Member Avatar for chrisbliss18

I have a problem where I am receiving reports from my ISP about torrents being downloaded when I am not downloading them. You can read more details at my Hidden Torrent Programs? thread. While thinking about the problem, an idea occurred to me. What if there is a torrent client that allows you to lie about your IP address to the swarm.

I know there are programs that claim to hide your IP (a la Hide-My-IP.com), but all they are doing (as far as I can tell) is provide a paid anonymous proxy service. This wouldn't solve my problem of people using my IP to download torrents. So there must be something more involved.

Going back to my initial idea, what if you could lie about your IP to the swarm? As far as I know, you don't have to be honest about your IP on the swarm since firewalled connections can still transfer data. So, is this possible? Can a client lie about its IP and still download data? Could someone be using my IP to jump on a swarm and download while giving me the legal problems?

+++++ Update +++++
After searching around for a bit, I found out that my idea isn't so crazy. If you read Tweaking your system to get the most out of BitTorrent, you will find that you can give the official BitTorrent client a command as follows:

"c:\program files\bittorrent\btdownloadgui.exe" --ip 123.45.67.89 --responsefile "%1"

Notice that you can tell the client exactly what to report as the IP address. This means that if my internet connection is through Comcast, and I want to download copyrighted content, all I have to do is lie about my IP. I could chose an IP that's in a different ISP's control so there's no way that I'd be suspected!

Big problem here though. What about those of us that aren't downloading copyrighted content and want to exonerate ourselves when wrongly accused? How could we possibly protect ourselves?

  • 4 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 1K Views
  • 3 Years Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by sial_m

Dani AI

Generated

Short answer to : a BitTorrent client cannot actually download while pretending to be someone else’s public IP. Peers must complete a real TCP or uTP handshake so packets can flow both ways; forged source IPs cannot receive the handshake replies, so no sustained transfer is possible. BitTorrent’s peer protocol runs over TCP/uTP and requires that handshake to move pieces at all. (bittorrent.org)

On the tracker side, yes, there is/was an optional “ip” hint, but trackers generally rely on the source address they see and modern guidance discourages trusting client-supplied IPs because it can be abused. In other words, simply telling a tracker “I am 203.0.113.10” will not let you download as that address. (bittorrent.org)

So what explains ISP notices like the ones you are getting? The common culprits are what noted (someone on or near your Wi‑Fi) or a device/app on your network that quietly enabled UPnP and started seeding. When you push back, ask your ISP for the full notice details: exact UTC timestamp, reported port, and the torrent’s info hash. Many infringement notices include those fields. (is301.com)

Quick checks you can run now:

  • Secure the router: change admin password, disable WPS, use WPA2/WPA3, and review UPnP/NAT-PMP mappings.
  • Look for active listeners on typical BitTorrent ports.

On Windows:

netstat -ano | findstr LISTENING

On macOS/Linux:

lsof -i -nP | grep LISTEN

If you believe the notice is wrong, remember it is an allegation routed through your ISP. You can request specifics and, where content is actually taken down from a host you control, the DMCA process provides a counter-notice path. The RIAA also confirms that rights-holders send these notices to ISPs based on observed activity at an IP and time. (copyright.gov)

’s question is key: clarify with your ISP whether they object to BitTorrent generally or to a specific alleged title. That determines next steps.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for jbennet

So is your ISP annoyed about someone pirating with your IP or just generally that they are using bittorrent?

Member Avatar for capsitan

Have you ever heard of IP address spoofing? There are programs that can accomplish this. Also, do you have a wireless network? Someone could be using your wireless router, and downloading files from your internet connection.

Member Avatar for sial_m

Test modems with post market OS systems should accomplish a "fake" IP, it could also be causing your problem if someone is has your IP set up on a test modem some where, but chances are slim.

There is a bunch of stuff available for hacking motorolla surfboards, just google it and enjoy

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.