PeerGuardian 2 is a free and open source program developed by Phoenix Labs. It is capable of blocking incoming and outgoing connections based on IP blacklists. It is generally used to block connections from copyright watchdog groups (RIAA, MPAA, etc.) but can also block ads, government computers, and known spyware servers. I only have experience with using PeerGuardian as a means to prevent monitoring by copyright watchdogs. PeerGuardian runs as a separate program so it will work with all file sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, LimeWIre, etc.). Read to get started? Here’s what you need to do:
- Download PeerGuardian 2 from the author’s site: http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/. Be sure to pick the version for your operating system.
- Run the downloaded installer program and follow the prompts. Once the installation is complete, click the “Finish” button.
- The “PeerGuardian Startup Wizard” will appear automatically. Follow the prompts until you get to “Select Lists” page.
- Once on the “Select Lists” page, check or uncheck options as necessary to make your settings match these:
- Once you have configured the “Select Lists” page correctly, continue on until you are at the “Automatic Updates” page.
- Configure your “Automatic Updates” page to match this:
- Once you complete the “Startup Wizard,” the main PeerGuardian program will launch and you should see a window like this:
- Click the “Settings” tab. Once again, configure the options on the “Settings” page to match these:
- Once you have configured those settings, click “Next” at the bottom of the window.
- Configure the options on this new page to match these:
- Once that is done, click the “Protection” tab at the top to return to the main page. Now click on “Check Updates.”
- The “Updating” window will appear and will automatically download any new updates, then close.
- After the updates download, a new “Generating List Cache” window will open. Be patient and let it finish.
- Finally, after the lists have been updated, wait about 20 seconds for PeerGuardian to become ready. You can then minimize PeerGuardian and open up your file sharing program.
Be sure to repeat steps 11 through 14 each time you plan to use your file sharing program.
Nether the creators of PeerGuardian nor I can guarantee this program will prevent you from getting “busted” by the RIAA or MPAA, but it will reduce your chances of being caught. With that said, remember, downloading copyrighted material is illegal. If you are looking for a way to get free music legally, check out my posts about Ruckus.
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