is utorrernt safe to use?

you run a risk of being tracked to your home by the software police. Now you can encrypt and use it this way.

Many Internet Service Providers are beginning to limit Bittorrent traffic on their networks by using packet shapers. If your ISP starts limiting Bittorrent traffic, your download speeds will decrease dramatically. Fortunately, there is a way around the limitations that your ISP has put on Bittorrent. It is known as encrypting your Bittorrent traffic so that your ISP's trafic shaper does not throttle the traffic. This guide will help you learn how to encrypt your traffic and download at normal speeds again.

What can I do?

Fist off, if you suspect that your ISP has been limiting your Bittorrent traffic, take a look here: http://azureus.aelitis.com/wiki/index.php/Bad_ISPs This site has a list of all ISPs currently known to throttle their users Bittorrent bandwidth.

Next, Follow my instructions on how to encrypt your client's traffic. I currently have guides for the two most popular BT clients, Azureus and Utorrent. I will add more client guides as I try them.


Azureus Encryption

Step 1: Go to: Tools--Options--Connections--Transport Encryption and checkmark "Require Transport Encryption"

Step 2: Choose RC4 as your minimum encryption level.

Step: (Opitonal) You can choose to select "Allow non-encrypted outgoing connections if encrypted connection attempt fails". This option will make sure that you will have compatibility with Bittorrent clients that are not using encryption. Although, selection this option can sometimes make it easier for your ISP to detect the presence of Bittorrent.

Step 3: Your settings should now look like this (If you didn't select Allow non-encrypted outgoing connections): http://tinypic.com/wa6jy9.png

Step 4: Azureus is now properly Encrypted!

uTorrent Encryption

Step 1: Navigate to Options----Preferences----Network

Step 2: Go to Protocol Encryption and select "Forced"

NOTE: In protocol encryption, you can select enabled, and you will have more connections, but your ISP can potentially see your Bittorrent traffic. Try it, and see if your download speeds increase.

Step 3: Checkmark "Allow legacy incoming connections." This will improve the compatibility between encrypted and non-encrypted clients but it is possible that your ISP traffic shapers will see your Bittorrent traffic. Try selecting this, and if your speeds don't increase, de-select it.

Step 4: Your options should now look like this: http://tinypic.com/wa6mv8.gif

Step 5: Congrats! You are now running an encrypted uTorrent client!

And you think this place is safe?

Also depends on what your doing with it.

If you have it sitting on your computer just to say "I have it" then its pretty safe.

If you download software and you don't have a virus scanner, then no matter if you encrypt it or not, your prone to viruses (well you still are with a scanner, but there is more chance of finding one with a scanner)

You could be just downloading ISO's of your favorite software label (talking about Linux distro's or other legal stuff) then the "safeness" would depend on how reliable the source is

You could be downloading from any software cache, say downloading a new release movie, then once you down load it, all it is, is just a dump from /dev/random > StarWars-VII.mpeg and you get a 10Gig file that is useless (not sure if people are still doing this) or its not quite what you thought it would be (non-kids safe)

Snaketails is right.

Also if you download music or films illegally, they can now find and fine you big bucks in a private case!!!!

On new releases there are many fake files. You download for 10 hours and it is a fake.

Risk is low if you encrypt, and use up to date virus scanner.

Read the comments about fakes, they get outedm soon