New to LimeWire - have some questions

[Angel Pagan]

I just upgraded to Norton's Firewall for OS X. Will this interfere in any way?

Currently, I'm using the basic LimeWire program to see if it isn't too confusing before getting into LimeWire Pro. Can someone explain the "monitor" and "connections" buttons for me?

In "monitor", I click "enable" for the "incoming searches" option and I see what I believe to be files. Is this accurate? If so, what are they doing there? Should the "enable" option be chosen?

In "connections", there are about 15 hosts and the status is "outgoing" on all of them. What's going on?

Also, how do I set up my firewall to only allow access to the appropriate folder?

I'm a total newbie to both the Mac and LimeWire. Please make the explanations as basic as possible.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Angel

[trap_jaw]

Originally posted by Angel Pagan
I just upgraded to Norton's Firewall for OS X. Will this interfere in any way?

Probably. But if you don't run into too much trouble I would leave it running. - (You know that OSX comes with it's own integrated iptables based firewall?)

Currently, I'm using the basic LimeWire program to see if it isn't too confusing before getting into LimeWire Pro. Can someone explain the "monitor" and "connections" buttons for me?

No matter if you use Basic or Pro, the program itself stays the same. By buying LimeWire Pro you can support LimeWire's efforts to improve the client.

"Monitor" will just show incoming searches. Personally, I find it a little dull to look at other people's searches. In the same window you will find the upload screen, showing all current uploads.

The "Connections" tab will show you what ultrapeers you are connected to. Not necessarily very useful for the inexperienced user (and not really useful for the expert either).

In "monitor", I click "enable" for the "incoming searches" option and I see what I believe to be files. Is this accurate? If so, what are they doing there? Should the "enable" option be chosen?

No you are just seeing what other people are looking for.

In "connections", there are about 15 hosts and the status is "outgoing" on all of them. What's going on?

You should only see three hosts. LimeWire rarely creates 15 outgoing connections for some reason, that's a still unidentified bug. Those connections are the ultrapeers you are connected to. If you are an ultrapeer yourself you will connect to more ultrapeers but also to leafs who will search the gnutella network through you. The ultrapeers are a little like servers that send your searches to the rest of the network.

Also, how do I set up my firewall to only allow access to the appropriate folder?

You cannot restrict access to a folder with a firewall. You can only restrict access to certain network ports but that's not necessary if no application is using the port or if the application using it should have unlimited access to the network.

[David91]

Hi

You will find the answer to all your questions either in the FAQs or the threads to this forum. Spending an hour or so reading back through these threads will help you a lot and allow you to ask questions that the more experienced will feel like answering.

[Angel Pagan]

trap_jaw, thanks for your reply.

Probably. But if you don't run into too much trouble I would leave it running. - (You know that OSX comes with it's own integrated iptables based firewall?)

From what I understand, 10.2 (Jaguar) has built-in firewall. I have 10.1.5. I do plan on upgrading though.

You should only see three hosts. LimeWire rarely creates 15 outgoing connections for some reason, that's a still unidentified bug. Those connections are the ultrapeers you are connected to. If you are an ultrapeer yourself you will connect to more ultrapeers but also to leafs who will search the gnutella network through you. The ultrapeers are a little like servers that send your searches to the rest of the network.

There are between 5 and 10 hosts with "outgoing" status in my "connections" tab as I type this. It fluctuates. I set my "max upload slots" to 5. It was previously at 20. Don't know if this is related, though.

I added my music folder to the library. Although the bottom left screen would state something like "300/833 files shared", I don't see anything in my upload page. How can I be sure that my music files can be accessed on the network?

David91, thanks for your replay. I did a few searches and read some posts but the "newbie" questions were far more along than where I am. Same with the FAQ.

[David91]

Hi

I've just upgraded from 10.1.5 to 10.2.4. The good news is that I have not experienced any difficulty with the enhanced security features and LW, but it did cause two major problems with some of my other applications that have taken days to work around — be prepared for printer problems since other OSX forums confirm my experience is an unresolved system bug with Printer Center.

In fact, the upgrade has produced a more stable version of LW that freezes and crashes less often, so you should be able to achieve better results with fewer interruptions. To answer some of your questions:

I feel it is better to maximise the number of people able to access your files. Twenty is a reasonable number. The way LW is configured means that your own needs take priority over the hopeful uploaders and your system will only allocate bandwidth to them if you are not using it. Thus, it promotes harmony on the system by maximising access when your are relatively inactive.

In theory, every file in your Shared file will be available for uploading, but the number that will actually be shown to the world depends on the efficiency of the "local" Utrapeers and the extent to which your own leaf is "noticeable". If you only have your computer on for short periods of time and you have only a few files that are readily available elsewhere, then you will get only a few hits and even fewer uploads. Some of my files can get 100+ hits per hour but they are not uploaded (incidentally, I average about 25 completed uploads per hour so the hundreds of other wannabee uploaders never made connection or, if they did, the connection failed to deliver more than a few kbs).

Some of your other questions are not relevant to starting out to explore the practicalities of how LW works. Nothing beats hands-on, active engagement with the world. Treart LW like a computer game where the quickness of your hand-to-eye co-ordination delivers results and you will have fun and grab some good files. You don't need the theory to have fun.

David

[David91]

Hi

I've just upgraded from 10.1.5 to 10.2.4. The good news is that I have not experienced any difficulty with the enhanced security features and LW, but it did cause two major problems with some of my other applications that have taken days to work around — be prepared for printer problems since other OSX forums confirm my experience is an unresolved system bug with Printer Center.

In fact, the upgrade has produced a more stable version of LW that freezes and crashes less often, so you should be able to achieve better results with fewer interruptions. To answer some of your questions:

I feel it is better to maximise the number of people able to access your files. Twenty is a reasonable number. The way LW is configured means that your own needs take priority over the hopeful uploaders and your system will only allocate bandwidth to them if you are not using it. Thus, it promotes harmony on the system by maximising access when your are relatively inactive.

In theory, every file in your Shared file will be available for uploading, but the number that will actually be shown to the world depends on the efficiency of the "local" Utrapeers and the extent to which your own leaf is "noticeable". If you only have your computer on for short periods of time and you have only a few files that are readily available elsewhere, then you will get only a few hits and even fewer uploads. Some of my files can get 100+ hits per hour but they are not uploaded (incidentally, I average about 25 completed uploads per hour so the hundreds of other wannabee uploaders never made connection or, if they did, the connection failed to deliver more than a few kbs).

Some of your other questions are not relevant to starting out to explore the practicalities of how LW works. Nothing beats hands-on, active engagement with the world. Treart LW like a computer game where the quickness of your hand-to-eye co-ordination delivers results and you will have fun and grab some good files. You don't need the theory to have fun.

David

SORRY FOR THE AFTERTHOUGHT — I forgot the strange element in your report. Your display should show 100/100 files shared. If, on a permanent basis, it is only showing 80/100, there is a failure in LW's processing of your files. LW "hashes" all the files in Shared that it can "see". My own experience is that although iTunes will play a file you have obtained from another source, it cannot be shared through LW until you add ".mp3" to the tags of the "invisible" files. LW is stupid and it has to be told these obvious things.