BitComet

Infobox Software
name = BitComet



caption = BitComet client version 0.94 running on Windows Vista
developer = BitComet Development Group
released = August 6, 2003
latest release version = 1.05
latest release date = October 10, 2008
operating system = Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista
programming language = C++
language = [http://wiki.bitcomet.com/help/BitComet_Translations 43 languages]
genre = BitTorrent client
license = Proprietary freeware
website = http://www.bitcomet.com

BitComet (originally named SimpleBT client from versions 0.11 to 0.37) is a cross-protocol BitTorrent, HTTP and FTP client written in C++ for Microsoft Windows and available in 43 different languages. [cite web
title = Supported Languages in BitComet
date = 2007-09-13
url = http://blog.bitcomet.com/post/407/
accessdate = 2008-05-13] Its first public release was version 0.28. The current BitComet logo has been used since version 0.50. [cite web
title = BitComet BitTorrent Client
date = 2006-05-10
url = http://www.quartermeg.com/bitcomet-review.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-13]

Features

The BitComet program is a multi-threaded multi-protocol hybrid download manager and BitTorrent Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing application. It supports simultaneous download tasks. To complete a particular download, it can draw parts of files from many sources across different P2P and Client-server protocols.

BitComet's chief features include an embedded Internet Explorer window for the purpose of allowing users to search for torrents within the program. Along with the features typical of contemporary BitTorrent clients, it supports UPnP gateway configuration, bandwidth scheduling, Webseeding, selecting downloads inside a torrent package, and NAT traversal.cite web
title = What is BitComet?
date = 2008-05-07
url = http://www.bitcomet.com/index.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-13]

When downloading, BitComet prioritizes the first and last portions of media files so that files may be previewed before they are completely downloaded. BitComet also allows users to share their torrent files on a searchable P2P network. BitComet uses the Kademlia (mainline) DHT to operate even when the tracker is offline. BitComet is capable of downloading files over HTTP and FTP as well as bittorrent, and it includes download plugins for Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Maxthon.

An optional plugin is available to connect to the eD2K network. The plugin is a modified version of the GPL eMule program. When installed, it connects automatically to a server. [cite web
title = eMule Plugin for BitComet
date = 2008-03-27
url = http://www.bitcomet.com/doc/plugin-emule.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-13]

The software includes a application to play Flash Video files (.flv and .swf files). [cite web
title = BitComet FLV Player (Flash Video Player)
date = 2008-03-27
url = http://www.bitcomet.com/tools/flvplayer/index.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-13]

Optional Standalone Software

BitComet.com offers a BitTorrent tracker available for download from the official site. [cite web
title = BitComet Tracker
date = 2008-03-27
url = http://www.bitcomet.com/tools/tracker/index.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-13] The FLV player program can also be downloaded separately and used independent of the BitComet software.

Controversy and Criticism

Hash reporting

Since version 0.86 BitComet includes discussion and stat-tracking features which send information about torrents to the Bitcomet.com servers, including the torrent hash.Cite web
url=http://forums.bitcomet.com/index.php?showtopic=12789405
title=BitComet reporting bug?
accessdate= 2008-05-15
year=2008
author=BitComet.com] Verify source|date=June 2008.

Adware

The official BitComet website claims that "BitComet does not contain any adware or spyware"Cite web
url=http://www.bitcomet.com
title=Official Website
accessdate=2007-04-19
year=2006
author=BitComet Team] . However, versions 0.85 to 0.97 contained advertisingCite web
url=http://forums.bitcomet.com/index.php?showtopic=8200
title=ADDS
accessdate=2008-01-01
year=2007
author=Sniperfx70] . The current versions no longer contain advertising, except in the web-based search windowCite web
url=http://forums.bitcomet.com/index.php?showtopic=12791723
title=No advertisements in current versions.
accessdate=2008-02-10
year=2008
author=BitComet Team] Verify source|date=May 2008.

DHT Exploit

During version 0.60, BitComet received bad publicity because its implementation of the DHT feature, which was new at the time, could be exploited to not respect the private flag of a tracker. This allowed users to avoid download and upload ratio restrictions, which are common on private trackers. Some private trackers responded to this by blacklisting version 0.60.

Cite web
url=http://www.slyck.com/story1021.html
title=BitComet Banned
accessdate= 2007-01-15
year= 2005
author=Thomas Mennecke] BitComet developer RnySmile reverted the client back to version 0.59 in response to the blacklisting.

Cite web
url=http://www.slyck.com/story1030.html
title=BitComet Reverts to Version .59
accessdate= 2007-01-15
year= 2005
author=Thomas Mennecke]

The DHT exploit was fixed in version 0.61.

