Though it's not as attractive as LimeWire, peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing application Ares 1.88 offers unrestricted searches, and it tested completely clean in our informal spyware tests. Still, the pop-up-ridden behavior of the main Web site and the discovery of two mysterious files after uninstalling the application left us wary. Ares is open source and available in a number of variations, such as Ares Gold, Ares P2P 2.1, and Ares Galaxy. Ares is the only P2P client we're aware of that includes online chat. Because it uses its own Gnutella network, Ares doesn't return as many search hits as some other clients we tested, but it produces fewer fake files. You can't beat the price, so give it a shot, but make sure your spyware protection is up-to-date.
Installing Ares is a simple two-click affair. When 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, though we later discovered two remnants after uninstalling the program: tcpip_patcher.sys and tcpippatcherdll.dll. Whether this flotsam was simply an oversight or indicative of an unknown form of malware we can't say; left to guess, we'd say the former, since we didn't notice any aberrant behaviour.
Navigating the Ares 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. But since it's free, we're not complaining.
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 free P2P clients are limited to 100 or 200 hits, Ares allows unlimited searching on its own Gnutella-based 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.
Socially minded users will also enjoy Ares as a chat-room client. It's the only P2P client we're aware of with chat capability, and our quick tour revealed a lot of people online. You can also share files privately using this function.
Other than the pop-ups and the leftover files, our one real gripe with Ares is that it's Internet Explorer-only. That means that clicking a link within the Ares Web browser will open Internet Explorer whether or not it's your default browser. LimeWire, on the other hand, let us browse with our favourite, Firefox.
Online support for Ares is limited but good for a free product. The main site has FAQs and a rather active user forum where you can ask questions. You'll also find some help scattered among the home pages of Ares' various third-party incarnations. It's all a bit hard to track down, but since Ares is so functionally similar to other P2P clients, you can easily apply your knowledge from previous experiences.
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