How Peer to Peer (P2P) Works

Peer to Peer (P2P) Technology- How it works:

Ever wondered how P2P works? This guide will run down most of the major P2P services and how they work. Peer to Peer technology lets people share files over a network on the internet. Most people now use what is known as the second generation of P2P, which is unlike its predecessors like such as Napter, the second generation has no centralized server, making it harder for it to shut down.

How first generation P2P services worked:

A connection is established by a peer finding another peer to connect to. Each peer exchanges active peer and their addresses. When a connection has been established, the user can then search for files. When a search has been submitted, it connects to all nodes on its connection list. The results are then displayed and a connection is made.

How second generation P2P services worked:

Gnutella2: Hubs are used to quickly search for files, eliminating the original "find peer and search" method. Instead, they store a list of files on all the "Leaves" (A peer) that are connected to it, thus dramatically reducing search time. Advantages: Unlike Napster, if a hub crashes, it's network stays alive. Disadvantages: Doesn't make network any more durable than the first generation of P2P. Gnutella2: www.gnutella.com

FastTrack: Programs such as Kazaa and iMesh use the FastTrack protocol. Normal peers connect to a supernode which acts jsut like a hub. Supernodes also connect to other supernodes, allowing search requests to move through the network very quickly. Peers then establish a direct connection to a client after a file has been found. Advantages: Any client can become a supernode. Disadvantages: Corruption of files occur. Clients include: Kazaa (www.kazaa.com), iMesh (www.imesh.com)

BitTorrent: .torrent files are used to store information about the file being shared. Once a torrent file is opened, the client connects to the tracker which tells the client where the file is located and what other peers/seeders there are. BitTorrent works by chunks of small files being transferred (even through multiple connections), while you are downloading. The files are checked for corruption as the download continues. Leechers are people who download and don't upload, and are highly frowned upon on some sites, disallowing them from downloading any further. Advantages: Very fast for popular, new files. Disadvantages: Trackers are unreliable and if it goes down, the file is lost. Clients include: Azureus (www.azureus.com), Shareaza (www.shareaza.com).

EDonkey Network: Edonkey runs on the same principle as first generation P2P, only anybody can become a server. Clients communicate with the server to download files, and random chunks can be downloaded in any order then put together in the end. Advantages: No file corruption, leech penalization. Disadvantages: It can penalize users unfairly. EDonkey: www.edonkey2000.com

Infinitive!, Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.

Infinitive! http://www.infinate.x10hosting.com This article may be reproduced so long as your remain a link down the bottom. -Admin, Nigel.

---

Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Remotely Connecting by Satellite To the Hospital - 2005

Hospital's and the Medical Professionals associated with them across America... Read More

Wanadoo: 17.99 Pounds 1Mbps Service

Wanadoo 17.99 pounds 1 mbps service getting good reviews.Want a... Read More

A Cheap Alternative To Broadband?

Are you a dial-up user looking for a faster connection,... Read More

Mind Machine Interfacing

SQUID:In 1984 I was partnered with a Cable TV engineer... Read More

Top 3 UK Broadband Providers

Every Internet provider today wants to make it sound like... Read More

Dreams Come True With The Help Of Global Consciousness On The Internet

Dreams. There are two types of dreams: 1. When you... Read More

Google Talk Reviewed

So you're sick and tired of AOL Instant Messenger. You're... Read More

Whois Protocol - TCP/IP Suite

The Whois protocol is an information service not unlike the... Read More

Webmail - What are the Benefits?

There are so many different webmail services on the internet,... Read More

Beta Testing First Mobile Internet Satellite Broadband, Part I

Being on the road has its advantages; the freedom is... Read More

Business Satellite Internet Products Compared - 2005

There are a number of options available for Business Class... Read More

Beta Testing First Mobile Internet Satellite Broadband, Part III

Back in 1999 when we beta tested the first wireless... Read More

Wireless Technologies in Mass Transit for Convenience and Safety

Modern Mass Transit is making it easier for commuters, especially... Read More

Broadband

Broadband is the name given to a high-speed Internet connection... Read More

Time to Redefine Telecom

Telecommunication, according to Wikipedia, is the extension of communication over... Read More

BT Broadband

Approximately 4 million people in the UK use ADSL with... Read More

Wireless Network Hammerin

The wireless network in my house went haywire. It worked... Read More

Bleeding Edge or Expensive Enterprise Satellite Internet?

The State of Satellite Internet in 2005For those businesses unable... Read More

3 Tips to Fix Unreliable Wireless Connections

Generally speaking, wireless computer connections are reliable. However, nothing is... Read More

Internet Service Providers

Internet Service Provider or ISP is a company that provides... Read More

How to Test Your DSL and Cable Internet Connection Speed

There are two measured elements that determine your internet connection... Read More

How to Secure your DSl / Cable Internet Connection Against Malicious Attacks

Securing your Windows Xp computer is done by achieving two... Read More

Google Brings Millions of Hard-to-Find Library Books to Your Fingertips

Millions of hard-to-find books from five major libraries will soon... Read More

Broadband - Will it Affect Your Online Marketing Future?

The coming age of general Broadband use bearing down upon... Read More

What is Broadband?

Defining broadband can get complicatedThere are many different takes on... Read More