This article shows you how to optimally setup DC++ for accessing the GTS DC Hub. DC++, at the time of this writing, is without a doubt the best Direct Connect client for those who are using the Windows operating system.
If you are worried that you will not be able to setup DC++ because you are not too good with computers, do not fret. I am, and apparently I have too much free time on my hands. Subsequently, this article shows you in painstaking detail how to setup DC++. Complete with tons upon tons of pictures showing my progress.
So go grab a beverage of your choice and start reading. In about five to twenty minutes, depending on factors such as how fast your Internet connection is, how good you are with computers and etc., you will have DC++ installed and optimally configured to access the GTS DC Hub, the first and still the best DC hub for getting GTS files.
Please be aware that clicking on the pictures in this article will open up a new browser window which shows a much bigger version of the picture in question.
Oh, and definitely do not skim through this. People who are lazy fuckwits who cannot be bothered to read properly are not really welcome on the Hub. If English is your first language, it is not that hard to read this. If English is your second or third language, that is another story, hence why I show leniancy there.
Now then, time to get started!
Newest version of DC++: 0.691
Click here to download.
Part 1: Installing DC++
This is without a doubt the easiest part of the article. Just click the download link up top and download the DC++ installation file to your computer. For the sake of this article, I saved it to my desktop:
With the DC++ installation file successfully downloaded, double-click it to start installing DC++.
While installing it, it will ask you for some input regarding which options to pick. An example of that would be:
You can install DC++ wherever you want. However, it's generally a good idea to just install it to the default directory, which is shown here.
Click the Next button a few more times until it is installed and you've closed the installation program. To access DC++, click on the Start button, then go to Programs, and right there is the DC++ folder. Inside it are assorted notes and, what we actually want, the DC++ program itself.
Having freshly installed DC++, here is where it is on my Start menu.
Click it to run DC++. Step 1 is complete.
Part 2: General Configuration
When you run DC++ for the first time, if you're using Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed, like I am, you will run into the following screen:
If you see this screen, for the love of God, click the Unblock button. Otherwise DC++ will not work properly at all.
One quick note; if you are running Windows XP and do not have Service Pack 2, get off your ass and download it! It can be obtained at Microsoft's Windows Update site.
After you click Unblock, you will have an obstructed view of DC++. It has not been configured yet, so it will look something like this:
Look at all the settings!
The settings below "Personal Information" function as follows:
Nick: The name you will be using online. Wait until you get to Part 6.
E-Mail: Your e-mail address. Duh. Optional.
Description: Describes the files you're sharing. Wait until you get to Part 6.
Connection Type: Identifies how you're connected to the Internet. Absolutely necessary.
Once you get all that filled out, it should look something like this:
Be sure to type in everything correctly here. The fields "Nick" and "Description" are not necessary just yet. I merely took the liberty of doing so already.
Attention:
If you use a router or some other device to share your Internet connection between two or more PCs, read my article on how to setup Active mode.
And now it is time to configure your download settings.
Part 3: Downloads Configuration
Once you get all that information typed in, click on Downloads over to the left. Upon doing that, you will see this screen:
Ahhh, downloads. The reason why people join the Hub in the first place!
Click the Browser button up at the top, the one next to the field that is labeled "Default download directory". Once you do, you'll come up with a screen that looks like this:
As you can see here, I have specified that my files will be stored in:
E:\Downloads\Direct Connect\GTS DC Hub
What can I say? I like to sort things.
It is generally a good idea to have an explicitly labelled folder that has your incoming downloads from the GTS DC Hub. I know that some people need to hide their stuff for, ahem, obvious reasons, so feel free to have DC++ save your stuff elsewhere.
It is also a good idea to have downloads that are still being worked on saved into a seperate folder, one that explicitly labels that its contents are still being downloaded. Why is that, you ask? Simple; because if you download an incomplete file from someone on the Hub and it is a bunch of garbage, would you be too happy?
Once you specify that, your Download settings should look something like this:
These are some pretty optimal settings, if I do say so myself.
With that taken care of, it is time to setup the stuff you share.
Part 4: Sharing Configuration
This part is extremely important. The reason why there is so much to download on the GTS DC Hub is because everyone shares what they have to offer. This creates a tremendous pool that one can draw from, and here is how to setup your end of it, so to speak.
And just for the record, you can share just about whatever you want on the Hub. It does not have to be just GTS stuff. Just make sure it's not the explicitly banned list, which can be found on the Hub Rules, and you will be fine. I do not need to come across any more child porn.
Click on Sharing over to the left and you will be presented with this screen:
See the Add Folder button that my mouse cursor is over? Click it.
When you click the Add Folder button, you will see a screen exactly like the one where you told DC++ where to save your downloads. Pick a folder that you want to share and click OK. Upon doing that, you will have a chance to name it, like so:
This is what I name the folder that has all the GTS stuff that I share on the Hub. The good thing about this is that you can name it something completely different than what the folder's name is. This feature is quite handy.
Once you add the folder in question, it starts running through a process that looks like this:
Here we can clearly see DC++ indexing the folder's contents.
This feature is really handy. Have you ever downloaded a file from somewhere, spending a lot of time waiting, only to find it was corrupt and useless upon trying to open it? Annoying, to say the least.
That does not happen with DC++, at least not anymore. Newer versions have instituted what is called indexing to stop that from happening. What you can see in the above picture is DC++ basically going through and generating a fingerprint of sorts for each and every file.
When people download from you, or you download from them, provided the two people's DC++ clients both support the feature, they will communicate between each other and make sure the file(s) being sent are not corrupted. This ensures a perfect copy is always transmitted.
