Search for and download MP3s, movies, and media files on major P2P networks. Ares Gold is a file-sharing program that builds on the latest P2P technology to offer a unique and exciting user experience. Ares Gold completely eliminates the performance problems that have plagued other P2P networks like Kazaa, LimeWire, and Ares Galaxy. Within seconds, Ares Gold brings up thousands of audio, video, image, software, and media files, which can be downloaded from multiple sources and managed in a media library. The built-in theater also allows you to enjoy your music and movie files.

How P2P File Sharing Works

The term P2P, short for Peer-to-Peer, refers to the direct connection between 2 computers over which files can be uploaded and downloaded. To speed up the file transfers it is possible to establish several simultaneous P2P connections and to send and receive different parts of the same file almost at the same time.

Searching the P2P network for files can be organized in different ways. Napster, the very first P2P file sharing program, used central servers to keep track of all shared files on the network and to process the search queries. More recent P2P file sharing programs like Kazaa, LimeWire, Ares Galaxy, Morpheus and Grokster, use a decentralized approach by which supernodes, typically individual computers with a broadband Internet connection, take care of routing the search queries over the network.

A centralized P2P file sharing network has many benefits such as reliability and speed but it is also very vulnerable and can be shut down easily. After Napster was shut down by the RIAA, most new P2P networks adopted the decentralized Gnutella protocol which was originally developed at Nullsoft.

Ares Gold is built around a second generation P2P engine that is compatible with many of today's leading P2P file sharing networks.