Beginners Guide to p2ping!

[Malicious Intent]

Beginners Guide to p2ping!

Downloading music from the internet is incredibly simple, can take less time than it takes to get to the shops and its free. Here is a dummies guide to getting started:

Preparing Your PC
Before you start to download, you need to prepare your computer. Downloading is a dangerous game if you don’t take the correct precautions. The following will help you avoid and kill viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, adware and other nasties, but will not stop law-suits. Once that is done, the required software for playing your media is needed.

ANTI-VIRUS
This should already be installed on your computer. If not, it is now more important than ever. You can download AVG anti-virus for free at:
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Download and install the software. Make sure that whatever anti-virus you choose, you keep it up to date with the latest definitions (database) and scan regularly.

You can also help stop viruses by switching on the windows XP firewall.
-> Go to “My network places”
-> Select “My network connections” on the left hand side
-> Right click on your internet connection and select “properties”
-> Select the “Advanced” tab and tick the box to enable the firewall.
Further to this, make sure you regularly check Windows Update

ANTI-SPYWARE
Spyware and adware (collectively “crapware”) are usually picked up by surfing the internet. It is usually harmless, just monitors what webpages you go to for advertising purposes, although some can use up your computer processing power and some may be used to find out passwords. Many consider it an invasion of privacy. If this doesn’t bother you, then you can skip this stage. However, remember this software for if your internet browser gets hi-jacked with a toolbar or an unchangeable homepage.
Ad-aware is a program scans your computer for crapware and deletes it, much the same as a virus scanner. It can be downloaded free at Lavasoft.
Spybot Search and Destroy is very simular, but may pick up crapware missed by Ad-aware (and visa-versa).
As with anti-virus, it is important to keep the database up to date.
It is likely that you will find a lot of ad-ware on the first scan. It can also be daunting how quickly the adware comes back. Make sure that you scan regularly.

PREPARE FOR YOUR DOWNLOADS
There are many media players, but the most common for new users is Windows Media Player 9. This can be downloaded from here
To play video files and lots of music files you need additional codecs. This tells the computer how to decode the information in the file so that your media player can play it.
-> Go to K-Lite Codec Packs
-> Selecting a mirror from the top of the page.
-> Scroll down to "K-Lite Codec Pack 2.27 Full" and select a further mirror from the right hand column.
-> Once the download is complete, run the file and follow the set-up wizard. When given the option, select "playback only". Remember this option if you plan to encode your own files in the future.

Getting Free Music
Now your computer is prepared you can start downloading. This guide will run you through how to use Ares, as it is simple to use and has all the basic functions.

DOWNLOAD ARES
Download the file from Download.com and save to your harddrive.

INSTALL ARES
When the download is complete, run the file and follow the installation wizard. When given the option, DO NOT install NavHelper or any other options. It is all spyware. ONLY install Ares itself and the desktop icon if you wish.

USING ARES
Once installation is complete, Ares will load and connect to the network. A window will pop up asking if you want to enter a user name. Type in whatever you want, or press No and be called Anon#####. It makes no difference, but a screen name is nicer if you plan to use the chat.
Select “Control Panel” at the far right of the toolbar.
Under “General” you can change the screen name you entered at the start. Look through the other options.
Go to the “Transfer” tab. Select where you want to save your music and other files to under "Download folder"
If you already have some media to share, select “Library” on the toolbar. Then select "prefereneces" in the top left, under "Web". Select the "manual configure" tab and tick the folders with the media in.
Press OK. Close and re-open Ares so that these changes take effect.
Press the “Library” button and you will see any media that you selected being hashed. Just let Ares get on with it. If it’s slowing down your computer then wait a while for it to finish. It only needs doing once. Alternatively you can use the "Priority" slider bar to adjust how many resources Ares uses for hashing. Less priority means that you will be able to continue with other tasks, but the hashing will take longer.
Once done or if your computer is running OK, press the “Search” tab.
Type in what you want to find, such for your favourite artist and press search.
Look for the song that you are after and double click it. The more stars the faster it will download, depending on your internet connection speed.
The higher the “Quality” (seen by hovering over the file) the better it will sound, but the larger the file. Some say 128kbits is a good compromise, others say 192kbits. Experiment and decide what is best for you.
To see what you are downloading, select the “Transfer” tab. You will see how much of it you have, how fast you are getting it and an estimate to how long is left.
Under the download section is the upload section. This says how quickly you are uploading your files to others. That’s how p2p works, you all swap music with each other, but with the added bonus that you keep what you pass on.
Once the file is complete you can play it. You can find it in the Ares Library or in the folder that you told Ares to download to (Download Folder in preferences).

