Ares P2P Review – Music Software

Though it’s not as attractive as LimeWire, peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing application Ares offers unrestricted searches and downloads, and it tested completely clean in our informal spyware tests. Ares is open source and available in a number of variations, mostly all are full of spyware, such as Ares Gold, Ares P2P 2.1, and Ares Plus. Ares is the only P2P client we’re aware of that includes online chat. Because it uses its own decentralized Ares network, Ares doesn’t return as many search hits as some of the other clients we tested, but it produces fewer fake files. Download music, movies, software programs, television shows, games and more.

Installing Ares is a simple process. The program first runs, you must click through another couple of configuration dialogs, but all in all, the process is painless and easy. Spybot Search and Destroy found nothing amiss during the Ares installation. Ares is also very easy to uninstall as well.

Navigating the Ares Download interface is easy for anyone who has used Kazaa or LimeWire. Ares follows the same basic format, placing navigation icons along the top for search, view, and the like. It isn’t exactly what we’d call attractive; it’s more on the utilitarian side. Ares also offers unparalleled support 24/7 via email.

Ares has all the usual P2P features, plus some unique ones. There’s a search window, an audio and video preview page, and an upload and download monitor. It’s also quite easy to tweak these controls using the control-panel page. Unfortunately, as with other P2P clients that let you make such adjustments, the average user will need to do a bit of research to understand some of the more arcane settings, such as ports, hash links, and proxy bouncing. Like LimeWire, Ares also serves as a media librarian for your entire computer, not just the files you download or share.

While other P2P clients are limited to 100 or 200 hits, Ares allows unlimited searching on its own network. Alas, with Ares you can perform only one search at a time instead of the multiple simultaneous searches possible within LimeWire. Still, Ares came up with more than 265 unique hits on a generic search for cars — a lot more than you’ll get with any other free client.