When I connect and try to download, I get the file title, a horizontal spinning barberpole, and a "waiting for information" message. ? How long do I wait? What is going on here?

As I understand the "Gnutella Network" I am a Servant. my servant is running LIMEWIRE (a clone) on my MAC(ahh) connected to my internet provider(IP) on a 56kb modem. The IP connects me to the InterNet and then connects to another IP which can be my browser, other servants, etc. Because of my speed (56kb) limewire recomends 3 connections to other servants, be they PPC or MAC running any clone or speed doesn't matter. My servant tries to connect to IP address's of other Servants that have been om the network. When/if connections are made my servant gets connected 5(TTL) levels deep. The TTL set the limit on how many servants my servant connects through. My servant tells the one's I am connected to about my connection and it or they propagate it through the network untill thee TTL expires ( seach servant deletes 1 from the TTL of my msg. Then each servant sends my servant a reply msg stating what their connection is, if their TTL had not expired my servant sends their msg to the other servants I am connected to (2)and they in turn pass it on untill the TTL expires. I can search for files on about 3(connection) through 5(TTL), 3 to the 5th power (apx 250) other servants( assuming an all modem network). When I start a search my servant tell the servants I am connected to who I am (IP), what I want and other info. The search is propogated untill the TTL expires, if any of the servants has a file the matches the search they send a msg back to my servant tell me the info about the file and their IP, this may take three minutes to complete. If i find a file i want to down load my IP connects directly to that IP and requests the load.

Hope that helps

Thanks again Lightstone. I have read and reread your explanation. It is sinking in slowly. Is the correcrt term for my MP3 Rage software implimentation "Client"? I assume that by reading of others' experience with Limewire etc.in this Forum, that eventually I will figure out enough to be a responsible participant.
Thanks again.

As near as I can make out all the software that can run the Gnutella network are called Clones. They were reverse engineered from the original Gnutella program. Some times they are also referred to as Clients, although that may be after their installed and running.

Hope your finding things and learning!



A wealth real technical info can be found at
http://www.limewire.com/index.htm

check out the developers sectiom.


[This message has been edited by lightstone (edited 02-25-2001).]