TkDC++ is a free and open-source Direct Connect client. It connects to Direct Connect networks and more recent Advanced Direct Connect networks. The original concept is one of the oldest in peer-to-peer technology, dating back to the very beginning of file sharing.
This program has some unique features compared to other DC clients. On the one hand, it does not need to be installed, it will run right from where it was unpacked to. This can be a major advantage, as it will connect the first time you run it, without any prior configuration.
Usually, to connect to a Direct Connect network, the user must download a hub list, choose a network, connect to it, choose a peer connected to the same hub, download their file list and, finally choose a file to download and order the client to do so. In other words, you have to know a little about file sharing in general and Direct Connect in particular.
With TkDC++ you will be automatically connected to a hub as soon as the program starts. If you are new to this kind of software, this can be a good thing. If, on the contrary, you are an advanced user, with your own preferences, you can just connect to your favorite hub.
This application has its own improvements over the most widely known DC++, most of those being small details. For instance, you can download all the lists of hubs (usually hosted at different sites) and get a more complete list. There is also a inbuilt Web Browser, which lets you open links directly from the chat screen.
Other than that, this program is very similar to other Direct Connect clients, with the disadvantage of having no documentation whatsoever. You will have to look for general-purpose support or guess your way along Direct Connect file sharing.
The universal problem of every Direct Connect client is the network itself, which has been surpassed by more modern approaches to file sharing. This program offers some interesting details to those with some intuition and looking for a “quick start”. Nevertheless, you should be warned that most shared content is copyrighted and probably illegal to download.
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