Foldershare 2 is a peer-to-peer service that lets you share files and folders on your PC with anyone connected to the Foldershare service. It's easy to use and offers industrial-strength security control.

You can adminstrate Foldershare either from the desktop client application or via the Foldershare website, but you can only add or remove files to or from libraries (Foldershare's name for shared folders) using the desktop application.

Each library's settings can be customised individually, including whether you want it to use automatic or manual replication.

You can choose whether individual users - added via email at your invitation - have reader, contributor, editor or senior editor access rights, and you can add and remove users or change their settings at will.

Files can also be accessed by logging in to the Foldershare site and clicking on the 'placeholder' file links. This will initiate a download from any available PCs on your peer network.

However, as the Foldershare service stores no data, at least one of your peer group's PCs must be running and able to accept incoming connections.

The user interface is straightforward and simple to use, although it's been changed radically from the beta version. Folder and member information is displayed in the left-hand pane, with files in the right-hand Explorer-like pane. Large icons at the top right guide you through creating a new shared folder, but remain as an annoying distraction once you've set up a folder.

Foldershare is also ideal for business users who need to share files between locations, but can't afford a virtual private network. Clients are authenticated using RSA key certificates before a connection is allowed and file transfers are made using 256bit AES encryption. Incoming ports are only opened for the duration of a transfer.

The only complicated aspect of Foldershare is the licensing model. It takes a while to get used to some of the concepts involved, although Foldershare does its best to explain the differences between the versions.

A personal monthly subscription ($4.50, approx £2.80) includes licences for two computers, which will let you synchronise up to 100 folders between the two, and you can invite an unlimited number of other users to share these. Up to two additional licences can be bought for $2.25 (£1.40) each.

There's a free trial edition, but you are limited to sharing two folders and 1,500 files. In the Professional version replication is speeded up by using compression and only sending the changes within files. The free and personal versions resend the whole file if it's changed.

The Professional version also supports up to 50,000 files in 250 folders, but a separate licence is required for each PC you install the product on.

You might have to tweak some firewall settings to allow incoming connections (the web-based help has a troubleshooting guide), but if you use a router with Universal Plug and Play support, Foldershare will try to configure it for you.

For sharing files with friends, family or work colleagues, this is the ideal solution

Pricing: Personal $4.50 per month (2 licences); Professional $6.75 per month per computer.

Contact: Bytetaxi 01512 477 9544
www.foldershare.com