To access a P2P network you need to download, install and run a P2P tool (P2P client software).

With different tools you can access different networks. The table below gives an overview of tools you can use to access the three most popular P2P networks, FastTrack, Gnutella and eDonkey/Overnet:

FastTrack Network
· Kazaa
· Kazaa Lite
· iMesh
· Grokster
Gnutella Network
· Limewire
· BearShare
· Morpheus
· Xolox

eDonkey Network
· eDonkey2000
· ED2K Utils
· Sharereactor
· Overnet
· eMule

Many of the above mentioned tools to access the Gnutella and FastTrack network contain spyware or adware.

P2P tools allow you to choose any username you want, so that you remain effectively anonymous and untraceable when sharing and retrieving files.
Peer-to-Peer tools allow you to:

· Anonymously search and download files from the computers of other users in the P2P network. You just enter a keyword, view the search results and click on the files you want to download.

· Share your own files and offer other users to download them from your computer. (Once you have downloaded and installed a P2P tool you are able to select the files and folders you want to share with other users.)

Advanced features of P2P tools include:

· The option to browse through the library of music and files of whoever is sharing content. In this way, once you find music that you like from someone, you can browse through her music files to see what kind of other interesting music sHe has.

· The ability to view somebody else connection speed to the network. If you download from someone with a high connection speed you get things much faster than if you download from someone on a slow connection.
· The ability to view the file "bitrate". (For music files the bitrate is the indicator of sound recording quality.)

· The option to send instant messages to other users.

In general, P2P file swapping works on the principle of active sharing. If you want to download files from others, you should be willing to share at least what you have gotten.

Privacy risks may be incurred, if users are not realizing which folders and files on their hard disks are effectively being shared.

You can download P2P tools directly from the Web.
Most of the available P2P tools can be downloaded at CNET Download.com or through other online P2P resources like:

FastTrackZone

Slyck

An open directory list of P2P software tools is also available here.

by Robin Good