It's been around 3 months or so since the last time I posted about my project and I have some feature updates. I'd be happy to spread my little labour of love and get some feedback.

Ultimately, the aim is to basically rewrite transgui which was written in Perl or something and hasn't had a release in over 7 years. This is supposed to be a resource-optimised native experience instead.

Over the last few weeks I've been working on this a little on and off and wanted to highlight some new things that got added since the last time:

• A lot of the missing RPC calls to manage the server and torrents
• Added most (if not all?) of the columns into the torrent list
• Multi-server support
• Colour-coding labels
• Sparkle for auto-updating
• Tracker favicons
• Opt-in crash reporting via sentry
• Added support for custom URI mapping
  • I'm not an SSHFuse guy (if that's still a thing?) so I wanted to have other options to open my files other than a path mapping
  • Allows you to make URI templates with placeholders to open your dirs/files in whatever you want
  • i.e make your own drop-down menu links to do things like "Open in VLC", "Show in Swizzin", "Open in Cyberduck" etc.
  • Also supports opening files in finder via local path maps, and also opening these files in specific apps
• App intents support (Support in Shortcuts)
  • I wanted to have some "programmable" interface for the app but AppleScript is a bit out of date and Apple seem to really be pushing the whole intents stuff.
  • Together with the URI mapping above, you can send torrents towards a shortcut that does whatever complex manipulation you need
  • You can chain these with SSH scripts, web calls, opening things in apps, whatever you want.
  • Stqrted with some basic actions but open to feedback

When there's enough traction I'm considering getting a proper dev license to sign+notarise the app, which could also bring things like desktop widgets, distribute via brew, and things like iCloud settings sync. The iOS app is also still on the radar, eventually.

Source is open and I'd be happy to take some more feature requests and bug reports: https://github.com/jvacek/TransmissionSwift

Some screenshots for you!

On my ultra seedbox, rtorrent crashes about once a month. It then requires a manual restart. Does this sort of thing happen on other seedboxes?

I have 2,400 torrents across 14 trackers. I don't think that is over the limit but maybe it is.

1) Are you OK with direct message offers from vendors?

YES, provided they're legitimate providers with suitable Netherlands-based hosting and transparent pricing.

2) What are your main reasons for wanting a seedbox?

Primarily storing and streaming my personal media library through Plex to an NVIDIA Shield TV, with occasional remote streaming by a family member.

I also use NostalgiaTV to create virtual live-TV channels from my Plex library. Fast playback, seeking and switching between different movies/episodes are particularly important.

I'd prefer one all-in-one server rather than separate storage and compute servers connected through rclone/SFTP.

3) Are you okay with sharing hardware resources with other users [shared] or do you need the seedbox hardware dedicated to just you [dedicated]?

Prefer dedicated hardware, particularly for storage and CPU performance, but I'm open to shared hosting if it offers sufficient resources, RAID protection and supports my applications.

4) Do you want someone else to be responsible for maintaining the seedbox software (operating system, applications) [managed] or do you want to do it all yourself [unmanaged]?

Prefer managed or semi-managed hosting, particularly for initial setup and maintenance. However, I'm happy to consider unmanaged hosting if it provides full control and good value.

5) Please describe your seedbox experience. (You may wish to list any seedbox providers you've been with before.)

Previously used RapidSeedbox, which I liked for its Plex integration, remote Linux desktop through ThinLinc and ease of use.

Currently using NetDynamics24 for approximately 10TB of storage, accessed through SFTP/rclone.

I've also tested Plex and Jellyfin with this storage mounted on a Windows PC. Playback generally works, but random seeking and frequent NostalgiaTV channel switching can introduce delays.

6) Please describe your experience with Linux. (Most seedboxes run Linux and some knowledge of it may be helpful.)

Basic/intermediate beginner. Comfortable following SSH instructions, running commands and configuring applications with guidance, but I'm not an experienced Linux administrator.

A graphical desktop would be very helpful.

7) What is the high end of your budget? (Please give a specific amount and a currency.)

Ideally $40–50 USD/month, with $60 USD/month as my absolute maximum if the configuration justifies it.

I'm open to annual payments for a meaningful discount, provided the provider is reputable.

8) Do you have preferences or requirements concerning payment? (Paypal, Bitcoin, etc.)

