With On2Share Pro, created by software company On2Trade, you can turn any PC into a multimedia server. The application comes with a shareware license and has a 14-day trial period, after which it can be bought for €20.

In addition to the server features, the software also provides a sort of media player with which shared video and audio files can be streamed across the local network.

On2Share Pro is available for download here.

The system requirements are minimal. On2Share will even run smoothly on Windows 98. While the program ran without a hitch under Windows XP, the uPNP server crashed sporadically with a blue-screen in the version we tested.

The download is small, weighing in at only 5 MB. Installation is very quick as well. The application expects Microsoft’s .NET Framework in version 1.1 or above, though. If this is not the case, you’ll have to download the 23 MB package, either as a standalone installer or through Windows Update.

After the software is launched for the first time, the user has to configure a few settings so the server knows where to find the media on the hard drive. You can also set up broadcast sources such as podcasts and internet radio stations.

Server Software Settings

On2Share uses a very Spartan user interface offering only very few configuration options. The status window displays all discoverable media servers and uPNP-capable players on the network. This list view offers a good overview, since it also displays the IP-address and the manufacturer of the server or client.

Should the On2Share Pro media server software lock up for any reason, it can be restarted from this window, too.

After the 14-day trial period, parts of the server software deactivate themselves. Until the user enters a valid serial number, features like Internet radio and podcast streaming remain unavailable.

Supported Operating Systems

• Windows XP
• Windows Vista (not stable with this version)
• Windows NT
• Windows 98
• Windows ME
• Windows Server 2003