I use a Linksys BEFSR41 router for my cable connection and home network. Currently, I must setup port forwarding in the router and force a local IP in the XoloX client in order to share files. Why do all Gnutella clients make this type of setup so difficult? How many potential users with routers are shut out because they don't know how to set up? I couldn't even find any information in the XoloX documentation or FAQ's about which port XoloX uses! I don't know what the difference is, but when I used to use Napster I had absolutely no configuration issues. It went right through the router seamlessly. Same with Yahoo Messenger (vs Windows Messenger). Can this not be changed and fixed? Perhaps even add UPnP support (although it doesn't work too well yet)? With the use of routers and home networking expanding rapidly, a fix for this issue is critical to the future health of the Gnutella network, and my biggest peeve with the XoloX client.

I could not agree more. I also am an old Napster person. I found Xolox in it's infancy, when Napster went down. I think it was version 1.12 then. It worked flawlessly. And, there were thousands of files of all types instantly available. When Xolox shut itself off about a year ago, the crack worked just as well. Probably mostly because there were not as many searches, so access was quicker. Also, is it just me or have you noticed that there just does not seem to be as many hits as there used to be. Why??

Anyway, I digress, I also am behind a Linksys router and suffer the same crisis. If you have figured out how to safely set it up for sharing I would love to know. I tried to find out how to a couple of years ago, but finally gave up in desperation.

I am sitting on almost 30 gigs of '50's thru '99 stuff, including over 6 gigs of classic cartoons and I am not able to share any of it. I don't want to be blacklisted as a "Leech" but it is not a voluntary choice of mine to not share.

Hi bobtburns. When Napster went down, I turned to the original Gnutella client for file sharing. It was through that I learned which port Gnutella uses, and since XoloX is a client, I figured it must be the same. I find it unbelievable this basic information is not available from XoloX! It's port 6346, using the UDP protocol. You can set this up in your Linksys router under Advanced>Forwarding with your assigned local IP address. Use the same IP address in the XoloX networking configuration applet (to force). Although I too have a lot of files to share, it's very seldom I upload any. So I know it works, but not sure what's up with that. I suspect the reason the network is now behaving so badly is the fact that some clients are bad citizens and send out multiple requests for the same files, thus speeding up hits for their users, but dragging down the network's performance for everyone else. But that's the price to pay for a wide open, freewheeling network like Gnutella. The alternative is to regulate the clients allowed and enforce standards, which I don't believe anyone really wants; but it may come to that. Anyway, I hope you find this helpful, and they get this issue fixed for everyone!

Thanks. I will play with this over the holiday.

I agree with you. Some people, left to their own vices, can screw up the whole thing for everyone. Remember, everyone who has had a computer for 3 weeks is an expert. Those of us who are ethical and have sacrificed years to go through the schools to become professionals somehow missed the boat.

I don't want to steal copyrighted music. There has been little made in the last 10 years of interest to me. The stuff I look for is usually not for sale at any price.