If you’re an avid user of BitTorrent clients like uTorrent, BitTorrent, Vuze, etc. then you must need to understand their working mechanism.
Well, these technologies basically work on the principle of the PEER-TO-PEER network.
In order to understand it, make sure to stay with me and read this article in order to understand everything you may need to know about P2P networks.
If you want to download something large amount of data like a game or a movie then you first need to download a torrent file and then you need to upload the torrent into one of the torrent clients and then you need to hit the download button in order to download it right?
P2P network means sharing files and folders between computers. In order to understand more deeply, you need to take an example. Suppose, I want to download a file with a P2P network.
Now, you have a number of computers or laptops where the part of the files are there.
Now, each laptop or computer starts sharing the part of the file to the client computer or PC.
When such a thing happens then a network of file sharing systems will establish and this is what we call a P2P network.
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Security is the main concern:
As we know that, sharing a file with a P2P network depends on the computers or laptops that share the files.
If one of the systems will infect with a virus or malware then you’ll get a virus in your machine as well.
Security is one of the main concerns that you may keep in mind.
In order to avoid such infected files and folders, you need to make sure to scan the files and folders once download in your system.
You can use a premium antivirus program in order to avoid the viruses and malware in your machine.
If you want to share files with a couple of systems then there is nothing like a network or mesh-like system.
In this category, you’ll see a couple of computers connects with each other and share the files with each other.
There are basically a few terms that you may need to understand.
Peers are the system that requests the file.
If you want to download a file with a P2P network then one system that wants to download the file will request from another system and another system will request from another system and so on.
There is no need to establish a single server and there is nothing like a connection between client and servers.
This system is fully decentralized.
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Let’s talk about the types of P2P networks:
1. Centralized Directory
2. Query Flooding
3. Exploiting Heterogeneity
1. Centralized Directory:
The first and most used is the Centralized directory system. In this system, there is a server and a client who wants to get access to the file.
Now, the working mechanism is simple.
The client places a request to download a file and it goes to the server.
Now, the server forwards the request to another peer, and communication starts between peer to peer.
In this system, there is a centralized server where you’ll get all the files and folders.
The major drawback of such a system is that if the server will crash then you’ll not get the files and your whole P2P network will crash.
2. Query Flooding:
It’s another great P2P network.
If you want to download a file with this system and want to understand the working principle of the query flooding then you need to understand it by taking an example.
Suppose, I want to download a file and I place a request to one of the nearest nodes.
Now, the query will place and if the nearest node has the file then the query will hit and your request will close and you’ll get the file.
If this is not the case it’ll pass on to the neighbor nodes and the process will continue so on.
3. Exploiting heterogeneity:
It’s another P2P network just like the above two but it’s a little bit different. In this system, you’ll see a supernode, or what we call the main node for receiving the file.
When you place a request for downloading a file then it’ll pass on the nearest node.
Now, it depends on the bandwidth and connectivity of the node.
If the node is well connected and you can easily establish the connection between node and client then you can easily get the file and the connected node will call as the supernode and the rest of the nodes will call as child nodes.
If you’ll not get the file from the nearest node then it’ll passionate to another node and then the process will continue till you’ll not get the file and the query will not close.
P2P network is part of blockchain technology.
Here peers are the local systems that means you need to be cautious while downloading the data from p2p technology because it may contain malware and viruses.
In order to download from such networks, you need to use an antivirus program.
What are the benefits of using such technology?
Well, it’s clear that if you want to download any file from such a network then you need to place a request, and then it’ll passionate to the nearest peers.
The best part is that you can get a fast download speed and your file will download faster than your client-server traditional networks.
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Bottom lines:
It’s all about the P2P networks.
If you want to use this technology then you need to take care of the security because sometimes you are hit with a virus or malware.
You need to use a premium antivirus in order to prevent the infected files download into your system.
If you have any further questions or anything you may have to discuss then make sure to mention it inside the comments down below.
Make sure to read all the steps of the P2P technology.
If you have anything to share please write it down in the comments.