The only bad thing about this is that, depending on how much you have to share and how slow your computer's CPU is, it can take a while to complete. I have a ton of stuff, but I also have a fast CPU, so it does not take long at all. Just click the big "Run in background" button and let it do just that, run in the background, until it's done indexing them. That way, you can continue to set up DC++ while it works on that in the, well, background.
Once you finish adding other folders you may or may not want to add, you're done with setting up your shares. Time to move on to Appearance portion.
Part 5: Appearance Configuration
This part is fairly straightforward and easy. Merely click on Appearance to the left and this screen will show up:
This shows the default, unchanged settings.
For the most part, these settings are sufficient. However, I feel there is a bit of room for improvement.
Put a checkmark next to "Minimize to tray", "Confirm application exist", and "Show timestamps in chat by default". The first one will make DC++ far more inconspicuous when minimized, the second one will make sure you do not accidentally exit out of DC++, and the last one will let you know when someone said something.
Under "Default away message", type in a message you would want people to see if you left DC++ idling. This means DC++ is still running, downloading and uploading away, but you're not present at the computer. Some common courtesy goes a long way on the GTS DC Hub.
Once you do all that, it should look like what I did:
Compare this picture to the one directly above and see the differences.
One last thing to change and then all of these settings will be taken care of. Click on "Colors and sounds" to the left, which will take you here:
Nothing at all is checked. How utterly boring.
One setting in particular is of importance on the GTS DC Hub. Under "Sounds", see the option "Make an annoying sound when a private message window is opened? Check it. This way, if someone wants to ask you something or if a moderator or administrator needs to tell you something, it will notify you. It does so by making the little *dink* noise that Windows makes by default. Unfortunately, if you have sounds disabled in Windows, checking that option will not produce a noise. On the flipside, if you have Windows set to play a sound of a chainsaw being used to slaughter a pig, that would be played if someone messaged you. I have pulled jokes like that on people and it is hilarious, but I digress.
And we are finally done there. Click OK to save all the settings and you are set. On to Part 6!
Part 6: Making a shortcut
Click the yellow star up at the top. It is right here:
Be sure to remember where this star is located from now on. Thankfully, it's not like it's hard to do.
Click it. It will then take you to this screen:
Making a shortcut here will make regularly accessing the GTS DC Hub so much easier it is not even funny.
Click on the "New..." button, which I have my mouse cursor hovering over. You will then see this screen:
Almost done...
The information here functions as follows:
Name: The name assigned to the shortcut. In this case, I recommend calling it "The GTS DC Hub", without the quotes, of course. You could call it "Big Stinky Lester's" for all I fucking care, just so long as you remember what you pick.
Address: gts-depot.net:9999
Description: A description of the Hub in question. In this case, the GTS DC Hub.
Nick: Whatever username you want.
Password: Do not fill this in.
Description: Tell what country you're from and what you are or will be sharing. Consult the GTS DC Hub Rules for how to format it.
After you enter all that information in, it should look something like this:
Please, please, please make sure you type in the Address properly. If you do not, you will not connect to the Hub at all.
Click OK to save the settings and you will see the new shortcut. Double-click it and:
You're on the GTS DC Hub. Congratulations!
Now that you are on the GTS DC Hub, you might be wondering just how to use it. Time to explain that.
Part 7: Using DC++
So here you are, on the GTS DC Hub, and very likely clueless as to what to do.
If you want to search for something, click on the magnifying glass up at the top, the one to the left, and start searching away.
As far as general chatting is concerned, making sure that the tab named "The GTS DC Hub" down at the bottom is selected, type something into the field slightly above, fsand hit enter. What you just said will be entered into the main chatroom, thus anyone and everyone can not only see it, but respond to it.
See the vertical column to the right of the screen? That shows all the users that are currently connected to the GTS DC Hub. If you scroll the scrollbar within it to the right, you can see people's descriptions, their connection speeds, and other sorts of information.
Another invaluable tidbit of knowledge about this part of DC++ is that you can right-click on people's names and gain access to some nifty things.
The first option is Get file list. This will download a list of everything that person is sharing. Once you have the list, you can go nuts with the downloading.
Something else you can do is to click Send private message. If you do that, something like this happens:
Here I am talking to Tabris, a moderator on the GTS DC Hub.
See how there are two tabs down at the bottom? Everything you type in the tab labeled "The GTS DC Hub" will be seen by everyone on the Hub. But if I were to say something in the tab named "Tabris", only Tabris would see what I typed.
That is how the private messaging system works.
Well, that is pretty much all you need to know about DC++. One last thing, though:
Some more information...
See that red bar down at the bottom? That means I am uploading to someone, which means that someone is downloading from me. See how it has an asterisk all the way at the left? That means it's authenticated, which means the file he is downloading is assured to arrive intact.
Oh, and see the name of the file he is downloading? It is Jungle de Ikou, which is still one of my favorite anime GTS episodes ever. That's right, the entire thing. In as high of resolution as the pictures on my site. What do you think I made the framegrabs out of?
Part 8: Active and Passive Mode
I am only going to very briefly touch on the Active and Passive mode here, for that is on a seperate page.
Are you using a router and/or behind a hardware firewall? Maybe you are at college and everything is filtered? If you do not know what a router is, it is a device that lets you share your Internet connection between two or more computers. Do you get "Connection timeout" errors when trying to download people's filelists? If you answered yes to any of the above, read this page.
If you are only using one computer with your cable or DSL modem, or you are on dial-up, or basically any other situation that is not mentioned in the above paragraph, do not worry about this.
OK, that should be everything. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me and I will get back to you as soon as I can.