Sorry, but could someone explain port forwarding on P2P servers, how it works, and the benefits of utilizing it and configuring it in the client? Does it provide greater performance and security?
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For torrenting, one of the two endpoints must have an open port. Either you (the downloader) or the peer/seed (uploader) must have an open port. If you don’t have it, you’ll have to rely on your peers or seeds. If not, you will be unable to connect. This makes it extremely difficult to download anything, particularly in tiny swarms. If you have an open port, the whole swarm is fair game, regardless of port state.
When you enable port forwarding in ProtonVPN, it will choose and open a random port on the VPN server to which you are connected. It will display the port number in the program. You then configure your torrent client to use it as a “listening” port for connections.
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So, in qBittorrent, go to Settings > Connection and enter it into the “Port used for incoming connections” section.
easy peasy
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Port forwarding can sound a bit complicated, but it’s really useful, especially for P2P (peer-to-peer) activities like torrenting. Basically, it allows incoming connections to your device through a specific port. Most VPNs block incoming connections by default for security reasons, but with port forwarding, you open a port to let those connections in. This can improve your download/upload speeds because you’re able to connect to more peers directly. 
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Exactly. Without port forwarding, some peers can’t connect to you, so you’re only able to connect to those that can initiate connections. With port forwarding, it’s a two-way street. More peers = more bandwidth = faster downloads! 
But security-wise, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword because you’re opening up a port for traffic, so there’s a slight increase in exposure to potential risks. You gotta make sure you trust the network you’re on.
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Yeah, performance is the big benefit, especially if you’re using a VPN for torrenting. More peers = better speeds. As for security, it’s not a huge risk, but you should still be cautious. If you’re using a well-configured VPN with port forwarding, like Mullvad or ProtonVPN, it usually handles security pretty well by only forwarding a specific port while keeping everything else locked down. 
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Not all VPNs offer port forwarding, and even if they do, you usually have to enable it manually in the VPN settings. Once you do, you’ll get a specific port number. You have to input that port into your P2P client (like qBittorrent or uTorrent) under the connection settings. This allows your client to use that open port for incoming traffic. It’s not super complicated once you do it a couple of times. 
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Also, keep in mind that port forwarding can help if you’re on a restrictive network. Some networks (like school or work) block P2P traffic by blocking common ports used by these apps. By setting up port forwarding through your VPN, you can bypass these restrictions and get your traffic flowing again. It’s kind of like creating a direct tunnel for your data. 
That’s a great point! If your ISP is throttling or blocking P2P connections, port forwarding can sometimes get around that too. You’ll be able to connect to more peers and improve your speeds, even if your ISP is being stingy with bandwidth. But yeah, always check if your VPN supports it. Not all do! 