Cite web
url=http://www.slyck.com/story1094.html
title=BitComet .62 and You
accessdate= 2006-12-03
year=2006
author=Thomas Mennecke]

Cite web
url=http://www.slyck.com/story1152.html
title=BitComet .64 Released
accessdate= 2006-01-15
year=2006
author=Thomas Mennecke]

uper-seeding

In early 2007, John Hoffman, the creator of super-seeding and author of the BitTornado client, harshly criticized BitComet for using abusive tactics to "game" and "cheat" super-seeding at the expense of other peers: "Since BitComet has proven itself to be a harmful codebase, and since they have forced me to take steps I’d rather not have, I will also be banning connections from that client to my own client and tracker codebases."Cite web
url=http://torrentfreak.com/bittornado-bans-all-bitcomet-users/
title=BitTornado Bans All BitComet Users
accessdate= 2007-01-07
year=2007
author=TorrentFreak.com]

Padding Files

Starting with version 0.85 (Early 2007), BitComet added an option to its torrent maker that ensures that no two data files in a multi-file torrent occupy the same BitTorrent "piece." This helps enable BitComet to download different parts of a multi-file torrent from non-BitTorrent sources such as http/ftp servers or the ED2K network. To accomplish this, BitComet fills the remainder of each last "piece" with an intervening padding file. While these small and harmless files are transparent to the BitComet user, they can be an annoyance to users of other clients who must deal with them both during and after the download.Cite web
url=http://torrentfreak.com/bitcomet-pollutes-bittorrent-with-junk-data/
title=BitComet Pollutes BitTorrent with Junk Data
date = 2007-08-23
month = August
author=Ernesto
publisher = TorrentFreak
accessdate = August 24
accessyear = 2007] Creation of padding files was enabled by default in version 0.85, and disabled by default in version 0.86 onward.Verify source|date=May 2008

Validity of criticism

In July 2007 professional networking specialist Robb Topolski conducted an independent analysis of most accusations leveled against BitComet including the DHT Exploit and Super-seeding controversies mentioned above. He found all but one of the claims to be false or unverifiable. He found that BitComet is not detrimental or malicious to the download or upload speeds of a BitTorrent swarm or the tracker.Cite web
url=http://www.zeropaid.com/news/8945/STUDY:+'Examining+the+Myths+and+Facts+Concerning+BitComet+Behavior'
title=STUDY: 'Examining the Myths and Facts Concerning BitComet Behavior'
date = 2007-08-02
month = August
author=Rob Topolski
publisher = ZeroPaid
accessdate = 2008-02-07
quote= [Regarding the claim that] BitComet seems to favor uploading to other BitComet clients, even when getting faster download speeds from other clients … In dozens of observed sessions using BitComet, I see no such preference being given to BitComet peers. … BitComet is a worthy download client, providing some advantageous features not found in any other current BitTorrent client. Some of these features are confusing and are poorly implemented, but they are not detrimental to a BitTorrent swarm, nor do they take unfair advantage.]

The one claim he verified as partially correct was that, "BitComet is a poor peer due to no upload slot control; upload bandwidth is stretched too thin.". Topolski's tests indicated that BitComet does lack upload slot control, but only when BitComet is "initially" seeding a torrent—that is, when BitComet is the only seeding peer in a swarm, it tends to seed less efficiently than the two other clients he tested. Topolski asserts that when BitComet is "not" the only seeding peer in the swarm, or when it is a "non-seeding" peer, upload slot control is managed exceptionally well. [Topoloski. “If the BitComet user is the initial seeder, that user will take more time and bandwidth to seed a torrent than any other BitTorrent client I have ever used. (Tests: BitComet 200% to 255%, MainLine 145% to 175%, uTorrent with Super-Seeding 105% to 115%). However, when BitComet is a non-seeding peer, it has exceptionally intelligent slot control. BitComet adjusts the speed of each upload slot individually, providing more upload bandwidth to peers that reciprocate with more upload bandwidth of their own. … BitComet is an exceptionally poor upload client and should be avoided if the user will be the initial uploader to a swarm. … This is not an issue if the BitComet user is a seeder in an already-seeded swarm.”]

References

ee also

*Comparison of BitTorrent software
*BitTorrent (protocol)
*BitLord (based on BitComet)

External links

* [http://www.bitcomet.com/ BitComet's official website]
* [http://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/2006/10/07/bitcomet-configuration/ A BitComet typical configuration explained]
* [http://forums.bitcomet.com/ The Bitcomet forums]
* [http://wiki.bitcomet.com/ The BitComet wiki]
* [http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/guide_to_bitcomet.cfm Guide to using BitComet]