the definition of choked for reasons why an uploader might mark a connection as choked. The real function of keeping track of this variable is to improve download speeds. Occasionally the client will find itself in a state where even though it is connected to many peers, it is choked by all of them. The client uses the snubbed flag in an attempt to prevent this situation. It notes that a peer with whom it would like to trade pieces with has not sent anything in a while, and rather than leaving it up to the optimistic choking to eventuall select that peer, it instead reserves one of its upload slots for sending to that peer. (Reference)

optimistic unchoking
Periodically, the client shakes up the list of uploaders and tries sending on different connections that were previously choked, and choking the connections it was just using. You can observe this action every 10 or 20 seconds or so, by watching the "Advanced" panel of one of the experimental clients.

- chris - 07-05-2005

Q. How do I download a show from the tracker?

A. In order to download a show via Bit Torrent you need a Bit Torrent client. This is a piece of software that you install on your computer. After it is installed, you go to the tracker page (in our example <a class="postlink" href="http://www.thehiptracker.com">http://www.thehiptracker.com</a>) and download the .torrent file.

Once you have this .torrent file on your computer, open it with your Bit Torrent client software. In most cases, the software takes control from this point, and the show will begin downloading as long as there is a seed. (For term definitions read this: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5229">http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5229</a> )

One key point you should take care of before beginning a download is to open and forward ports 6881 thru 6889 in your firewall to your computer. If you don't do this your download speeds will be drastically reduced and you hinder the distribution of files as other users cannot connect to you.

My preferred Bit Torrent client is Azureus ( <a class="postlink" href="http://azureus.sourceforge.net">http://azureus.sourceforge.net</a> ) but there are lots of others out there.

A great FAQ is located here: <a class="postlink" href="http://btfaq.com">http://btfaq.com</a>

- chris - 10-09-2005

Q. Very new and unexperienced with bitTorrent, so heres the problem, i just downloaded the 2002-10-16-Toronto show and dont know how to watch it. It's completley downloaded but i just cant figure out how to watch it, any help would be great thanks

A. If the show you downloaded is a DVD (Check the description page of the .torrent on the tracker to confirm the type) you need to either burn it to a DVD and then watch it like any other DVD, or you can use DVD Player software on your computer to watch it. If you want to burn it to disc, burn it as a Data disc, not a video. I've had the most success burning DVD shows that I download as DVD-ROM (UDF) format.

If you downloaded an audio only show, the file format and your wants will dictate what to do next - convert it to an uncompressed format and burn it to CD or download a plugin and listen to it through WinAmp or similar...

- mark - 10-09-2005

chris Wrote:Q. Very new and unexperienced with bitTorrent, so heres the problem, i just downloaded the 2002-10-16-Toronto show and dont know how to watch it. It's completley downloaded but i just cant figure out how to watch it, any help would be great thanks

A. If the show you downloaded is a DVD (Check the description page of the .torrent on the tracker to confirm the type) you need to either burn it to a DVD and then watch it like any other DVD, or you can use DVD Player software on your computer to watch it. If you want to burn it to disc, burn it as a Data disc, not a video. I've had the most success burning DVD shows that I download as DVD-ROM (UDF) format.

burn it as data? are you sure? i use Nero and i say that i want to burn DVD video files. otherwise it won't play in my dvd player.