What is a Seedbox

A seedbox is usually defined as a remote computer and usually attached to a high speed internet connection and used to seed torrents. These computers can be shared or private and can range from 10Mbit/s to 10Gbit/s connections. If you're considering a seedbox, consult our official seedbox recommendation thread for advice on providers.

Generally there are three "types" of seedbox available:

Dedicated Server

This is a dedicated physical machine that is rented from a provider or reseller. As the machine is dedicated it is usually an 'assembly required' option as the user will have to configure the operating system, install the torrent client and any other required software. However, as the user has full control of the physical hardware, it can be used to the full potential. Windows based servers usually cost more due to the cost of the Microsoft license.

When buying a dedicated server the physical hardware specifications should be considered, specifically RAM size, hard drive size and CPU speed.

VPS

A VPS is a Virtual Private Server and is a dedicated server that has been split virtually for clients. Like dedicated servers these virtual servers are rented out to clients. Also like a dedicated server configuration of the operating system will be necessary unless the provider supplies a pre-configured environment.

When buying a VPS server the ammount of RAM allocated to your VPS should be considered. The burstable CPU speed also needs to be taken into account. More information about VPS's

Slice/Shared

This is becoming the most popular way to have access to a seedbox. A slice is generally just access to a torrent client running on server. Providers may allow access to a control panel or FTP access. But generally the client will have no other control of the server. This is preferred as no configuration is required.

For all types of seedbox, the three main metrics to be considered are:

Hard drive space (How many files you can store)

Network speed (How fast you can download/upload)

Bandwidth limits (How much data you can download/upload)

In addition to these metrics you should also consider the cost, support offered and, if you desire files from your seedbox at home, location and/or routing. Routing is important to ensure fast FTP/SFTP download speed.