File-sharing programs

[Graft]

Which have you tried and which do you consider the best? I've been using Limewire for a few years, and haven't received any corrupt files. The only problem is, if I'm looking for music that is way off of the mainstream charts, it's hard to find. I assume this would be a problem with any file-sharing program and was wondering if there were any programs that had more programs than Limewire, or just a better program altogether.

[Spastic]

Just to reiterate guys, file sharing programs ONLY, if you link to any pirated music or torrent sites you will be banned.

[Matterialize]

In your case, Graft, the problem isn't the program. It's the networks that the program connects to, such as Gnutella 1 & 2, and eDonkey. I think those are the most common ones. If nobody on that network has the file you're looking for, then you can't get it.

I use Shareaza for my file-sharing needs, and as far as I know it uses the same networks as Limewire so the specific program you use doesn't really matter.

[CheesePlease]

I use Limewire and uTorrent.

Limewire for smaller files and uTorrent for larger ones.

I have a question. Whenever I download something on uTorrent that's over say 800mb, it starts off at a great speed (28kbps is my max) but as the hours go by it slowly crawls down to around 3-6kbps, even with multiple seeds and such. I already set the upload to the minimum and set the bandwidth on high and I was wondering if there was any way to stop this and speed it up? Thanks.

[Spastic]

You can try using something like peer guardian (http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/), it filters out bad IP's that slow down your downloads. Other than that I can't think of much, besides the regular old opening ports answer.

[MistyTehMoose]

I use Limewire and uTorrent.

Limewire for smaller files and uTorrent for larger ones.

I have a question. Whenever I download something on uTorrent that's over say 800mb, it starts off at a great speed (28kbps is my max) but as the hours go by it slowly crawls down to around 3-6kbps, even with multiple seeds and such. I already set the upload to the minimum and set the bandwidth on high and I was wondering if there was any way to stop this and speed it up? Thanks.

It's usually because the seeds slow their uploads down.

[CheesePlease]

I'll try that peer guardian thing, but I guess I'll have to live with it. Oh well. Thanks!

[Axidos]

I have a question. Whenever I download something on uTorrent that's over say 800mb, it starts off at a great speed (28kbps is my max) but as the hours go by it slowly crawls down to around 3-6kbps, even with multiple seeds and such. I already set the upload to the minimum and set the bandwidth on high and I was wondering if there was any way to stop this and speed it up? Thanks.

A torrented file is split up like a jigsaw, in pieces, or "parts". You have to download all the parts of the file, and not everybody you download off has all the parts. Right at the start of the torrent, there is so much to download from so many people. You might only be downloading at 5kb/s from each user, but if there's 10 people then that adds up to a considerable 50kb/s.
However, as you acquire more parts, there are less and less people who have the parts you still need. You're still downloading at the same speed as always from each user seeding you, though, so those 10 people will eventually drop down to 2 and you're left with 10kb/s.

Download speeds will generally always throttle down as a torrent becomes more and more complete.

Edit: harharhar

[CharlieH]

I'll tell you why.

It's because torrents are downloaded in pieces. As you get more and more pieces of it, it get harder to find all the different peices of the torrent. Especially if there are not many seeds, and you are downloading mainly from other peers.

EDIT: Damn you Axidos.

[Beefynick]

You might want to try a program called eMule. I used to use it and it worked very well for me. It is basically the replacement of eDonkey since it was shut down.

[MistyTehMoose]

I would prefer Limewire over eMule, but both are pretty terrible.

[allizdog]

About utorrent, people don't understand how it works. Everyone, like CheasePlease, sets the upload limit to the lowest possible because they think then their download will be faster. That is a misconception, and since the packet system of torrent has already been explained I don't need to explain more. If all utorrent users increased their upload speed or leave it the same, then the overall download speed of everyone would increase, and that is apparent with some users who either leave their U at default or increase it, that's when you experience the higher speed rate for a specific packet. This also depends on the amoun of people seeding. But obviously people are selfish and only care about themselves, they don't want people to download off them they just want to take what they want and leave, I bet no one here even seeds, so much for "sharing". I don't set limits on my uploads and sometimes it reaches 100kbps+, so if you download off me you're lucky.

