A seedbox is a type of web host that is used for the specific purpose of hosting torrents. A torrent is a peer to peer file sharing protocol commonly used on the internet. A seedbox is a web server that hosts these torrent files on an ultra fast network connection, so it is very fast to download and upload.
Benefits of a Seedbox
Apart from the obvious benefit of speed, there are a few other benefits of using a seedbox. Firstly, a seedbox protects your privacy. When you add a torrent file to a seedbox, peers uploading or downloading only see the IP address of the seedbox, and not your personal IP address. This protects you from unwanted attention, particularly if you are downloading files that are in breach of copyright. Another benefit is that a seedbox provides you with a web interface to manage your torrents, this means you can access your torrent client from anywhere that has internet access, not just your home PC. Thirdly, as your seedbox is connected 24/7, it will be uploading files constantly, which will help you build a good ratio if you are using a private torrent network.
How it works
When you sign up with a seedbox provider, you will be given login details to access your torrent client. This is the interface you use to add new torrents that will be downloaded. RuTorrent and Torrentflux are two common clients used by hosting providers. You will also be given ftp details. If you dont have one already you will need to download a ftp client to your home PC. You then use the ftp details to connect to your seedbox from your home PC to download files from your seedbox. If you use a multi segment supported ftp client such as CuteFTP, you will be able to download from your seedbox at the full speed capable of your home internet connection, assuming your seedbox host has a good connection speed.
Seedboxes come at a small cost, starting from around $5, however, this is a small price to pay from privacy on the internet.