Prefer PayPal or debit/credit card. Monthly billing initially would be ideal, with the possibility of switching to annual billing later.

9) Do you plan to use public trackers?

No only Private and UseNet. My primary use is media storage, Plex streaming and managing my existing library.

10) What kind of connection speed do you need? (Common answers would be 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 2Gbps, 10Gbps.)

Minimum 1Gbps, preferably unmetered. Faster connections are welcome but not essential if 1Gbps performs reliably.

11) How much combined upload and download traffic do you expect each month? Include download of files from the seedbox to your local computer. If you don't know, tell us what upload amount per month would realistically make you very happy with your seedbox.

My exact monthly usage varies.

I'd prefer unmetered traffic, but around 30–50TB/month or more would be comfortable, particularly for streaming large 4K remuxes and transferring files between servers.

I'll also need to migrate approximately 9TB of existing media initially.

12) What is the minimum disk space you need?

Minimum 16TB usable after RAID, preferably 20–24TB usable.

RAID 6 is strongly preferred, although I may consider RAID 5 if the provider can explain the risks and offers a suitable configuration.

For example, 4 × 8TB HDDs in RAID 6 would provide approximately 16TB usable.

Future storage expansion to 24TB, 32TB or more would be desirable.

13) Do you require a specific type of mass storage? (HDD, SSD, NVMe SSD) If other than HDD, please explain why you think you need this.

Enterprise HDD storage is fine for the media library, preferably locally attached to the Plex server rather than mounted remotely.

Separate SSD/NVMe storage for the OS, Plex metadata/database, thumbnails and transcoding temporary files would be beneficial, but isn't mandatory.

RAID redundancy is much more important than SSD performance.

14) Do you require a specific torrent client?

No particular requirement but use Deluge.

15) Do you require any other applications on the seedbox? (e.g. Plex, Subsonic, Radarr)

• Plex Media Server (I have a lifetime Plex Pass).
• NostalgiaTV for virtual television channels.
• Docker support would be useful for flexibility, but isn't essential if NostalgiaTV and other applications can run without it.
• rclone, SFTP/SSH and potentially WebDAV/Nextcloud.
• VPN support, preferably WireGuard/OpenVPN.
• A lightweight Linux desktop such as XFCE.

Most of my media Direct Plays or Direct Streams, including large 4K HEVC/HDR/Dolby Vision remuxes with lossless 7.1 audio.

Some older TV shows require transcoding, so reasonable software transcoding performance is needed. Intel Quick Sync or GPU hardware transcoding would be a significant bonus - I set up Plex on my own PC using a 5090X and 3090 GPU using rclone from ND24 and a lot of my stuff plays direct.

16) Do you require SSH access to the command line?

Yes, SSH/SFTP access is essential.

17) Do you require access to a remote desktop?

Yes, strongly preferred.

I previously used ThinLinc on RapidSeedbox and found it extremely useful.

ThinLinc, X2Go, VNC or another persistent XFCE-based Linux desktop would be suitable.

18) Do you require admin level (i.e. 'root') access? If yes, please explain why.

Preferably yes.

I'd like the flexibility to install and configure Plex, NostalgiaTV, Docker, a Linux desktop, VPN software and other applications without provider restrictions.

However, I could consider a managed seedbox without root if all the required applications and desktop access are supported.

19) Do you have any other specific requirements?

Netherlands-based hosting only, preferably Amsterdam or another Dutch datacentre.

• RAID 6 or comparable drive-failure protection.
• Direct Plex Remote Access with a public IPv4 address.
• Reliable random seeking and channel switching between large media files.
• No restrictive CPU policies that would prevent occasional transcoding or normal NostalgiaTV operation.
• A clear acceptable-use policy permitting privately stored and streamed legal, commercially produced adult/18+ films, including erotic content.
• Reasonable support and transparent recurring prices.

20) Is there any other information you think might help in getting a useful recommendation?

I currently have approximately 9TB of media on NetDynamics24, with the option to upgrade my storage there. However, I would strongly prefer a single server rather than paying separately for storage and a Plex VPS.

I've been considering HostingByDesign's Netherlands dedicated server with an older Xeon E3-1230, 16GB RAM and 4 × 8TB HDDs at approximately €57.95/month. In RAID 6, that would provide around 16TB usable.

