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Help Torrents in the UK and Android

JAy3001

JAy3001

Android Expert
With the UK pushing for blocks on lots of torrent sites I would like to post a few things that have been happening for me.

Most of the big ISPs now block popular torrent sites, with them either failing to load, notifying you they are blocked or will fail when you try and grab the torrent file.

Now my experience is only based on mobile downloads via my phone. If I manage to grab a file while being connected to my ISP it will download as this:

Font.torrent

Instead of the actual filename you grabbed, when trying to open it in the torrent app (Vuze) it will fail. Opening the file in an editor it shows text that the site is blocked and no actual details.

So I have used my phones network instead due to most providers not yet blocking torrent sites, grabbing the file and reconnecting my WiFi. However I may still get the dreaded font.torrent issue (50% chance), but normally they will be perfectly fine ie a proper torrent file that works and not full of random text.

Unfortunately due to poor coverage I am unable to use my phones network most of the time so have started to use a VPN.

This works wonders, although i still have the font.torrent issue. But they do at least work, however the last week every torrent I download are failing and not loading into Vuze. I suspect that all the files are being corrupted on download as I see the seed info in the header of the files, but the rest of the files are full of gibberish.

I have tried 2 browsers, Chrome and Dolphin, 2 different torrent sites with the same files downloaded, networked via my ISP, my phones network and via my VPN and every one the files seem to fail.

Now the current issue maybe to do with my phone being upgraded to Nougat this week, but it seems a slim possibility.

So I'm interested if anyone else is having these issues in the UK or anywhere else and maybe a solution. I would also be interested to know exactly what a normal torrent file should have within it to filter out the possibility of corruption.

Thanks for reading.
 
JAy3001 said:
I'm interested if anyone else is having these issues in the UK or anywhere else and maybe a solution.
Click to expand...

It depends on the host site. You can pretty much forget downloading anything via PirateBay (and similar well-known sites, for example). Most ISPs (non-LLU) that depend on BTOpenreach for their backbone will be similarly affected by packet inspection blocking .torrent downloads wholesale. Using a VPN doesn't help in such cases.

My 10GB/mth data plan doesn't allow me much headroom to test via mobile data, but I wouldn't be surprised to find that the same restrictions apply. Put simply, users pirating copyright content have screwed it for everyone. :(
 
So have you ever come across this font.torrent issue Slug?

Mine started about a year ago. My fav site started to be blocked, then it would work again and eventually was fully blocked. This is when I first got these font files instead, while the site was transitioning from being open to being blocked and ever since it's been an issue.

So you think it's something on the BT backbone causing it? If I do a google search there appears to be no others with this issue.
 
JAy3001 said:
So have you ever come across this font.torrent issue Slug?
Click to expand...

Tbh I've given up on torrents. I used to d/l Linux live images that way but when I started having problems gave up and d/l direct from the host. Not as convenient but much more reliable.

So you think it's something on the BT backbone causing it?
Click to expand...

All ISPs using BT (i.e. the majority of ADSL2/FTTC providers) will filter out .torrrent traffic by defaault afaik.
 
That's fair enough Slug, thanks for your advice. :)

Seems my current issue maybe to do with the app not supporting Nougat, as another updated app will accept the files, albeit via a link rather than a physical file.
 
Slug said:
All ISPs using BT (i.e. the majority of ADSL2/FTTC providers) will filter out .torrrent traffic by default afaik.
Click to expand...

I am using AT&T ADSL and .torrent works for me okay.
that said, I have only used it twice.
 
chanchan05 said:
You could try downloading via a VPN that allows torrents.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, I know and have been using a VPN for a while. That's not the issue right now tho, it's the .torrent files themselves not working with my client. Found a workaround tho. ;)

Thanks Chanchan
 
For interests sake, when I was in the UK for two weeks back in February, the torrent things I usually use in China didn't work and were blocked, ISP was Sky. I didn't investigate any further though. I can get PirateBay OK here but not YouTube, unless using a VPN.

I know we do get a lot of posts here about cheapo Kodi "fully loaded" Android TV boxes not working in the UK, the ones usually bought online and shipped from Hong Kong.
 
Last edited:
mikedt said:
[...]the torrent things I usually use in China didn't work and were blocked, ISP was Sky.
Click to expand...

If your backbone is dependant on BTOpenreach i.e. any ADSL/VDSL connection that's not unbundled (LLU-enabled i.e. the ISP has their own termination kit co-sited in the local exchange) then you're SOL - HMG's netnanny rules apply and ALL well-known torrent sources will be filtered regardless of content.

Thanks Dave/Theresa. :(
 
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