Limewire - Peer to Peer Music and File Sharing

Limewire is the most popular peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing program on the Internet. It’s written in the Java programming language and runs on a wide variety of platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux. Any type of file can be shared, such as music, movies, photos, etc.

Limewire uses the BitTorrent protocol and the Gnutella network to provide services. Users connect to each other directly (hence the peer-to-peer designation) without the need of a central server. Each user specifies the folders and files available for download from his/her system.

Installing Limewire Basic is fairly straightforward. You’ll have to get past a bunch of warnings about the perils of P2P. The only thing that’s loaded is the program and Java runtime environment. If you decide to uninstall Limewire, there will be some Java files left behind, and the Java runtime environment will also remain.

Limewire Basic intentionally limits the number of files found during searches. This (of course) was done to get you to purchase Limewire Pro. The interface is fairly easy to use and ads are pretty low key.

There isn’t much in the way of online support for the basic version. You have to upgrade to Pro or Extended Pro to gain access to tech support. However, the freely available FAQ and user manual should get you through any rough spots. There’s also a user forum and that’s probably the best place to get answers to your questions.

As for legal issues, the Limewire program is legal software. However, it can be used in illegal ways. The primary concern is with sharing copyrighted material. Copyright laws protect original works. Individuals who reproduce, distribute copies, or receive copies other than their own, without the consent of the owners, may be in violation of these laws. You should never copy (or allow anyone to copy from you) anything that is not produced for free public distribution. Make sure you have the legal right to download or upload material before proceeding.

There are basically 2 considerations when dealing with Limewire security.  You may accidentally share files on your computer that you intended to be private. This is the most frequent problem encountered and is easily avoided by paying attention to software settings.  You might also download viruses, copyrighted material, or pornography.

You control the degree of exposure through the use of settings, filters, and antivirus software. Make sure you have everything locked down tight to prevent unauthorized intrusion into your system. Read and understand the user’s manual that comes with the distribution or you downloaded from the company site. As an added safety precaution, connect to your system from another machine that’s running P2P software and see what you can gain access to.

Limewire offers several features to reduce your exposure:

Shared folders - You control which folders and files are shared when connected to the network. To display a list of shared folders, go to the Library tab and click on Shared Files. You can press the “Delete” button to remove any files or folders you want to keep hidden from the public.

Viruses - The company that produces Limewire doesn’t bundle third-party advertising components with its software. However, you can download viruses from other computers that are connected to the network. To help prevent this, use the content filter to ignore any files that end with .exe, .vbs, .lnk, .bat, .sys, or .com. Always run a high-quality antivirus program and be sure to keep it updated.

Pornography - Go to the Filters menu and select Configure Content Filters. Next, click the Keywords button and check the box that says Ignore Adult Content. This will activate the filter that examines downloaded files for adult content and will discard any that are found.

Shutdown and Startup - Always close Limewire when you are finished using it. Never walk away from your computer for an extended period of time while connected to the network. In the Tools menu under Options, you can click on the System Tray tab to choose “shutdown immediately”, or wait until all active downloads have completed. In the same menu under the Advanced tab is a section for System Startup. You can decide whether to launch Limewire automatically upon turning on your computer. Personally, I don’t do this. I’d rather start Limewire when I’m ready to use it.

As stated earlier, run a good antivirus system and keep it updated. The best ones update themselves automatically several times each day to catch the latest threats. Never leave your system unattended while Limewire (or any other file sharing software) is running. Make sure you know exactly which files and folders are being shared with the public. Scan all downloaded files for viruses and spyware before attempting to open them.