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10 Alternatives to LimeWire

Jared Moya — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:30:49 +0000

Now that LimeWire is gone for good, I've taken the time to compile a list of 10 alternative P2P programs that are available.

With U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood having recently issued an injunction ordering LimeWire to disable the “the searching, downloading, uploading, file trading and/or file distribution functionality, and/or all functionality” of the famed file-sharing program many former users have been searching for a viable alternative. LimeWire still says it plans to to return as a subscription-based “ecosystem” that will give subscribers “complete and instant access to their entire [music] library and catalog across their desktop, devices, and in the cloud,” but it's likely not to have much appeal for those who used LimeWire to download music, movies, TV shows, etc.. With this in mind I've taken the time to compile a list of 10 alternative P2P programs that are available. (UPDATED AUGUST 18th, 2011)

1. LimeWire Pirate Edition

The easiest alternative of all. Right after LimeWire was shut down a secret team of developers made some modifications to LimeWire 5.6 beta. They stripped it of all the spyware and adware, activated all of the PRO features, cut its dependency on LimeWire LLC’s servers, and released it back into the wild as LimeWire Pirate edition. So where can you find it? Right HERE.

2. BitTorrent

The personal favorite of many a file-sharer, BitTorrent breaks files down into smaller packets so that thousands of people can share the same file simultaneously. This scheme is particularly useful for trading large video files. With BitTorrent, high demand can actually increase throughput as more bandwidth and additional “seeds” of the file become available to the group. In contrast to other file-transfer protocols, BitTorrent is designed to work better as the number of people interested in a certain file increases. BitTorrent can support about a thousand times as many downloads as HTTP.

3. Usenet

Usenet is one of the oldest, and arguably safest, computer network communications still in use, having been first conceived way back in 1979 by a pair of Duke University graduate students to basically post messages as a sort of public bulletin board system. Users download content from Newsgroups, the better ones of which require a nominal monthly subscription fee. The benefit is that it offers relatively fast download speeds while simultaneously offering a great degree of safety and security.

4.

FrostWire uses both the Gnutella and BitTorrent protocols to download content. It's been around since 2004 and enjoys a loyal following. FrostWire includes much of the functionality of LimeWire's free version, as well as a few of LimeWire Pro's payment based upgrades.

5. MP3 Rocket beta

I include this one because I mentioned it yesterday and it holds promise for a new wave of clients that take advantage of the large volume of content that already exists legally on the web. MP3Rocket beta is a "time-shifting tool" that so far harnesses the music selection of YouTube to deliver “even faster” MP3 downloads. It has an easy to use user interface that lets you search through existing videos for conversion to an MP3 download. MP3 Rocket beta offers live on-demand streams for more than 3,000 movies and TV shows, a Live Radio feature offering more than 1,000 live radio stations, and a Game Player providing access to more than 1,000 games.

6. WinMX

Then there is WinMX. Yes, after all these years, there is still an active community of WinMXworld. Typically, users can connect to WinMX via the help of WinMXWorld where patches can be retrieved to get the client and network working again.

7. KaZaA Lite

KaZaA Lite is a hacked version of the original KaZaA Media Desktop that was created by users who were angered by the network's inclusion of secretly embedded spyware and adware in the software. It provides access to the same FastTrack network as the P2P program Kazaa Media Desktop, but does not require users to install any third-party software or view any banner ads.

8. Shareaza

Shareaza offers connections to the Gnutella2, Gnutella, eDonkey, and BitTorrent networks. It's easy to use and users should have no trouble quickly figuring out how to search, check our network status, and customize the interface through a healthy choice of skins. Shareaza also has a decent built-in media player for common audio and video formats. Other features include a chat client and the ability to schedule transfers.

9. Ares

Ares is a free open source file sharing program that lets you search and download just about any file shared by other users. With Ares you can also join chat rooms or host your channel and meet new friends. Latest versions support BitTorrent and lets you preview audio and video files downloads in progress.

10. eMule

eMule is a file-sharing client based on the eDonkey2000 network, but offers more features than the standard eDonkey client. This client also now include a new serverless network based on Kademlia. The client is also open source but under the restrictions of the GPL License. eMule is one of the biggest and most reliable P2P file-sharing clients around the world.

