Daphne
Saturday, April 28, 2007 @ 7:21 PM
How a P2P (per-to-peer) network operates:
The solid lines indicate the physical, hard-wired network cables. The dotted lines represents that each PC can communicate and share files with every other PC through such a network. In addition, a printer attached to one PC can be used by other PCs on the network (provided that printer’s PC allows such a use)
A peer-to-peer (or P2P) computer network relies primarily on the computing power and bandwidth of the participants in the network rather than concentrating it in a relatively low number of servers. P2P networks are typically used for connecting nodes via largely ad hoc connections. Such networks are useful for many purposes. Sharing content files containing audio, video, data or anything in digital format is very common, and realtime data, such as telephony traffic, is also passed using P2P technology.
My reflections:
This P2P network is like an invisble connector established amongst people in the cyber world. With this network, people from various parts of the world are able to exchange files with one another without having to go through the hassle of transferring the files here and there (maybe through the conventional floppy disk or thumbdrive)
We mostly depend on such P2P networks mainly for the sharing of files (which include video, music, movies etc) amongst different parties. Not only does this method greatly improves the quality of connectivity among people, it also helps to reduce the efforts to transfer documents to one another using mandantory methods which can prove to be extremely troublesome. It also helps us to save our precious time.
Most importantly, with the establishment of P2P networks, it is almost as if the physical boundaries between countries have abruptly disappeared. Unlike countries, such networking system only makes use of connectivity which does not have any absolute rules or regulations attached to it. As long as connectivity is establised between two parties they are able to send files to each other very easily.
Hence, we can say that such P2P networks have certainly brought about much conveniences and satisfaction for us. Most importantly, it has managed to bring the whole world closer together with the abolition of physical barriers.