Top 6 Free Music and Movie Download Tips - Kazaa - BitTorrent - Limewire P2P

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Download of free music and movie files from P2P networks remains a very popular activity of Internet users in homes or schools. However, you will likely encounter some technical difficulties when attempting P2P music (or movie) downloads to your personal computer. Follow the tips below to solve these networking problems and download free music more efficiently.
Many free music and movie files are subject to copyright law. Ensure your Internet file sharing activities remain legal at all times.

1. Choose a Good P2P Network Download Client

Several popular P2P file download programs exist. These free programs vary in their ease of use, selection of files and music / movie search capability. Each P2P client works only with certain P2P networks. These networks also vary in speed and reliablity.
Choose your P2P network and music download client software carefully. Some Internet users install several different P2P programs on their computer, switching between them if needed to obtain a particularly hard-to-find music or movie title.

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2. Adjust P2P Client Settings To Maximize Download Performance

Each free P2P client provides network configuration settings for music downloads. Feel free to experiment with these settings for maximum efficiency of music downloads. Assigning the P2P program too many computer and network resources may lead to program crashes and system instability. Not providing the P2P program enough resources can slow music downloads considerably. You may need to tune both the P2P upload and download settings together to maximize overall performance and system reliablity.

3. Update Personal Firewall Settings to Allow P2P Downloads

Like P2P clients, many popular personal firewalls are free software programs. Firewalls block online intruders from accessing computers on a home or school network. If not properly configured, firewalls also will block P2P music download activity. Configure your personal firewall to allow P2P downloads. P2P clients utilize certain network resources called port numbers. These ports must be opened or forwarded (or the firewall turned off) to enable free download of incoming music and movie files.

4. Tweak a Computer's General Internet Performance

Some computers, especially older ones, do not utilize their Internet connection as well as they could. Applying some simple network speed tweaks can increase the overall network performance of a computer, that will also benefit P2P download performance.

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5. Minimize Network Activity Unrelated to P2P Downloads

If a person attempts to surf the Web, listen to an Internet radio station, and download free P2P music and movies at the same time, one can quickly overload even a high-speed broadband Internet connection. When engaged in P2P download activity, limit the amount of unrelated network traffic you generate. Monitor your computer's network utilization to find any offending programs are interfering with your music downloads. All popular operating systems include free tools for network monitoring.

6. Carefully Manage Any Applications Bundled With P2P Clients

Some free P2P client downloads contain bundled software applications that silently consume network resources. These are often lesser-known free "adware" and "spyware" programs that produce advertising banners. Bundled P2P applications take away network bandwidth from a free music download. To boost P2P network performance, consider removing these programs from your system. However, note that bundled P2P applications are often well hidden; some may not support normal uninstallation procedures.