The Limewire Loss, Where to From Here? (Alternatives to Limewire)

Drew Wilson — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:05:37 +0000

With the loss of Limewire in court earlier this month, many are reflecting what was Limewire and the developer behind it. The next question is, where do we go from here should Limewire fall under the waves of time?

Limewire was an "old school" app for a lot of people. It's rise to popularity can be traced clear back when Kazaa started to fail as a premier app for file-sharing. When Kazaa more or less fell to the way side, many users turned to several other apps. It may be one of the bigger moments that the file-sharing community was split in several directions. Users went to either Limewire or other Gnutella applications, eMule or eDonkey2000 on the eDonkey2000 network, WinMX, Shareaza which is connectible to the Gnutella2 network or the earliest of stages of BitTorrent via the mainline BitTorrent client if users were lucky enough to hear about it at the time. If you believe some sources, the recent loss in courts spells the end of an application that many chose as their main app for file-sharing for years. It's hard not to see this as the end with the developer facing a multi-million dollar fine at this point. According to an article on CNET, Mark Gorton was working on getting a deal with record labels to turn Limewire in to a legitimate service. Unfortunately, the RIAA views him as the next Bernie Madoff ripping people off. How one views Gorton may depend on how much of each side of the debate you believe. One can't help but remember how Napster could have been an amazing business model if a deal were simply worked out - how similar is that to Limewire's case today? Rather than finding ways to work with technology, the copyright industry is merely stamping out any signs of change to offshore sources where it is significantly harder to get at. How many people are willing to believe that once the RIAA has killed off all the file-sharing, that it'll then magically make an overwhelmingly attractive business model online given the experience of DRM and the majors ability to covertly slit the throats of the competition thanks to an overwhelming monopoly rather than the ability to produce a decent product? Given past experience with file-sharers, it's very easy to see how this huge loss for Limewire will ultimately mean very little to file-sharers in terms of being able to share files. It's then easy to see that the only thing this lawsuit solves is quite possibly ruining a few people's lives - those who were close to the development of Limewire. It's important to remember that Limewire merely connected to a network. It's not as though killing the app means killing the community. The difficulty is in trying to figure out where displaced file-sharers will go after. Some will merely find the latest Limewire client and continue file-sharing anyway. Others could easily just switch to Frostwire so as to keep to the familiar, but still know that development is happening to keep the app prestine. Some file-sharers might take a bit of a leap and jump on to eMule. Since the eDonkey2000 application is now defunct in terms of development. In fact, one might suggest that a similar situation happened with the war between the two major apps that connected to the ED2K network. One was open source (eMule) and the other was closed source (eDonkey2000), but both connected to the same network. eDonkey2000 (the app) was forced to shut down, but eMule is still around with an active community of developers working on mods of the eMule application. Some suggest that eMule being open source has been the reason it's stayed alive for so long. Just remember that if you have to connect to the ED2K network (since eMule connects to the Kad network as well which is serverless), then get your servers from a trusted source - though it is a good way to get connected in to Kad. Then there is WinMX. Yes, after all these years, there is still an active community of WinMXworld. Typically, users can connect to WinMX via the help of WinMXWorld where patches can be retrieved to get the client and network working again. There is also Shareaza. It's a client that can connect to multiple networks at once. While not really recommended for connecting to ED2K servers, there's still both the Gnutella and Gnutella2 networks which is active with users. Since there was a domain issue, potential Shareaza users are better off going to the Sourceforge page instead to get their client. With a strong hashing system, it's really hard to pollute files as seen on the FastTrack (Kazaa) network. If BitTorrent users are screaming "BitTorrent! BitTorrent! Will someone please think of the BitTorrent! As an alternative of course!" at this point, yes, BitTorrent is theoretically an alternative, though not as compatible of an alternative to the other P2P apps simply because of the structure of the networks. Many users either use Vuze or uTorrent. The question is, what sites to use? If some like to work on getting access to their files, then there's always a plethora of private sites. Unfortunately, public sites have been increasingly hard to get. There's ThePirateBay where, after multiple attempts to shut the site down, the site continues to live. There is also the ISOHunt search engine that recently seems to be legally forced to block US residents these days *cough*proxie*cough*. Let's not forget the fight club of file-sharing, UseNet. Oops, I talked about UseNet. What about IRC file-sharing clients? It's unclear where Limewire users will go if they do choose to go elsewhere. Still, after going through so many alternatives, once can't help but be reminded at just how unwinnable the war on file-sharing really is. Have a tip? Want to contact the author? You can do so by sending a PM via the forums or via e-mail at drew@zeropaid.com.