If you play WoW you can relate to this. Whenever you're downloading an update, do you check the log? It shows you who and how fast you're downloading from. The update downloader also uses packet system, where pieces are downloaded from different users and sometimes the main server, however, Blizzard is smart and made it so that there is no limit on uploads or downloads, that's why update downloading is extremely fast relative to your internet speed (maxing out on the kbps), and if you're a WoW player you would be nodding your head in agreement.

I use soulseek for p2p, but it's only for music downloads, I usually go there for demos. The good thing about the users of soulseek is that if someone isn't sharing his files and he's downloading something off them, they ban that person from downloading their files. I do it myself. It's insane how people can be unbelievably selfish.

[Krabby]

Limewire and uTorrent.

Limewire for single songs, uTorrent for albums and movies, works like a charm.

EDIT: allizdog - I never delete anything I download, seed everything, at unlimited speed. I still rarely upload at high speed, my connection's just that bad :@

[MistyTehMoose]

Its a known fact uploads will lower your bandwith.

[CharlieH]

Yeah, for sure.

For me, uTorrent. It's the only program I'll use.

I used to use Kazzaa Lite, all those years ago, but that fucked my computer. Oh man, I missed out on Bittorrents for such a long time.

[Gudizere]

Yeah, I only use uTorrent for most things, I find Limewire unreliable as most of it is terrible song rips, which are 50% quiter than the rest of my libary.

[Graft]

Yeah, I only use uTorrent for most things, I find Limewire unreliable as most of it is terrible song rips, which are 50% quiter than the rest of my libary.

I hate that. Especially after you've put it on a cd and listen in the car. I'll turn it way up to hear the song, then the next one comes on and is loud as fuck.

[Clerlic]

I rarely download music myself, since I mostly listen to internet radio. Sometimes, when my mp3 player needs something fresh, I leave a recording program on a few Internet radio stations, I don't think that's even illegal since it's the same as recording from a real station on a tape, in my opinion, especially when it's all for personal use.
Also, this way I don't have to look for music myself and I get surprised by stuff I haven't heard before (not always pleasantly, of course).

[Spastic]

I use Ares, it's pretty simple and usually has the stuff I am looking for, not the greatest program ever and I hear the new versions suck. You can try an older version and see how you like it.

[CheesePlease]

uTorrent does the exact same thing as Ares except Ares slows your computer down a fuckload.

[allizdog]

Its a known fact uploads will lower your bandwith.

That is true but not in the same way p2p works because if many people download different files off you than your bandwidth would be sucked dry, in torrents there's only so much you can offer because different people download different pieces at different times. Also, bandwidth does not play a major role on downloads with torrents. You also have to decide whether you want to download or play world of warcraft (for example), doing both will result in hellish latency, 4 digits (at least with me that's the case). It's a sacrifice one must make, unless you have uber fast internet connection.

[MistyTehMoose]

Also, bandwidth does not play a major role on downloads with torrents.

It effects my internet, so I turn it down. Simple as that.

[suicidalme]

if you are looking for unknown bands are programs id do a google image for what your looking for followed by rapidshare. its a free service but there are restrictions which is why i bought myself an account

USER WAS PUT IN TIMEOUT FOR THIS POST. (http://forums.explosm.net/eventlog.php)
Reason: Google how to use a shift key.

[Hunnter]

I use uTorrent myself.

People going on about uploads and downloads, speed increase barely makes a difference, you need to edit the settings in Preferences for the amount of connections, that makes the biggest difference. (under BitTorrent)
Generally, it will require some trial and error to find the right balance of uTorrent to other apps.
My settings are at 750, 500 and 20, doesn't screw my other internet speeds up either.
Only problems with changing the above is that your ISP might screw you over for creating too many connections.

[Tweek]

I have a question, does DHT do anything major for me?
I turned it off so my ratio would go up on Demonoid and haven't noticed any changes.

[Ramirez23]

I use Azereus Vuze. It has some pretty cool features like "friend boost". Friend boost is "When you create a network of Friends on Vuze, you agree to seed content to each other on a preferential basis. That is, if one of your friends wants content you already have, they will be able to directly use a portion of your bandwidth to get it, over other users in the swarm. In this way you can “be there” for your friends, while still making your content available for others. One benefit of Friend Boost is that in most cases it will speed up downloads for you and your friends. The more friends, the more benefits." So I dont know if youre going to be sharing with friends or whatnot, or if other programs already have something similar, but Vuze has always worked great for me.