Moving On
That’s the end of this introduction to downloading using p2p. Try playing around with the options under search, or editing the details in your library so files are labelled correctly. Try downloading non-music files, such as a TV episode.
Ares is far from the only p2p application. You can see the other applications here:
http://www.zeropaid.com/php/filesharing.php
There are FAQs on the programs in the forums.
If you are in America, avoiding lawsuits may also be important. Currently there has been no cases involving Ares users, but this is subject to change. Watch the news on the front page and read posts in the forums as knowledge is power.
Those not in American now need to also proceed with caution. The IFPI has launched lawsuits against sharers in Europe, with a focus on Denmark. Recently a German sharer settled out of court for €8000. There is talk of further law-suits in Europe, Australia and Japan.
Those in Canada have been given some breathing space by a recent court decision that uploading is lawful. This is subject to an appeal.
The British Phonographic Industry is also suing users. Again, Ares is not a target, but this is subject to change.
Peerguardian is often quoted as something that may help. It works by attempting to block IP addresses belonging to companies that monitor who is uploading what files.
Protowall is a similar program to Peerguardian.
www.Slyck.com also has a beginner’s guide that may be worth reading.
The Zeropaid Forums are full of useful information to keep you up to date about the latest and best media players and other software.

[The Hunter]

Thread stickied.

[shawners]

what are you doin to us NOOBS !! THEIRS no crying in filesharing.. =)

[shawners]

oh ps... your still not goonna get the mod job :P~ jk

[Greylin]

Sweet. Just a suggestion...how about including Spybot for detection of adware/malware. Also, how about suggesting a "good" media player such as VLC. Moreover, instead of peergaurdian I would suggest you link to Bluetack Internet Security Solutions for Protowall.

[bobdone]

Thanks for the infor but how do i safely open up my PC to enable others to upload?

Beginners Guide to p2ping!

Downloading music from the internet is incredibly simple, can take less time than it takes to get to the shops and its free. Here is a dummies guide to getting started:

Preparing Your PC
Before you start to download, you need to prepare your computer. Downloading is a dangerous game if you don’t take the correct precautions. The following will help you avoid and kill viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, adware and other nasties, but will not stop law-suits. Once that is done, the required software for playing your media is needed.

ANTI-VIRUS
This should already be installed on your computer. If not, it is now more important than ever. You can download AVG anti-virus for free at:
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Download and install the software. Make sure that whatever anti-virus you choose, you keep it up to date with the latest definitions (database) and scan regularly.

You can also help stop viruses by switching on the windows XP firewall.
-> Go to “My network places”
-> Select “My network connections” on the left hand side
-> Right click on your internet connection and select “properties”
-> Select the “Advanced” tab and tick the box to enable the firewall.
Further to this, make sure you regularly check Windows Update

ANTI-SPYWARE
Spyware and adware (collectively “crapware”) are usually picked up by surfing the internet. It is usually harmless, just monitors what webpages you go to for advertising purposes, although some can use up your computer processing power and some may be used to find out passwords. Many consider it an invasion of privacy. If this doesn’t bother you, then you can skip this stage. However, remember this software for if your internet browser gets hi-jacked with a toolbar or an unchangeable homepage.
Ad-aware is a program scans your computer for crapware and deletes it, much the same as a virus scanner. It can be downloaded free at Lavasoft
As with anti-virus, it is important to keep the database up to date.
It is likely that you will find a lot of ad-ware on the first scan. It can also be daunting how quickly the adware comes back. Make sure that you scan regularly.

PREPARE FOR YOUR DOWNLOADS
There are many media players, but the most common for new users is Windows Media Player 9. This can be downloaded from here
To play video files and lots of music files you need additional codecs. This tells the computer how to decode the information in the file so that your media player can play it.
-> Go to K-Lite Codec Packs
-> Under “K-Lite Codec Pack”, press “Download”
-> Selecting a mirror under the “full” version and save the file.
-> Once the download is complete, run the file and follow the set-up wizard. When given the option, select "playback only". Remember this option if you plan to encode your own files in the future.

Getting Free Music
Now your computer is prepared you can start downloading. This guide will run you through how to use Ares, as it is simple to use and has all the basic functions.

DOWNLOAD ARES
Download the file from Download.com and save to your harddrive.

INSTALL ARES
When the download is complete, run the file and follow the installation wizard. When given the option, DO NOT install NavHelper. It is spyware. If you accidently install it, it can be removed from Add/Remove Programs.
You can read what NavExcel have to say about their software here.

