Installing and running a P2P or torrent client is common knowledge nowadays. Pretty much any one can start using one of them to download and exchange files. You need to be careful when using a P2P application though, and make sure you configure your client well. For starters make sure you've opened up ports in your router and allowed forwarding. If you're not sure what ports to use, take a look at PortForward.com. It lists all the router models and P2P applications and guides you through the process. To enhance your P2P experience you can also install one of the following utilities.

Hamachi, a well known piece of software, will allow you to connect multiple computers safely together. With no configuration needed, Hamachi can be set up in no time and makes sure that your connection stays private. Apart from security, speed is another key concern for anybody sharing files via P2P. Depending on the client you use, you can install an accelerator, essentially an application that will make full use of your PC and bandwidth capacities to obtain the fastest download speeds. We suggest giving a try at Limewire Acceleration Patch, Ares Galaxy Turbo Booster, eDonkey Acceleration Patch, or Kazaa Download Accelerator. If you're not convinced by any of these, P2PTurbo can optimize your connection according to your P2P client and network type.

For torrent users, TorrentSpy is a great tool to get extensive detail on a torrent. More expert users looking to get the freshest torrents on the net should turn to Tracker Checker, which automatically checks private torrent trackers and notifies you of open sign ups.