[Clerlic]

Apparently, there's a somewhat more legal equivalent of a torrent software now, it's in infant stage, but it's ideas sound promising.
It's called OFFSystem, an open source project, it's idea is best explained on it's website, http://offsystem.sourceforge.net/ . Basically, you never upload/download a specific file or a piece of a file to or from a user. Instead, you dowload garbled pieces, that can be a part of any possible file. The only illegal part could be the assembling of those encoded pieces into a usable file, but downloading/uploading is totally legal, but that's also questionable, since you've never actually copied that usable file, nor you did download it.

[Spastic]

Basically, you never upload/download a specific file or a piece of a file to or from a user. Instead, you dowload garbled pieces, that can be a part of any possible file.

What is the point in that? Maybe I am reading what you said wrong, but I don't want to download random parts of random files all day long in the hopes of maybe completing one download.

[Clerlic]

The site explains everything perfectly, when searching for a file, the system gives you an URL, which is simultaneously list of the necessary pieces, and an instruction to assemble the pieces in a working file. In my understanding, after that, the system searches for necessary pieces on all online users. It's all automatic of course, you don't need to search for the pieces and assemble them yourself like a puzzle, you just click the download button.

I just tried it, at the time it's pretty slow and doesn't have many files, but that's because it's so new, as soon as I move into my university flats, which have much faster internet, I'll be using that program a lot more.

[MyspAIDS]

I use soulseek for all my downloads. I've never gotten malware from it, downloads are generally fast, and the people in the rooms are extremely helpful when it comes to looking for music and new artists.

[Hunnter]

What is the point in that? Maybe I am reading what you said wrong, but I don't want to download random parts of random files all day long in the hopes of maybe completing one download.

Yeah, it sounds a bit stupid just now, but when it gets up and running with more data on it, it would be great.
It is basically a massive decentralized file server that contains seemingly random data, there are files ("torrents") that create a file from all the "mess".

So, nobody could really be breaking the law for containing a handful of bytes that could become an illegal file. (every single person using a computer contains data to create illegal files)
So from a file-sharing standpoint, it is completely legal.
The only thing that might be illegal (if not now, then soon) would be sharing the files to recreate them.
This would be similar to sharing information on how to hack computers illegally, or how to create bombs.

However, still doesn't mean that ISPs can't throttle you, as soon as you create X amount of connections at the same time, BHAM, throttled....

[BKS]

I use Groove for direct file-sharing. It lets me connect to people and send a document/folder, and it can be any size.


I do like it.

[Clerlic]

However, still doesn't mean that ISPs can't throttle you, as soon as you create X amount of connections at the same time, BHAM, throttled....

Which would mean that I would not be able to host game servers, internet radios or use stuff like swarm computing or whatever that's called.

I'd call that ISP every day and complain about my connection.

[Bobathy]

I Use A Program Called MP3 Rocket, Havnt Had A Problem With It and Im Downloading Songs In a Matter Of Seconds :)

[opn4bzns]

I have a question, does DHT do anything major for me?
I turned it off so my ratio would go up on Demonoid and haven't noticed any changes.

Anecdotally, it's made torrents faster for me, but only from public sites, since I don't think many people on demonoid use it.

[Tweek]

Thanks hombre, I figured it would be something like that.

[CasinoCloudz]

Try soulseek for hard to find music

[Kenneh]

Limewire for smaller files, Azereus for files over 60 MB.

[Chriz]

P2p programs is like having sex with HIV

[Clerlic]

By the way, when torrenting, private trackers is the way to go, way more seeds, frendlier community, better and rarer content. I won't be giving any links or invites for that matter, don't PM me either, but a certain tracker full of HD movies and shows made me stop watching tv with it's blurry picture and stupid shows.

[Spastic]

I agree with Cleric, it also helps with the integrity of the content itself. I have gotten a few infected downloads from some bigger named non private trackers, whereas with a private tracker the community is tighter, leading to less malicious torrents.