Private trackers

Private Tracker Flowchart

What is a private tracker?

Private trackers provide the same functionality as public trackers, but are generally invite-only. The overall concept is to filter out users who are not willing to seed or give back. If your content needs are filled on public trackers, private ones may not be worth your time.

How secure is a private tracker?

This depends entirely on the practices of whoever is running it and popularity. Niche trackers may go under the radar while larger trackers are often targeted by anti-piracy groups and attackers. This explains why many trackers have static user limits.

Invitations

Registration control is usually maintained by an invitation system. Trusted and contributing members can grant new users permission to register at the site. Classification of a trusted and contributing member varies by sites, leaving some trackers more difficult to join than others.

Some trackers maintain an interview system. Most notably, What.CD.

Privacy

It's generally recommended to use different emails, usernames, and passwords on every tracker you join for maximum privacy. Tracker staff often have relations and share user information with each other. While you may not be doing anything wrong, having a sense of aloofness should still be in mind. Check if your tracker permits the use of VPN to prevent profiling.

Tracker Drama

Heard your favorite tracker's admins are a bunch of invite-sellers? Site linked to notorious webmasters? Content = Content. Don't bother getting caught up with the latest staff news. However if you do happen to use a conspicuous tracker, never use the same password or email you'd use on another reputable tracker. There have been cases of admins storing passwords in plaintext and using them to bruteforce into other sites.

General Threads

Be wary, site moderators tend to browse these. Do not post your real email in these threads unless it's temporary or not connected to you in any way.

Notable Private Trackers

• HDbits (HDB)
  • HD tracker with over 100,000 torrents and ~1,400 TiB of content. Invites are extremely scarce being limited to VIP, staff, and extremely dedicated seeders. It's widely regarded as the most difficult tracker to join. Because of it's near-unattainable status, HDB has always been a common denial of service target.
• What.CD (WCD)
  • Music tracker with massive library, boasting over 2 million torrents. Some inane mods, but you're here for the music.
• Broadcast the Net (BTN)
  • Ratioless television tracker. Regarded as greatest television tracker yet, but invites are now scarce.
• Pass the Popcorn (PTP)
  • Overhyped movie tracker, but that doesn't mean it's not good. Content ranging from black and white obscure to the latest blockbuster.
• Anime Bytes (AB)
  • Anime tracker with over 100,000 torrents. Great for harder to find content and most complete seasons are freeleech.
• IPTorrents (IPT)
  • General tracker with massive amount of seeded content. Don't fall for the anti-IPT movement, a bunch of pirates on a moral-crusade is just stupid.
• Waffles.FM (WFM)
  • A mid-tier music tracker. Regarded as what.cd alternative with far less content, but still a great site on its own.
• TehConnection (TehC or TC)
  • Movie tracker with an alright library. Regarded as PTP alternative, but still a decent site on its own.
• Freshon.tv (TvT)
  • Freshon has been getting a lot of flak for apparent invite-sellers amongst their staff, but it's still a solid TV tracker going 6 years strong.
• OiNK (OPP)
  • 2004 - 2007 -- RIP. What.CD and Waffles.FM's predecessor.

See Also

• Piracy