Peer to Peer Network

Peer to Peer Network

Peer-to-Peer  is a  network model in which each computer can function as both a client and a server. Any computer in this network can both receive and transmit data. This model has been around for a number of years and has historically been utilized in small networks and gaming. This is partly due to the fact that all resources in a peer-to-peer network reside on local machines and access to resources is not controlled by a central entity such as a server.

 

Normally, when information is sent from computer A to computer B, the received information would be intact and accurate, while there will be a notification sent to computer A. The transfer of information does not necessarily be between individuals, it could be between groups as well. Not only information, the P2P also allows individuals to exchange currencies that are not created by a central banking authority.

In a way, it enables individuals to move currencies from their accounts to the account of others without having to go through a financial institution as it only relies on digital transfers, which means the availability of an internet connection. Therefore, this allows individuals to use computers as well as mobile devices, such as tablets and phones to get their transaction done.

The use of the peer to peer network;

The use of peer-to-peer networks is to share resources and help computers, provide specific services, or execute specific tasks. P2P is also used to share all kinds of computing resources such as processing power, network bandwidth, or disk storage space. The most common use case for peer-to-peer networks is the sharing of files on the internet.

Now it’s time for the types of peer to peer network and they are;

•  Structured P2P network – formed on the principle of hierarchy with the use of distributed hash table or DHT. This variant is suitable for scientific or large organizations where all computer devices are constantly connected to a network the Internet. This allows you to easily find any data and download it as quickly as possible, while the system itself does not suffer from a large number of devices that are connected to it;
• Unstructured P2P network – formed without a hierarchy, and each PC will connect to the nearest peer-to-peer node if it has the data the user needs. The network will be filled with requests, and the connection will take place to those nodes that respond;
• Hybrid P2P network – a combination of unstructured and structured network, using the same data as well as terminology. Such a network can compromise between the two types to take maximum advantage of each;
• Torrents – unique Bit Torrent P2P technology for efficient search and download of necessary files. One torrent file has a full data index, so it quickly connects to the p2P client and brings together online users. In other words, the download is done jointly.

How Does The File Exchange Peering Network Work

For the first time peer-to-peer networks appeared in 1999, when the Napster project was launched – the worldwide database of file exchange. A year later, it became a popular brand in the global network with 40 million users. The main reason for this popularity was that every user can download music files for free. But soon copyright defenders criticized it and Napster stopped working. Functioning of peer-to-peer networks is very different from those that operate under the “client-server” scheme. Here the principle of “client-client” interaction operates.

Peer-to-peer network works in this way:

• The client program sends to the network  a list of files that are available for download from the computer by other client programs, as well as a list of files that the program wants to receive;
• Then a search is made for clients who need certain files and those programs which have them;
• Direct communication is established between the two groups of computers through work programs and file exchange is performed;
• Each file is broken down into small parts – packages;
• The information is uploaded to the computer in this fragmented form;

 

There are some risk also while exchanging files over p2p networks so,

Risk of Exchanging Files over P2P Networks are;

• The real IP address is shown

 When a connection to a peer-to-peer network occurs, the IP is always visible. If you use torrent or are on a large platform, hundreds and thousands of peers can see it;

• The file may have an unknown origin

It is important to always check where the file is downloaded from, who created the torrent, and which protocols are on the sharing platform. If not always possible, then it is better to check all files with an antivirus software;

• Risk of spyware or malware

 It is very easy to come across viruses and malware through a peer-to-peer connection, so it is important to consider this fact.

Hence this peer to peer network is very popular in 21^st century for the data transmission and connection between computers.