This is my first visit and first post. This search seems to be where I belong for now. I'm not computer illiterate, but neither am I a MajorGeek -- just a minor one who can figure out how and where and who to ask the right questions of to solve my tech problems.
I am extremely new to the world of music downloading on P2P. I've been without a CPU for three to four years until last month even though I love the technology to pieces. For associated financial -- but even more importantly, for philosophical reasons -- I have made a personal commitment to opensource software. First, I asked a techie I had just met, what free music download programs were out there now as my kids' use of LimeWire those many years earlier led to multiple infections and, hence, to my distrust of LW even though I see many posters here have great love and respect for it. Anyway, the techie suggessted BearShare which was great for my purposes until I figured out it was only a free trial of a subscription service so I tried LW. Dinosaur downloads in comparison to BearShare.
LW download itself did not infect, but one or more downloads did. I went to looking on my own and finally found Shareaza which is not only opensource, but an intellegent interface that I am very comfortable with. I found out, in my attempts to find online help/explanations that that is where Shareaza is weakest. Anyway, found out that my firewall apparently isn't configured to that 63XX TCP port correctly as it failed the online test I found. The UDP port passed. I'm only a calculated risk taker about some things and my firewall is one of them. I recognize the problem, but I'm nervous to try anything without some personal guidance here.
My download problem is that it seems like I keep timing out on most downloads, even ones with 20+ sources, and have to repeatedly go back and individually select files to "resume download". I figure that configuring the port differently somehow will solve the problem, but nerves start to jangle when I consider the possibility of screwing up my firewall!
Now just the facts:
1. XP Pro SP3 admin user
2. Hardware firewall inside 2Wire 1701HG Gateway
3. 1 GB RAM
4. Total HD 73 GB; currently approx 60% free.
5. ATT DSL ISP
6. 2Wire 1701HG.
7. Older house now 3 apartments.
8. Shareaza 2.4.0.0; JRE 6
9. AT&T USA
!0. Passed the test
11. No other computers here. Only using Shareaza for P2P.
12. Learning this piece of technology.
13. N/A????
14. Don't know. Don't know where/how to check.
15. Actively updated McAffee.
16. USA
17. Just about the only thing on this computer is the software installed prior to my investgations with the P2P stuff. Auto update features were in place before most recent download of Shareaza. This same problem occurred with LW testing, though not quite as slow as Shareaza and I had already re-removed LW before discovering the potential cause.
I await your response with baited breath!!!!