Peer-to-peer networking
is an approach to computer networking in which all computers share equivalent
responsibility for processing data. Peer-to-peer networking (also known simply
as peer networking) differs from client-server networking, where certain devices
have responsibility for providing or "serving" data and other devices
consume or otherwise act as "clients" of those servers.
Characteristics of a Peer Network
Peer-to-peer networking
is common on small local area
networks (LANs), particularly home networks.
Both wired and wireless
home networks can be configured as peer-to-peer environments.
Computers in a
peer-to-peer network run the same networking
protocols and software. Peer networks devices are often
situated physically near one another, typically in homes, small businesses and
schools. Some peer networks, however, utilize the internet and are geographically
dispersed worldwide.
Home networks that
use broadband
routers are hybrid peer-to-peer and client-server environments.
The router provides centralized internet connection sharing, but files,
printer, and other resource sharing are managed directly between the local
computers involved.
Peer-to-Peer and P2P Networks
Internet-based
peer-to-peer networks became popular in the 1990s due to the development
of P2P file-sharing
networks such as Napster. Technically, many P2P networks are not pure peer
networks but rather hybrid designs as they utilize central servers for some
functions such as search.
Peer-to-Peer and Ad Hoc Wi-Fi Networks
Wi-Fi wireless
networks support ad hoc connections between devices. Ad hoc Wi-Fi networks are
pure peer-to-peer compared to those that use wireless routers as an
intermediate device. Devices that form ad hoc networks require no
infrastructure to communicate.
Benefits of a Peer-to-Peer Network
P2P networks are robust.
If one attached device
goes down, the network continues. Compare this with client-server networks when
the server goes down and takes the entire network with it.
You can configure
computers in peer-to-peer workgroups to
allow sharing of files,
printers and other resources across all the devices. Peer networks allow data
to be shared easily in both directions, whether for downloads to your computer
or uploads from your computer
On the internet,
peer-to-peer networks handle a high volume of file-sharing traffic by
distributing the load across many computers. Because they do not rely
exclusively on central servers, P2P networks both scale better and are more
resilient than client-server networks in case of failures or traffic
bottlenecks.
Peer-to-peer networks are
relatively easy to expand. As the number of devices in the network increases,
the power of the P2P network increases, as each additional computer is
available for processing data.
Security Concerns
Like client-server
networks, peer-to-peer networks are vulnerable to security attacks.
- Because each device participates in routing traffic
through the network, hackers can easily launch denial of service attacks.
- P2P software acts as server and client, which makes
peer-to-peer networks more vulnerable to remote attacks than client-server
networks.
- Data that is corrupt can be shared on P2P networks
by modifying files that are already on the network to introduce malicious
code.