In peer-to-peer networking, a group of computers is joined together with equal permission and responsibility for processing data. Like traditional clients serving networks, no device in a peer-to-peer network is designated solely to send or receive data. However, each connected machine has the same rights as its “peer” and can be used for the same purpose.
What is Peer to Peer used for?
Peer to Peer Network File Sharing:
If you know about peer-to-peer networking, you have probably heard about it in the sense of sharing. For Example, P2P software like the Kazaa and the Napster was once standard found on the average home using the computer.
These programs allow users to swap large files, especially music and movies, over the internet. Despite using the central servers for this purpose, they use their worldwide user base computers as both client and the server (P2P ), effectively offloading processing loads to their users.
However, these programs are no longer in play. P2P file sharing is alive and well (BitTorrent and the like). Also, instant message (IM) clients can serve this function. Since most of them source the sharing files in addition to chatting, while there are numerous legitimate users for the P2P networking, the file-sharing expectation raises both intellectual property and cyber security concerns.
People share the music, movies, software, or other proprietary content, and questions about intellectual property and copyright law surface. Also, Some internet service providers have attempted to ban torrents and other P2P applications, despite the sound and perfectly legal functions P2P can serve.
Peer to Peer and Malware:
Additionally, Peer to Peer file sharing can be used to distribute the malware, share and publicize confidential data, and gather user personally identifiable information. They are also highly vulnerable to denial service attacks since each device helps route traffic through the network.
What are the benefits of the Peer to Peer connections?
Peer to Peer networking comes with many benefits. For example, in the commercial client-server network model, it can take the whole network if a server goes down. But in the P2P, if a single device goes down, the other network can help pick up the slack.
They also help ensure the network traffic does not get bottlenecked at one device since traffic is disturbed across the many computers.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Peer to Peer connections:
A peer-to-peer network forms when the two or more personal computers get connected and share resources without going through a separate server. This simple connection can be an ad-hoc method of coupling computers through a USB connection to transfer files.
This network can be part of the permanent infrastructure investment that links multiple devices in a small office over copper wiring.
Peer to Peer networks can operate on a grand scale where specific protocols and applications can create direct relationships with internet users. The first use of this network occurred in the 1980s when freestanding PCs began to appear in offices worldwide.
Also, these computers held onboard applications and storage capacity to receive the desktop deployment without the need for umbilical cords to create the link. As peer-to-peer networks developed, many workers felt liberated because they had a dedicated pc on their desktop.
When there was a need to share the files from these independent terminals, floppy disks became popular. Our wireless connection developed, making all of these approaches obsolete.
Advantages of P2P Network:
1. The failure of one computer won’t disrupt the rest of the system:
A peer-to-peer network does not rely on a centralized system to distribute information, which means each terminal can function independently of each one.
Also, if one of the computers goes down, then the rest of the network will not experience a disruption. The only adverse outcome in this situation would be the lack of access to the terminal files that are recently experiencing problems.
2. You get to avoid the expense of heaving and maintaining a server:
A peer-to-peer network does not need a server because individual terminals serve as a repository of information. However, authorized users can access any computer connected in this way through their assigned personal devices.
This advantage can significantly reduce overhead for larger organizations because each workstation automatically communicates with everyone on the trusted network. This advantage also means workers can become more productive because file access is instantaneous instead of requiring a transfer from station to station.
Disadvantages of P2P Network:
1. The files are resources are not centrally organized with a peer to peer network:
Peer-to-peer networks store files as resources on individual computers instead of using a centrally organized public area.
Also, that means it can be challenging for some people to locate specific files when the owner of the pc does not seem to have a logical filing system. It would help if you looked through each database manually to determine what files are necessary to download to your system. If you do not have a robust internet connection supporting these efforts, you could find yourself wasting a lot of time.
2. Virus introduction risk rise with the peer to peer network:
When a peer-to-peer network is employed, it becomes each unique user’s responsibility to save you viruses, malware, and different troubles from being added to the system. One man or woman creating a mistake can adversely affect a whole team’s productivity. Even if the entire network runs antivirus software and operates with a firewall, there is no guarantee that individual users will avoid every problem they find online. Most peer-to-peer networks have very little security available to production stored on the respective terminals are computers.
