StrongDC++

p2p filesharing is one of the most important applications in the insti-wide lan. until last sem we used shareaza... it was a pain to install, because the gateway firewall prevented it from connecting to permanent hubs on the internet... and there was no easy way to set one up within the institute. moreover it took a really long time to parse your shares and when it was doing that it really slowed the comp down.

this sem we made a mass switch to the directConnect network. some guys set up a hub, and we connect to it using either DC++ or DCGUI. it's a lot faster during downloads, lighter on the system, parses quickly, more suited to our static ip environment and most importantly was a breeze to set up... only one easily remembered ip to add in the hubs list. on top of that it provided a common IRC-like chat, giving a social life to impulsive downloaders. of course, people with windows use DC++ which is still in version 0.4, so although it's remarkable stable, it lacks a lot of the features. like segmented downloading from multiple users. or a speed limit on uploads - our fast network ensures that your computer practically stops responding when DC++ is uploading.

i got the answer to all my problems - StrongDC++ - yesterday. it's version 1.00 RC7... and it looks exactly like DC++ would when it grows up. say hello to segmented downloading, to upload speed limits, to ip displays (which actually lets us determine the sex of the user ;)- the third byte tells you the hostel... SN is 112), and better all-round configurability. stayed up all night playing with the options.