How can I connect to this network?

BitTorrent isn't your average p2p network. When you download a .torrent file from a site, it will contain a link to a tracker which creates a mini-network for that file. BitTorrent is not searchable by common means.

If I can't search the network, how do I download files?

BitTorrent relies on links to small .Torrent files which provide BitTorrent program the information they need for downloading/uploading the content being shared. A good site with updated lists of sites and voting on these sites is Section31's Torrent Links or on http://www.btsites.tk/ or http://Suprnova.org.

How can I continue sharing the file through BitTorrent?

After the file is done downloading, if you leave the file in the download window it will continue to share on the network. Once you clear the completed download it will stop seeding. You can reseed the BitTorrent in eTomi by opening the .Torrent file in eTomi and in the dialogue box that appears, choosing to "seed". By default, eTomi saves a copy of the .Torrent file in the default downloads directory. Open the eTomi library, click on the folders tab, open the default downloads directory, locate the .torrent file for the download you wish to seed, and double click on it to open it. If seeding fails, make sure that the files you downloaded via BitTorrent protocol are in the eTomi library. Also if seeding fails, move the .torrent file from the default downloads directory to the parent directory containing the files you wish to seed, then try opening the torrent file again from this location.

You can of course, use other bit-torrent programs to seed files you downloaded with eTomi via the BitTorrent protocol.

What do "Choked" and "Uninterested" mean?

Choked means that the user is already uploading to four (default) other users. Uninterested means that they/you do not currently have parts of the file you/they need.

What does "Tracker Down" mean?

This is most likely because the tracker you are trying to access is overloaded or was shut down. It is possible that the tracker will come back online so you might want to leave it in your downloads.

I am firewalled... can I still download from BitTorrent?

Yes, but if others can't connect to you, your download speeds will most likely be slower. You will not likely be able to initiate a connection to any other firewalled users, (nor they to you); therefore being firewalled artificially lowers the number of sources you can connect to, and can slow down your interaction with any non-firewalled sources as well. Note that a user with a configured firewall is not considered "firewalled", since he or she (or it) can accept an outside connection attempt. BitTorrent uses an anti-leeching feature; the faster you upload the faster you download.

BitTorrent links don't open up with eTomi... why not?

If they do not, that means eTomi is not associated with .torrent files. Go to

Tools > eTomi Settings... > Internet > Web

then check the .torrent association and hit apply.

eTomi has taken over my torrent links... I want to stop it from doing so.

Go to

Tools > eTomi Settings... > Internet > Web

then uncheck the .torrent link handling and hit apply. If after doing the above eTomi still is grabbing torrent links, you can edit the .TORRENT file type directly to open with whatever program you desire. Go to the Folder Options control panel or start menu entry, and within the file types tab, choose to edit the .TORRENT file type. Go to the open command, and edit it to select whatever program you wish to be the default handler of BitTorrents?. Also edit the DDE application for the open command , or turn off DDE. <<NOTE>>: Some users have experienced eTomi refusing to "uncheck" BitTorrent link handling in the eTomi settings. The change will not 'take'. In this case, uninstall eTomi and then run your other BitTorrent application and set it to take BitTorrent links. Verify in the Folder Options that the TORRENT file type's DDE application is not eTomi, and the default application to open TORRENT links is the one you want. You can try reinstalling eTomi and remembering not to check BitTorrent link handling when the Set-Up? Wizard is first run.

My BitTorrent downloads are slow or don't work at all

BitTorrent works best if you can accept incoming connection attempts. (People may try to initiate a connection to you, rather than you to them.) If you have a firewall, you should set it up so that incoming tcp connection attempts on the port eTomi uses are not blocked while eTomi is running. If you have a router you should forward incoming connection attempts on the eTomi port to the local ip of the computer eTomi is installed on. (Note: BitTorrent doesn't use UDP, only TCP, although other protocols eTomi supports use UDP, so when you configure your firewall you should also allow incoming UDP messages on the eTomi port. Similarly when you configure your router, make a rule (in addition to a rule forwarding tcp messages) forwarding incoming UDP on the eTomi port to the local ip of the computer eTomi is installed on. For help on port forwarding see PortForward.com. Consider giving your local computer that eTomi is installed on a static IP address. Refer to the Portforward.com site for details on giving a computer a static IP.) The eTomi port is the port you have chosen (in the eTomi Settings-->Internet-->Connection: Port) for eTomi to listen for connections on. You advertize this port, along with your ip, to the tracker. The tracker passes this information along to other users so that they know which port they should try when they attempt to initiate a connection to you. Other BitTorrent clients use different ports to accept connections on — this doesn't concern eTomi's BitTorrent implementation: you do not need to forward any other port for eTomi to use.