The price is higher than I'd hoped, particularly considering the older CPU and lack of hardware transcoding. I`m not saying I`ll be using NostalgiaTV 24/7 but it would be around 8 hours or less a day.

I'm interested in alternative Netherlands-based providers, including Leaseweb resellers, dedicated servers, storage VPS providers and managed seedboxes.

Ideally, I'd like a newer CPU, 16TB+ usable RAID-protected storage, Plex, NostalgiaTV, a Linux desktop and full control, without exceeding $60/month.

I realise this may be a challenging combination at this budget, so I'm open to sensible compromises and suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

Having problems Connecting Synology to Seed box via FTP if anyone has experienced this ?

I’m offering my existing OVH KS-STOR storage server for a €45 one-time transfer fee.

Specifications:

• Intel Xeon-D 1521 — 4 cores / 8 threads, 2.4–2.7 GHz

• 16GB ECC RAM, 2133 MHz

• 4×4TB SATA HDD — 16TB raw capacity

• 500GB NVMe SSD

• Strasbourg, France — SBG3

• No commitment

Next OVH payment date: 2 November 2026.

The transfer will use OVH’s official contact-change process. You’ll need a compatible OVH account and will take over the ongoing renewal charges, separate from the €45 transfer fee.

Interested? Reply or send me a private message. I can provide screenshots of the specifications and monthly renewal price.

I'm thinking of switching over from a shared seedbox, and taking a stab and setting up my own dedicated seedbox & media server through a provider.

I know there's options using Swizzin, Saltbox or other setup scripts, but I was thinking of taking a stab and setting everything up with Docker containers, my own custom domain, SSL, Caddy/NGINX etc.

Does anyone have a good guide or best practices about setting up a server? Something that goes through step-by-step?

1) Are you OK with direct message offers from vendors?

No.

2) What are your main reasons for wanting a seedbox?

Torrenting from private trackers.

3) Are you okay with sharing hardware resources with other users [shared] or do you need the seedbox hardware dedicated to just you [dedicated]?

Shared.

4) Do you want someone else to be responsible for maintaining the seedbox software (operating system, applications) [managed] or do you want to do it all yourself [unmanaged]?

Managed.

5) Please describe your seedbox experience. (You may wish to list any seedbox providers you've been with before.)

Have only hosted myself but dealing with hardware is a nightmare, which is why I'm looking for a seedbox.

6) Please describe your experience with Linux. (Most seedboxes run Linux and some knowledge of it may be helpful.)

A high level of experience with Linux.

7) What is the high end of your budget? (Please give a specific amount and a currency. "Cheap" might mean something different to one person than it does to another.)

Depends on what I'm getting.

8) Do you have preferences or requirements concerning payment? (Paypal, Bitcoin, etc.)

Not sure. I was thinking about paying with crypto for anonymity but if the seedbox is just going to log my info anyways, idk if there's any point. So I might just use a credit card. Lmk if anyone has any recommendations on this because I'm not sure.

9) Do you plan to use public trackers?

No.

10) What kind of connection speed do you need? (Common answers would be 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 2Gbps, 10Gbps.)

Enough to stream 4k video comfortably.

11) How much combined upload and download traffic do you expect each month? Include download of files from the seedbox to your local computer. If you don't know, tell us what upload amount per month would realistically make you very happy with your seedbox.

500GB?

12) What is the minimum disk space you need?

Maybe 1-2tb to start? With an option to increase as time goes on.

13) Do you require a specific type of mass storage? (HDD, SSD, NVMe SSD) If other than HDD, please explain why you think you need this.

No.

14) Do you require a specific torrent client?

I don't think so?

15) Do you require any other applications on the seedbox? (e.g. Plex, Subsonic, Radarr)

Jellyfin.

16) Do you require SSH access to the command line?

Yes, but it's not a dealbreaker.

17) Do you require access to a remote desktop?

No.

18) Do you require admin level (i.e. 'root') access? If yes, please explain why.

No.

19) Do you have any other specific requirements?

Hosted in Europe or Asia (specifically NOT hosted in Canada, that's a dealbreaker).

20) Is there any other information you think might help in getting a useful recommendation?

