GAA matches for Download

[sligeach]

Hey lads, just wondering do many of you have broadband ? I assume a lot of posters here would.

Anyways, just letting you know that theres a great website i've being using for the past couple of years to download GAA matches. Its aussietorrents.com.

Unfortunately its not as simple as downloading a file as most of you would be used to doing it. Its availible by a system called bittorrent.

I'm going to try and write a small tutorial for anyone thats interested and try and explain basically what you need to get and what you need to do.

1. What is Bittorrent ? BitTorrent is a protocol designed for transferring files. It is peer-to-peer in nature. Basically this means that one or more people called "Seeds" will have the entire file (GAA match) on their computers. You will connect to their computer using bittorrent software and you will download small bits of the match at a time, not like ordinary downloading from start to finish but just small bits here and there in the file. The bits that you download will then be availible for other people to download from you, while you can download small bits from other people as well. This process continues until you have the entire file.

2. Where to get the Bittorrent software ? I assume your all using Windows (I'm not).

Heres a few links to a few different bittorrent clients.

http://bitconjurer.org/BitTorrent/download.html <-- This is the official one. It kinda sucks but should do the job for you.
http://bt.degreez.net/
http://krypt.dyndns.org:81/torrent/download.phtml
http://www.gudy.org/azureus/

Any of those will do you fine. (You only need ONE of them.)

p.s -> If you install the official client, ignore the "Invite you to download Mandrake" BS. You definitely don't need it.

3. Now what do i do ? Bittorrent itself is just software, it'll work automatically for you once installed. Anyways, now you need to find a website that provides torrent files.

I use aussietorrents.com for GAA matches but i think they require an invitation still. I can send invitations but i only have a small number of invites.

Anyways you can still get the GAA matches on these sites.

www.mininova.org <-- Just search for relevant details such as "GAA" or "Galway vs Sligo" or whatever.

4. Bittorrent is slow, what do i do ? Bittorrent can be slow to start off (first ten minutes) but then usually gets fast. If its really slow and stays really slow then you have a problem with your firewall or your NAT. I'm not gonna go into that here but its very easy to find out how to fix that problem online. Just google for "Bittorrent NAT problem" or "Bittorrent slow".

Anyways. Hope that was helpful.

[ONeill]

What if you're not using windows?

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Used it before for the International Rules games - it's great

[aidanmcg33]

Linux:

http://linuxtracker.org/


Mac:

http://www.mac-p2p.com/bit-torrent/

[sligeach]

What if you're not using windows?

Then your an enlightened man.

Theres bittorrent software availible for Linux and Mac and any almost all other operating systems i'm aware of.

[The Real Laoislad]

Has it an archive of matches from a few years ago?
Would love to see Laois v Kildare Leinster Final again...I only have a dodgy VHS recording of it

[sligeach]

Has it an archive of matches from a few years ago?
Would love to see Laois v Kildare Leinster Final again...I only have a dodgy VHS recording of it

Nah, its only one guy doing it. From the last 3 years i think. There are some old international rules matches i "think" but no GAA past 3 years ago and even then its unlikely you'll be able to download them. Anything past a year old, most people will have stopped hosting it. (The matches are hosted on peoples personal computers not a server machine)

[Square Ball]

what is a leech and a seed? whats better to take, more seeds or more leeches? any other tips?

[we are blue... etc]

what is a leech and a seed? whats better to take, more seeds or more leeches? any other tips?

More seeds. A seed is somebody who is sharing the file who has an upload ratio of 1.0 or more (i.e., uploaded the same amount as they downloaded). A leech is somebody who downloaded the file and isn't sharing it. A peer is somebody who  has partially downloaded the file.
So look for files with lots of seeds.

Also the more you share the better your download rate will be. Also make sure you have port forwarding set up on your broadband router -- if you've been using Limewire or the like you might have run into this before.

Best sites for non-GAA torrents would be thepiratebay.org and torrentspy.com. Or just google "torrent" and whatever you're looking for. If it's tv shows or movies beware -- cos they're usually dubbed in French or filmed with a camcorder from inside Storm Cinemas in Portlaoise.. or the like....

[The Real Laoislad]

what is a leech and a seed? whats better to take, more seeds or more leeches? any other tips?

More seeds. A seed is somebody who is sharing the file who has an upload ratio of 1.0 or more (i.e., uploaded the same amount as they downloaded). A leech is somebody who downloaded the file and isn't sharing it. A peer is somebody who  has partially downloaded the file.
So look for files with lots of seeds.

Also the more you share the better your download rate will be. Also make sure you have port forwarding set up on your broadband router -- if you've been using Limewire or the like you might have run into this before.

Best sites for non-GAA torrents would be thepiratebay.org and torrentspy.com. Or just google "torrent" and whatever you're looking for. If it's tv shows or movies beware -- cos they're usually dubbed in French or filmed with a camcorder from inside Storm Cinemas in Portlaoise.. or the like....

Do ya remember the old cinema in Portlaoise?...Jaysis what a kip that was

[we are blue... etc]

Galvanise roof and all! I think I saw all three Back to the Futures there. Ah the memories.

[sligeach]

what is a leech and a seed? whats better to take, more seeds or more leeches? any other tips?

A seed is someone who has the entire file and is allowing people to download from him, he is not actually downloading it from anyone else because he has the whole file already. (Torrents with lots of seeds are best)

A leech is someone who is download and uploading. (he doesn't have the whole file) You will be one of these guys most of the time.

Tips:

1. Uploading is good. Bittorrent works on a system of "give a little, get a little". I.E -> The more you upload, the more you will be allowed to download. The more you share, the more priority you'll be given to download more. So if you think you can be smart and not share and still download your in for a shock.

2. Have patience. Bittorrent is a peer-to-peer system. Your not downloading off some big companys servers, your downloading from people like yourselves computers. Sometimes it can be slow especially starting off. If like me (at my current location) you get approx 80kbps from internet servers, don't expect your bittorrent speed to be above 50-60kbps. I.E -> Your never going to get the same speed from bittorrent as you would from downloading from servers like you would do from download.com etc unless the torrent file (Match) is VERY popular. I'm talking 50+ Seeds.

3. If downloading is very slow then google for NAT (network address translation) problems with bittorrent. Its simple enough to fix but its a little different for everyone. (different DSL modem etc). Basically all this means is that when people are trying to connect to you they can't reach you because your DSL modem (the box with blinky lights that plugs into your phone line) isn't forwarding the packets (data) onto your computer. You need to forward all traffic on the bittorrent port (6881 or whatever u set it to if u change it) to your computer from your modem. This is actually really easy to do, just google for a tutorial.

4. If you know what i mean when i say port number, then change the default bittorrent port number (6881 or something like that) to anything else (within reason). This is because a lot of ISP's (Eircom, BT etc) are wise to the fact that bittorrent traffic is eating up all their bandwidth so they limit the bandwidth on the bittorrent default port. (Note: They aren't limiting it because its illegal, (it mostly isn't unless your downloading the latest Hollywood blockbuster), they are limiting it because its a drain on their resources).

5. Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent Its very useful.

[Square Ball]

Giving up on this, trying to download the simpsond and 1 to 3kb/s down and 30 up, its really really slow

[sligeach]

Thats definately a NAT problem. Google for a solution, its easily fixed.