Getting Familiar with Ares Galaxy

Ares is a peer-to-peer (P2P) program used to share documents, pictures, music, videos, software and other digital files. It features a basic user interface with a built-in media player, file organizer, BitTorrent support and streaming radio from Shoutcast. Ares is an open-source application and was originally part of the Gnutella network, but it separated and developed its own supernode network. Ares or Ares Galaxy is officially hosted on www.sourceforge.net.

Ares was created almost a decade ago in 2002. It initially operated under the Gnutella network (which supported similar programs like Napster and LimeWire), but Ares later switched to its own network. Like LimeWire, Ares was mainly used for music downloading. Because of its unique protocol, Ares was able to work in restricted environments without being detected.

Ares had a promising start; it was initially free from fake and broken files. As its popularity grew, however, anti-piracy groups working for the RIAA caught on and started a sabotage. Corrupt MP3s that never start downloading were hosted from sources with fast connections, making them appear on top of the search results. Connections also started to become erratic.

New changes were introduced over the years, and from version 1.9.4, Ares began supporting BitTorrent. The hashlink method was also introduced so that Ares can locate new peers. You need to enter a specific hashlink in the address bar to share files and enter chat rooms. File hashlinks are for downloading files, while channel hashlinks are for joining chat rooms. Some hashlinks can carry viruses, so indiscriminate clicking is not recommended.

The latest version of Ares is 2.1.7. It was released in October 2010 and is available on Microsoft Windows 98, 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Vista and 7. Aside from basic file sharing, you can search for torrent files as well. Ares 2.1.7 also provides streaming online radio from Shoutcast station and chat rooms where you can meet Ares users from all over the world.

Ares is as basic as you can get with P2P, but it delivers strong performance. You can share and download virtually any digital file. You can also participate in the Ares worldwide community by joining chat rooms and hosting your own channel. The current version of Ares also supports Shoutcast, a streaming online radio station.

High-Speed Downloads

Faster downloading is possible with Ares because it automatically looks for multiple sources simultaneously. Ares also works behind firewalls. You don’t have to worry if your download is interrupted or cut off, because Ares has the automatic resume feature.

File Management

Ares features a library organizer that lets you sort your files into categories and folders. It easily allows you to change your share settings. And if you have a hard time locating a missing file, simply use the quick search feature by typing a keyword in the search box.

Built-in Media Player

The Ares media player comes with the free program. This is a very handy feature when you want to preview the files that are still downloading. You can even create playlists of your favorite songs using the media player.

Chat Rooms

In the Ares chat room, you can meet new friends and chat with people around the globe while you wait for your files to download. And if you want to start a conference, you can easily host your own channel or chat room.

Shoutcast Radio

Shoutcast streaming radio is available on the Ares built-in media player. Tune in to Shoutcast to get ideas for playlists or just listen to cool tunes.

BitTorrrent Support

Ares version 2.7.1 now supports the BitTorrent protocol, which means you can search for and download torrent files all within the same interface.

Other Features

Ares has a simple interface that even brand new users can easily get comfortable with. Bandwidth and queues are regulated for fast and efficient file transfer. The media filter also blocks viruses and infected files.

Ares reviews are general positive, but some people may experience connection problems. The Gnutella network also has a larger library than Ares, so you may find it hard to find those rare files. On the other hand, you get a neat, user-friendly interface, a built-in browser, fast downloads, a decentralized network and automatic scanning for files.

Ares Galaxy can be safely downloaded from Ares Download. You will find several Ares clones on the web like Ares Ultra, Ares Vista and Ares Gold, which often ask you to pay a fee in exchange for “legal” file downloading and supposedly faster downloads. Unfortunately, most of these rip-off programs also carry viruses. Remember that you don’t have to pay a cent to use Ares. Ares has been free since 2002, and it will always be free. Ares is also clean and does not infect your computer with Trojans. Make sure to download Ares from the official website.

Ares makes it easy to share your personal documents, pictures and files with other users, but the program is primarily used to download popular games, music and films. Many people take it for granted that distributing copyrighted material without permission is illegal in the United States and many other countries. Civil lawsuits have been filed against people who committed copyright infringement. This means you can face legal action, fines and criminal penalties by distributing proprietary digital files. The Ares website has an excellent page on using P2P software properly and safely. You can also learn more about copyright laws and copyright infringement by visiting the links on that page.

Securing Your Data

When you share a folder on Ares, it means that you are sharing that folder with the world. And if you have private information in that shared folder, other users can access this and may even use it against you. You can unwittingly share medical and financial information if you are not careful. To avoid identity theft, make sure to check your shared folder and only add files that you want the world to see. Remove any sensitive files and perform regular clean up.