Most VPNs these days don’t allow for static ports; Creeps figured out how to use them for sharing CSAM. So instead, the VPN assigns you a random port every time you connect.
For your torrent client, it’s just a matter of going to your settings and updating the port number when you reconnect. If the system has a stable connection and doesn’t sleep (like a server) then you won’t need to do this often. The port only changes when the VPN reconnects, so it’ll only be an issue if you have a blackout or your internet drops.
As for torrenting without port forwarding, results will be mixed. Some trackers will still allow it, some won’t. Some will only allow very limited speeds. So on the two extreme ends, you may be able to torrent just fine, or you may stall even when there are hundreds of available seeds.
$40 for the basic ones. They still work great, (I have them on all my toilets at home!) but they definitely aren’t as flashy as the Japanese toilets. Self-cleaning seats, heated seats, heated water for the bidet, etc…
Probably helps that kids are instilled with a sense of cleanliness at a very young age. Kids help cook school lunches on a rotating schedule, and everyone helps clean up afterwards. Litter is also a big social taboo (which is funny because public trash cans are basically nonexistent. You’re expected to carry your trash with you until you get home.)
Why not just use Pluto directly? Isn’t it already free? I’m guessing because Pluto has ads, but I’ve never actually used Pluto so I’m not entirely sure.
You’re correct that it’s supposed to prevent leaks. It shouldn’t fall back, though there may be a checkbox for that somewhere in the menu that you have accidentally ticked? I’m not near my computer at the moment, so I can’t just go digging in my own menus to verify.
I only personally pay for Prime Video and Spotify. But I have access to Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, HBO, and a handful of others.
And whatever I don’t have access to, I have a Plex server running Servarr/Radarr, which automatically syncs downloaded content from Plex’s watchlist. So I can just add something to my watchlist, and it’s available on Plex in the next 20-60 minutes (depending on that particular torrent’s speeds.)
That’s odd, because the first and last episodes are usually the most downloaded; People will grab those to add to their seedboxes, because the “download first and last” option is an easy way to sample the torrent before fully committing. So typically speaking, it’s easiest/fastest to download the first and last episodes, since those are what is most available.
Yup, I have mine set to 5.00 and four weeks. Because sometimes I download old/obscure stuff that can take a few weeks to even get new activity. But if it’s active, I can at least get to the 5.00 ratio before stopping.
If I have a VPN and upload speed limits set, there’s very little reason not to.
That’s largely a corporate decision that is out of the hands of the programmers. Generally speaking, security specialists would agree with you. But running anticheat on the server costs server resources, which means you need more servers to accommodate the same number of players. Running it client-side is a cost cutting measure mandated by the corporate bean counters who did the math and concluded it’d be cheaper for the company to spend the users’ computer resources instead.
While I agree that client-side security isn’t the best solution, it’s certainly better than no solution. It’s the same argument people have against self-driving cars. The self-driving cars don’t need to be perfect; They just need to be better than the average driver. If they can reduce the number and severity of accidents that are currently happening without them, then they should be implemented. Even if the solution isn’t perfect. Because an imperfect solution is better than doing nothing at all.