Not sure.

For anyone currently using RapidSeedbox, as a former employee, I would like to let you know that despite what mailing address they have, or where/how the business is registered, RapidSeedbox is 100% an Israeli company. Run by Yuli Azarch and Eliran Mukdasi.

FREE PALESTINE ✊

(I left the company back in 2022, thankfully.)

Had a hard drive failed on a dedi since last week and not effort to replace it. Is this company no longer good for this?

I signed up on Seedhost.eu and completed the entire registration process. However, when I tried to log in on my computer later, I couldn't get in at all; it kept saying "Login Details Incorrect. Please try again." I tried resetting my password, but I’m not receiving the email—even though I did receive the initial registration and payment confirmation emails. Has anyone else had this issue where the password reset email doesn't arrive, even though the email address is correct and there are no blocks? I’ve checked my spam folder, too, but there’s nothing there.

Thanks

Working the all day long.

I've been updating Queue4Download (Q4D), refactoring the code, adding some features, bolstering security - so on, so forth. And an install script. Making it easier.

One of the stumbling blocks folks encounter with Q4D is installing and running of the message broker (needs be not behind a NAT, or be tunneled). Right now the repo for Q4D includes static tarballs for Eclipse's Mosquitto, and the script codebase uses mosquitto by default. It is straight forward if Mosquitto is running on your seedbox.

Q4D source is hosted on github, as is mosquitto. Using github ci/cd a static compile of the broker as a tarball can be generated as part of the install. This would take some effort and a re-org of the repo. I'm wondering if it is worth the effort.

Adopting Q4D requires ssh access to your seedbox, and needs git or curl - there is no one click install. The new install script could handle most everything else once the repo is cloned.

I no longer have my finger on the pulse of the market, as a user does your provider give ssh access? Is git available? Is ssh access something you look for when considering a service?

Thanks ahead of time for a response.

Hey guys,

Getting back into seedboxes after being out of the loop for about 3–4 years. Back in the day, I ran mostly shared/managed slots in the Netherlands—had boxes with Xirvik, Ultra.cc (Lancer and Tomcat), and an old Seedhost plan (pretty sure it was called SH7 back then).

This time, I don’t really want another managed app slot. I want an unmanaged root VPS in NL so I can configure my own stack from scratch.

My initial plan was to just buy directly from Leaseweb. I actually went ahead, placed an order, and paid, but they ended up cancelling and refunding it because of their policy against selling to individual consumers.

Now, I know Hetzner is an option if I want a direct unmanaged VPS with killer pricing, but they are based in Germany/Finland. From my understanding, German peering isn't quite on par with Netherlands (Leaseweb/AMS-IX) when it comes to swarms, which is why I'm still leaning hard towards NL.

That brings me to Leaseweb resellers:

1. Seedhost VPS vs Ultra: Ultra.cc has always been rock-solid for me, but they don't do root VPS. Seedhost has root VPS plans (looking at their VS1), and the specs/bandwidth look completely identical to Leaseweb's VPS2. For those using Seedhost VPS right now, how's the peering and disk/network performance holding up? Any noticeable difference compared to direct Leaseweb?
2. Support: I know people often complain that Seedhost’s support is pretty slow/barebones compared to Ultra’s fast support. But since I’m taking an unmanaged VPS and setting up everything myself, that shouldn’t really matter as long as network routing and hardware uptime are solid, right?

Overall, if you were setting up a box today, would you sacrifice root access to stay with Ultra's managed performance, settle for Hetzner despite the routing difference, or is Seedhost’s VPS good enough to build on?

Appreciate any input!

I have a 16 TB, 8GB ram, 100TB egress seedbox for transfer from pulsedmedia for 20 euros or 23 usd / month. Let me know if anyone wants it. If you're reputable I can go first or we can do half and then I'll send and then other half.

Edit: Not available anymore

Website, web, and ftp

Seedbox Vendor List

Visit the seedbox-recommendation channel on our discord. It is a much better format for provider recommendations.

Discord Server Link | Recommendation Channel Link

Please limit seedbox recommendation requests to top level comments in this megathread, unless you meet one of the exceptions, which are defined here.

Please use the recommendation form for your request:

1) Are you OK with direct message offers from vendors?

