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Welcome to the Seedboxes Wiki

What is a seedbox?

In a nutshell, a seedbox is a remote hosted server environment, commonly based on a Linux. This remote server is primarily configured to provide an end user (you) access to the required tools that are needed to enable the management of torrent files and their associated data. A seedbox acts as a mediator between trackers and peers in a networking environment much better suited to this workload than is often found at the end of a residential internet connection.

How exactly this is done and how the end user can interact with and manage their data varies dramatically from one solution to another.

In it's basic form it can simply enable you to:

Downloading and managing torrent files from public or private trackers.
Transferring that data from the remote host to a local location for consumption.
Access to cheaper but limited solutions. Perhaps in terms of hardware or the sharing of resources.
Expect generic forms of support.

In it's advanced form it can also include:

Powerful hardware for a single individual or entire hard drives with no shared users.
Premium bandwidth and data center options.
The automation of sourcing and managing of the data.
The running of remote applications to extend functionality beyond the fundamental requirements.
Personalized support.

Managed vs Unmanaged

The first two important considerations when choosing a seedbox would be a managed vs unmanaged service.

Managed Seedboxes

A managed seedbox is one where another person or service manage part or all of the service you experience. This will primarily cover areas such as maintenance, security, abuse, other users and core services provided. Usually these environments offer limited customization potential but will often have a wiki or knowledge base to support customization. A managed service with good support is always the best place to start out for a beginner who does not fully understand how this all works.

Unmanaged Seedboxes

An unmanaged service is one where you generally have a lot more freedom to customize the environment, such as root access, but have all the responsibility of managing it. So things like program updates, server up time, security, user management, application installation and configuration tweaking become the end user's responsibility. For an advanced user this can provide for specific needs but often comes at an increased costs and it's often more time consuming to manage, all things considered.

The Tortoise or the Hare?

There are two main differences in seedbox implementations to consider, especially if you are looking for a reasonable monthly cost of let's say, up to $30. Though in theory it is possible to have the best of both if there is no budget requirement.

Performance based:

You will have access to powerful server hardware with moderate storage options, even less with SSD drives. So you have the potential to perform any task you might want to achieve but limited options in terms of storage over a longer period. Great for short term or storage light needs.

Storage based:

This will usually have a large storage volume via a mechanical hard drive solution. Very good for holding onto data for long periods of time. The compromise of this option is usually the raw power available of the seedbox is not suited to resource intensive operations like racing or trans-coding.

Factors to consider.

Seedbox or hosting providers may have payment options, privacy policies, abuse policies and terms and conditions you may wish to explore before signing up.

For example, not all services allow public trackers.

Do I need root?

If you have to ask then you probably don't. A managed service can often provide more than the majority of users will ever need with a high level of support through their wiki, the local community and the staff of the provider. Root access is rarely required and in many cases the need for it is overcome by installing applications locally, if supported. (most Linux applications support this when installing from source)

Why don't seedbox providers do backups?

The short answer is; you get what you pay for. Backups require double or triple the disk space and extra resources at large, therefore this increases costs. In order to stay competitive and cost effective automated backups have never really been part of the seedbox landscape. Seedboxes tend to focus on performance and prioritize certain needs over others. It just comes with the territory.

If your data is important to you, then you should make it a priority to back it up. Otherwise you should expect to pay more for a service with this as part of their feature set.

Why use a seedbox?

Seedboxes used to be a complicated and inaccessible area with a steep learning curve. Today a seedbox can be a Swiss army knife or a finely edged blade. Thanks to the hard work of many great providers, communities and application developers the landscape has changed and it is now as simple as signing up to a service and away you go.

Whether you want to:

Create and torrent and share something.
Maintain a ratio in a private community you have invested heavily in.
Bragging rights, you're a stat whore in search of statistical glory.
A way to stream your personal music collection.
A want to complete media solution with all the bells and whistles.
Share files with your friends.
A $5 dollar solution
A dedicated server

Seedboxes have evolved to provide a platform for you to develop that need and there is a lot of great providers and information out there to help you do it where other hosting solutions fall short.

So it is harder to define what a seedbox is as a it can be many things to many people. Finding the right setup or provider for your needs will hopefully be something this Wiki will support you in doing by proving a fair and impartial view of the current landscape.