Sharemonkey helps you make your files legit

Jared Moya — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:26:41 +0000

There’s a new program out called ShareMonkey that helps users turn their “tainted” music and movie files illegally downloaded from P2P and file-sharing networks into legal ones by showing users where they can be purchased and replaced online.

Now I don’t know that it will find widespread popularity or instill some sort of groundbreaking catharsis in the hearts and minds of file-sharers but, I’m sure some of you out there will find it useful.

ShareMonkey is intended to be a way for people to support artists and content producers after acquiring their work for free on a P2P or file-sharing network where no “financial contribution” was made.

The creators of ShareMonkey make three interesting propositions:

What about the millions of people who want to pay for their downloaded music, movies and software?
What’s the route to market for the guy who downloaded a cinema cam of what becomes his favourite movie?
What about the graduate who now has money to pay for the music that helped her through university?

To me it seems like one would be better off avoiding P2P and file-sharing networks in the first place if one is so encumbered by its moral failings but, nonetheless Sharemonkey’s creators do make a few good points.

For instance, I know many have grabbed a CAM or DVDScreener of a new flic only to discover after watching it that it wasn’t even worth the cost of bandwidth to do so. Yet, what if the movie was good and therefore did deserve some kind of “contribution” to those who created it? Well, using ShareMonkey you could find who’s selling a LEGAL COPY of it (obviously once it’s released on DVD or a legal online video service) and thereby “make amends.” That way it hopefully means that the right people are receiving the correct amount of support and reward for their efforts, and it helps to ensure that quality content will continue to be produced.

Music is a much simpler example, and perhaps even an easier sell. Due to the cutthroat nature of the music biz, I’m sure we all can agree that it’s far more important for music artists to be properly compensated. More succinctly, ShareMonkey can allow you to pay for the track or two you actually like on the album rather than having to be saddled with the cost of the whole thing. Think of it as a “free preview” in which you got to check the whole thing out before making your decision.

ShareMonkey knows the album origin of 500,000 of the most shared MP3′s, and also has matched more than 200,000 movies; cams, rips, trailers and extras, to the DVDs they originally came from, and they’re “…matching more every day.”

It can also tell you what game, application or book your download came from. All you do is right click on a file in Windows and choose “Where is this file from?.”

So how does it work?

Well, I’m glad you asked. It’s pretty easy, just download and install to begin.

(Oddly enough, installation offers the chance to download and install Shareaza but, I recommend using BitTorrent if you don’t already)

Then all you have to do is “right-click” a selected file and choose “Where is this file from?” in the explorer menu.

Here I chose a track by “Hot Club de Paris” from the SXSW 2007 Music Showcase BitTorrent download I talked about a while back.

The results for your ShareMonkey search then appear in your internet browser. In this case it looks like the album costs about $32 bucks (I think I’ll be sticking with my FREE single track)

Not all searches are as easy and successful however, some take a bit more work. When no direct matches occur it will display a search option with more listings for you to look through as shown below.

I mentioned before how it offers a Shareaza download when installing ShareMonkey, well it also offers a Shareaza plugin as shown below which also allows you to look through the results inside the Shareaza program itself. Pretty cool if Shareaza’s your thing.

All in all, I think there’s much easier ways to find legit copies of downloaded content but, I must admit that a simple “right-click” does have a certain amount of appeal.

DOWNLOAD SHAREMONKEY

Looking for more stuff to watch or download?
FREE BITTORENT DOWNLOAD of the DAY – SSXW’s Austin, TX Local Music Artists Roundup
TVU, Free P2P Cable TV
3 Quick Ways to Watch Movies for FREE!
3 quick ways to watch TV shows for FREE
BitTorrent torrent sites & search engines
Azureus – A Beginner’s Guide to BitTorrent Downloading
uTorrent – A Beginner’s guide to BitTorrent downloading

SOULXTC: “walkin’ the streets of P2P”