USING ARES
Once installation is complete, Ares will load and connect to the network. A window will pop up asking if you want to enter a user name. Type in whatever you want, or press No and be called Anon#####. It makes no difference, but a screen name is nicer if you plan to use the chat.
Select “Control Panel” at the far right of the toolbar.
Under “General” you can change the screen name you entered at the start. Look through the other options.
Go to the “Transfer” tab. Select where you want to save your music and other files to under "Download folder"
If you already have some media to share, select “Library” on the toolbar. Then select "prefereneces" in the bottom left. Select the "manual configure" tab and tick the folders with the media in.
Press OK. Close and re-open Ares so that these changes take effect.
Press the “Library” button and you will see any media that you selected being hashed. Just let Ares get on with it. If it’s slowing down your computer then wait a while for it to finish. It only needs doing once. Alternatively you can use the "Priority" slider bar to adjust how much resources Ares uses for hashing. Less priority means that you will be able to continue with other tasks, but the hashing will take longer.
Once done or if your computer is running OK, press the “Search” tab.
Type in what you want to find, such as your favourite artist and press search.
Look for the song that you are after and double click it. The more stars the faster it will download, depending on your internet connection speed.
The higher the “Quality” (seen by hovering over the file) the better it will sound, but the larger the file. Some say 128kbits is a good compromise, others say 192kbits. Experiment and decide what is best for you.
To see what you are downloading, select the “Transfer” tab. You will see how much of it you have, how fast you are getting it and an estimate to how long is left.
Under the download section is the upload section. This says how quickly you are uploading your files to others. That’s how p2p works, you all swap music with each other, but with the added bonus that you keep what you pass on.
Once the file is complete you can play it. You can find it in the Ares Library or in the folder that you told Ares to download to (Download Folder in preferences).

Moving On
That’s the end of this introduction to downloading using p2p. Try playing around with the options under search, or editing the details in your library so files are labelled correctly. Try downloading non-music files, such as a TV episode.
Ares is far from the only p2p application. You can see the other applications here:
http://www.zeropaid.com/php/filesharing.php
There are FAQs on the programs in the forums.
If you are in America or Canada, avoiding lawsuits may also be important. Currently there has been no cases involving Ares users, but this is subject to change. Watch the news on the front page and read posts in the forums as knowledge may well be power.
Those not in American or Canada now need to also proceed with caution as there is talk of law-suits in Europe and Australia. So far there has yet to be any cases, so watch the news.
Peerguardian is often quoted as something that may help. It works by blocking IPs belonging to companies that monitor who is uploading what files.
www.Slyck.com also has a beginner’s guide that may be worth reading.
Forums are also useful to keep you up to date about the latest and best media players and other software.

[Greylin]

Once you have researched the information that is contained within this guide and have installed some of or similar programs you should be ready. The filesharing programs are designed to do the work they set up the structure by which info is uploaded/downloaded. The rest is up to you on deciding which programs to use based on your personal preferences. The only thing that might impede transfers would be a firewall, for which you would have to "allow" or grant permission for the program trying to access the net. Hope this helps.

[Malicious Intent]

Thanks Greylin, I've updated. I have decided against including VLC. WMP is already included on most PCs. As much as I gritted my teeth as I typed it, I think that WMP is therefore the simpliest. It also avoids arguments over what other media players to include and explaining how codecs are built into VLC.
Ares isn't the perfect p2p and WMP isn't the perfect media player. In both cases I suggest new users look at other options. New users just want to get on and download. They can think about other things later.

bobdone, as Greylin says, after following my post, you wil be relatively safe. The only thing I will add is to make sure when you are selecting media to share, you only select folders with media you wish to share. Don't share your whole harddrive for example, as sensitive documents may be leaked.

[shawners]

how can they be leaked malicious.?. theres no liquid in my pc.

[Malicious Intent]

Remove the fans.

[skorchedbellend]

i was with you until you got to the bit about Ares. I always thought ares was a bit of a poor mans kazaa. Surely there were better app you could have introduced people too.

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

Thx M.I. - I will refer back to this post when I get my broadband set up this summer.

[Malicious Intent]

i was with you until you got to the bit about Ares. I always thought ares was a bit of a poor mans kazaa. Surely there were better app you could have introduced people too.

Ares has grown up a lot. It isn't perfect, but it is very very simple. Not a lot you can do wrong. I make it clear that newbies should later try other programs, but Ares is excellent for them to find their feet.

[method]

(I'm gonna be hated for thread resurrection today!!)

New PG is in the pipeline and due soon... (Kernal-level blocking, ALL protocols, 0% CPU)

More info... http://methlabs.org/methlabs.htm

Just thought I'd post as I noticed malicious changed the PG link to PW.

[Malicious Intent]

I'll update it straight away. Thanks Method.
I thought that Peerguardian had stopped? Last I heard you were too busy and decided to let PW take over.
So what is the deal?