Like most good P2P programs, Ares Galaxy supports hashlinks (or hash codes). These can be opened directly with Ares, or entered into the specific box in the Control Panel, and the use of these hashlinks can reduce or eliminate the risk of downloading files which turn out to be incomplete or corrupted.
What Is A Hashlink And Why Do I Need It?
If you’ve only begun using P2P in the last few years, you probably don’t know what a hashlink is, even though you may have already used them many times in the past. Basically, a hash code identifies a certain file, by performing a check on it. The technology (specifically, the math) that’s behind it is a bit too complicated to explain here, but an example should make clear to you what exactly a hash does.
Suppose that you want to send a secret message, “KILL TOM”, to a friend of yours, but you’re afraid that your message may turn up garbled or incomplete. What you could do is assign every letter a number (as in A=1, B=2, C=3, etc) and add it all up together, which should be 92 (11+9+12+12+20+15+13) and include this number with the message. If your friend then gets your message, but it somehow gets changed to “KILL MOM”, he will realize something is wrong after checking the “code” you include, thereby saving your mom from certain death!
Obviously, digital hashlinks are much more complicated than this, but it should help you understand how they make sure that the information you want to access is genuine. In the case of P2P file transfer, this can be very important, as there are quite a few incomplete and corrupted files on the networks, and hashlinks, if received from reputable sources, will eliminate this risk.
What Kind Of Hashlinks Does Ares Galaxy Accept?
Ares Galaxy accepts the single most used one on the Internet: the Magnet link. Magnet links are all over the Internet, specifically on torrent websites. All you have to do to download the files the magnet links point to is clicking on such a link and opening it with Ares. Ares Galaxy will then automatically connect to all peers who are sharing this specific file and download it to your hard drive.
Ares Galaxy also accepts m3u and pls files (which point to collections of audio files), as well as the native Ares hashlink, which starts with “arlnk:”. These can point to any kind of downloadable file, but also to a chatroom or radio station!
How To Import And Export Hashlinks Directly In Ares?
You can generate a unique hashlink for every file you’re sharing in the media library by right-clicking on it and selecting “Export Hashlink”. The following screenshot shows you what such a link looks like.
To import a hashlink, go to Control Panel and then Hashlinks. Paste the link in the box and click Download HashLink, and your download will begin.
So, when you want to share a specific file with a friend of yours or on the Internet, and you want to make sure they’ll get it uncorrupted and complete, make a hashlink and share it!