What is Peer-to-Peer (P2P)?
Peer-to-peer file sharing or P2P lets users download multi-media files such as games movies, and music utilizing a P2P software client that functions to search for other linked computers. “Peers” are computer systems connected to one another via the Internet. Hence, a computer only needs good P2P software and an Internet connection to join peer-to-peer networks.
Napster is the first generation of P2P software which existed as a central server-based model before it was shut down. Kazaa and Gnutella followed suit in the second generation which are user-based models. BitTorrent came out in the third generation of P2P networks, significantly creating a new network for every set of files as opposed to the creation of one big network of files utilizing servers, SuperNodes or web caches.
Factors contributing to the widespread facilitation and adoption of peer-to-peer file sharing include the widespread digitization of physical media files the capabilities of home PC’s increasing to better handle playing and storing digitized audio and video files and increasing Internet bandwidth. Files from one computer to another across the Internet were ably transferred by users through various file-sharing and file transfers networks.
In 1999, P2P file sharing began with the introduction of Napster, a central server and file sharing program that linked users who requested files with those users who had files. The central index server functioned to search computers and to index all of the current users. When a user searches for a file, the server looks for all obtainable copies of the file and give them to the user. The files would then be transferred between two private computers. However, only music files could be shared. And since the process was done on a central server, Napster was held liable for copyright infringement and was shut down in 2001. It later reopened as a paid service.
Napster’s shut down prompted developers to create new methods of sharing files that would veer away from copyright infringement issues. Gnutella and Kazaa were born remotely connecting users to each other. Downloading of files was no longer restricted to music alone. The services included movies and games download.
The third generation protocol, Bittorrent came about allowing users to link to more than just one peer and download separate bits from those peers. Bittorrent users voluntarily uploaded files; this makes its system a whole lot different compared to Gnutella and Napster that search your computer’s hard drive for files and make searched files available to any user.
