November 25, 2007 by sharky
Users require just two things: An Internet connection and P2P client software to connect you to the P2P network(s). This is a little easier than BitTorrent in terms of difficulty - as there are no necessary websites to visit or external files to download. Here’s a list of some of the available programs and which network(s) they run on:
| Limewire v4.14 | Gnutella network. |
| BearShare Lite 5.2.5.1 | Gnutella & G2 network. |
| Shareaza v2.3.1 | Connect to the Gnutella, Gnutella 2 and eDonkey2000 (eD2K) networks. |
| eMule v0.48a | Connects to the eDonkey2000 (eD2K) and KAD networks. |
| TruxShare v3.8.0 | Connects to the Gnutella (G1) and Gnutella2 (G2) networks. |
| KCeasy v0.18 | Connects to the Ares, Gnutella and OpenFT/giFT networks. |
| Ares Galaxy v.2.0.9.30 | Connects to the Ares network. |
| Blubster 2.69 (Free) | Connects to the MP2P/Manolito network. |
| Zultrax P2P v4.17 (Free) | Connects to the ZEPP/Gnutella networks. |
| Soulseek v157 | Connects to its own network. |
— Our full reviews for these P2P programs are here.
— For a list of other P2P programs, see our Other P2P page.
Searching for P2P Programs
Click on the links above or do a search for “P2P software” on afterdawn.com, download.com or tucows.com for these applications (or any other reputable software site). Be advised that even these sites will display some P2P software that contain adware/spyware, or charge a fee to use. There are dozens of other P2P programs out there on a few different networks that aren’t mentioned above, and are included on our “Other P2P” page.
Typically, be cautious when searching for these on a major search engine, such as MSN or Google. The results may contain the official sites mixed in with ‘pay’ sites. There are many sites that try to charge a fee for Limewire or other P2P software. Don’t do this. Instead, visit www.limewire.com and download the BASIC version (free). One example of this is the program “360Share Pro” which connects to the exact same P2P network as Limewire, and even looks similar right down to the exact same buttons and fields. You’ll swear it’s the same program, except you pay to use 360Share. Why is it so similar you ask? Because Limewire is “Open Source”, meaning that the computer code used to create it is available publicly. Another company or person used Limewire’s code, but changed one or two things (like the name of the software at the top) and released it as their own, and then charge people for it to boot. It’s a similar situation for “Shareaza”: This is free P2P software on a free P2P network, but there’s plenty of “pay” versions. Some of this software may also contain adware or spyware. Rule of thumb: If you are on webpage that evidently asks for a credit card number, you’re on the wrong site.
Limewire
Here’s a look at the Limewire main screen and some of its features.
1.Search Tab - You can click on one of the six boxes below to fine-tune your search. This opens the search field window.
2.Search Field Windows - Enter the name you want to search here.
3.Library Tab - This opens up the ‘Shared Files’ and ‘Saved Files’ window for viewing.
4.Quality - This is the ‘rating’ for the items in the searched. This is quite subjective.
5.# - This is the number of people who are sharing the same exact file. Technically the higher this number, the faster the download, and more trustworthy the file is.
6.Search Window - All of the results for that search appear here. You can leave it open and perform multiple searches.
7.Name - These are the names of the files that came back in the search.
8.Type - This is the type of file found in the search (i.e. mp3, .avi, .mov, .exe etc.)
9.Size - The size of the file.
10.Speed - This is the speed at which other people have that file. It’s arbitrary since it only reports back what people have set Limewire to, not the actual line speed.
11.Bitrate - The bitrate of the song. Only applies when ‘audio’ results are shown.
12.Search Button - Click this to begin the search.
13.Direct Connect - This allows two people to connect ONLY to each other in Limewire. It works like this: It shows your IP address and port number. You give that number to someone, and then they do the same thing and give you THEIR info which you put here.
14.Download Button - Click an item in the search window, then click download. This will start the process. Or simply just double-click the item in the search results window to engage the download.
15.Browse Host - This is one of the best features of Limewire. Highlight an item that you searched for, and then click ‘Browse Host’. It will show you everything in that person’s shared folders. Doesn’t always work though.
16.Stop Button - Stops the search.
17.Name - The name of the file you are downloading.
18.Size - The size of the file you are downloading.
19.Status - The status of the file. (Queued, Waiting in Line, Complete, Need More Sources, Downloading from 1 host, etc.)
20.Progress - The progress bar of the download from 0 - 100%.
21.Speed - The speed in which you’re receiving the file.
22.Time - Approximate time for the file to completely download.
23.Cancel/Clear Button - This will cancel a download in progress or clear a finished download.
24.Resume/Find Sources Button - This will attempt to resume a download that you previously paused, or it will search for new sources if none were found.
25.Pause - This will pause the selected download(s).
26.Launch/Preview Button - This will launch/play a file (song) that has completed or it will preview/play a file (song) during the download process.
27.Explore - This will open the folder where the file is located.
28.Clear Inactive - This will clear all downloads that have finished. It will not clear the other ones.
29.Network Connection Status - Shows your connection on a scale of 5 bars. The Globe beside it shows your firewall status. This will turn blue if you have configured your firewall correctly.
30.Green Button - Shows how many files you are sharing.
31.Green Arrows - Shows your total current download and upload speeds.
32.These are the Limewire menus.
One feature of Limewire that’s worth mentioning again is the “Browse Host” option. Users can highlight a search result, click the ‘Browse Host’ button and see what that person is sharing in their shared folders. This can be really handy, and save a lot of time. Sometimes the other person has similar titles that you were looking for as well. It sure saves time in looking through all the results, or having to go back and search again. Plus, it’s just plain fun to look through what other people have!
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