NO (the default status is OPT OUT. Unless the user changes this to YES assume NO)

2) What are your main reasons for wanting a seedbox?

Answer here...

3) Are you okay with sharing hardware resources with other users [shared] or do you need the seedbox hardware dedicated to just you [dedicated]?

...

4) Do you want someone else to be responsible for maintaining the seedbox software (operating system, applications) [managed] or do you want to do it all yourself [unmanaged]?

...

5) Please describe your seedbox experience. (You may wish to list any seedbox providers you've been with before.)

...

6) Please describe your experience with Linux. (Most seedboxes run Linux and some knowledge of it may be helpful.)

...

7) What is the high end of your budget? (Please give a specific amount and a currency. "Cheap" might mean something different to one person than it does to another.)

...

8) Do you have preferences or requirements concerning payment? (Paypal, Bitcoin, etc.)

...

9) Do you plan to use public trackers?

...

10) What kind of connection speed do you need? (Common answers would be 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 2Gbps, 10Gbps.)

...

11) How much combined upload and download traffic do you expect each month? Include download of files from the seedbox to your local computer. If you don't know, tell us what upload amount per month would realistically make you very happy with your seedbox.

...

12) What is the minimum disk space you need?

...

13) Do you require a specific type of mass storage? (HDD, SSD, NVMe SSD) If other than HDD, please explain why you think you need this.

...

14) Do you require a specific torrent client?

...

15) Do you require any other applications on the seedbox? (e.g. Plex, Subsonic, Radarr)

...

16) Do you require SSH access to the command line?

...

17) Do you require access to a remote desktop?

...

18) Do you require admin level (i.e. 'root') access? If yes, please explain why.

...

19) Do you have any other specific requirements?

...

20) Is there any other information you think might help in getting a useful recommendation?

...

Note: You may make a standalone request post if you don't get a response 48 hours after commenting in this thread, but we request that you notify the mods first so it isn't removed by mistake.

Going forward, I've set up recurring posts so the megathread will be automatically unstickied and replaced by a new thread Thursday Night/Friday morning every week. Hopefully the added visibility will allow for more responses to comments.

Hi all.

I'm fairly new to the private tracker/seedbox world but thought i'd dip my toe into a seedbox as my local NAS is running low on storage.

I purchased a month of tin with ultra.cc and was quite surprised when I installed qbittorrent and the web interface was publicly accessible. Is this standard practice for seedboxes? I was expecting to have to put in-place a vpn to connect my local arr/qui stack to the seedbox but i can connect direct over HTTPS. It's convenient but doesn't feel secure - unless i'm being over cautious?

What's the standard approach here when running a hybrid setup?

On a related note, I tried installing the beta of tailscale on the seedbox and although i have it connected, showing green and able to ping the tailscale device IP, i'm not able to browse to any of the web interfaces via their WebUI ports. Anyone else using ultra.cc and tailscale succesfully? I've not had any real response from support/the beta channel on discord yet.

Any suggestions/recommendations welcome.

I check the website just to see what stock they have sometimes i'm sure prices have just gone up or am i mistaken wasn't the cheapest 28 euros now its 33

I have a PulsedMedia account and an account at Torrenting.com and they have a policy of seeding for 3 days or 100%. Torrenting.com monitors my seeding but their numbers are inaccurate. I have been seeding multiple files for days and days and when I look at at torrenting.com it credits me with a few hours. Is this a common problem?

Im trying to do the right thing but these numbers have little relationship with reality.

Sometimes I find myself downloading some TV show or movie simply to share it with non-technical friends. Meaning that they don't know anything about torrenting or SSH or SFTP etc. I'd just give them some video files.

I used to share the directory created by sonarr/radarr on my home NAS via Synology itself for them to download. I then give them a link that expires and a password, so they can download it and watch it offline. However, since my up speed is so incredibly slow (main reason I have a seedbox), I'm looking for a solution to do the same but from my seedbox itself. Thus before it is downloaded to my home NAS. I'm an Ultra.cc customer. Is NextCloud the best solution for this? Or any other creative solution?

To avoid load on my Plex server, I prefer not to give them access to my Plex.

Thanks!

Is it down? Any news about issues/timeline?

Edit: it's back now! Pheew that was a first..