• Instead of downloading a file from a single server, BitTorrent relies on the computers of thousands of other people.sharing the joy image by Florin Capilnean from Fotolia.com
  
  BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing technology that allows the user to download large files by downloading small parts from hundreds of other computers at once and then assembling the pieces into the actual file. It's essentially like a large group of people copying and distributing pieces of a big, virtual puzzle. Because torrent downloading allows you to quickly obtain a wide variety of files, it is one of the most popular file-sharing technologies. There are a number of disadvantages to using it on a local area network (LAN), however.
  
  

Legal Issues

• Downloading a new music album or Hollywood movie could land you a court date.judge image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
  
  Millions of files are available for download through BitTorrent. A large number of these files are distributed legally for public download, but some of the most popular files consist of copyrighted material and downloading them constitutes copyright infringement. This is especially true for many software, music and movie downloads.
  
  Some BitTorrent users have faced civil lawsuits from copyright holders. Most notably, the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) has pursued or threatened to pursue legal action against more than 28,000 music downloaders since 2003. In many cases, the defendant had downloaded the infringing music using BitTorrent.
  
  

Heavy Bandwidth Usage

• Heavy downloading could impact other users on your LAN.network switch image by gajatz from Fotolia.com
  
  Torrent downloading uses a lot of bandwidth. You and other users on your LAN might notice a substantial reduction in Internet speed while files are downloading through BitTorrent. Websites might take longer to load and non-BitTorrent could come grinding to a halt.
  
  The impact of BitTorrent on your network depends on the type of hardware in use. Some routers, particularly models meant for home or small office use, are not able to prioritize manage traffic and thus let BitTorrent suck up all available bandwidth.
  
  

Blocked or Limited Downloads

• Many school and corporate networks have technology to limit the amount of bandwidth available to torrent downloads or block them completely. If you are using BitTorrent on a LAN, it is possible that your download could be blocked or slowed down significantly.
  
  In addition, some home Internet service providers (ISPs) throttle or completely block torrent downloads. Many question the legality of this practice, but in the United States, courts have stood behind the right of ISPs to restrict BitTorrent downloading.