Can a torrent with zero seeders download?

Can a torrent with zero seeders download? I've heard a claim that a torrent with zero seeders can actually be downloaded in a finite amount of time, because not all people subscribe to the same torrent file, but you can still find them using other techniques such as DHT. Is this true in practice?
Asked by: Guest \| Views: 260

Total answers/comments: 3

Comments display order:

Guest [Entry]

"DHT and Peer Exchange are not tracker related, but program related, so yes they can find people who are downloading the same file but are not connected to the tracker you are using.
Those people that are found might be either seeders or leechers."

Guest [Entry]

Yes, it is true in practice - but not always. With no seeders, there's no guarantee that 100% of the download is available.

Guest [Entry]

"Yes, this is actually possible. I've downloaded torrents that are literally dead: 0 seeders and 0 leechers shown. Right now I'm downloading a 1.7GB file at my normal speed.

However, I'm confused as to how this actually works."