Peer-to-peer - what is it?

The term peer-to-peer, or P2P for short, has surely already been used by one or the other. This means a type of computer network. But we will tell you exactly what P2P is in this practical tip.

What is peer-to-peer?

Peer-to-peer (from English "peer": "peer", "peer") refers to computer networks in which several computers are interconnected and work together.

• The computers provide each other with functions, services and files. The computers can be completely equal or divided into groups with different authorizations.
• So there is no central server here, so P2P is a decentralized network. In contrast to central networks, P2P networks are less susceptible to total failures and attacks from outside can also make the network more difficult to paralyze.
• The so-called super peer networks are a further development of the peer-to-peer network. Powerful peer members are interposed here as central servers that organize the network.

Peer-to-peer is used here

• P2P is suitable for work groups, for example in an office. Employees can access all computers in the network and exchange files and resources. The sharing of peripherals such as scanners or printers is also possible via P2P.
• Super peer networks are used for VoIP services such as Skype. Conversations do not run via a central server, but via nodes (supernodes) between the individual users.
• Most file sharing services such as BitTorrent are also based on peer-to-peer. In contrast to conventional downloads, files are not only downloaded from a server, but also "shared" between users, meaning that they are also uploaded back to other participants in the network. The exchange of works protected by copyright is prohibited in this way in Germany.
• Peer-to-peer also plays a decisive role in distributed computing (decentralized computing): the term describes the distribution of individual sub-processes across several networked computers, which are then brought together to produce a common result. This technology is used in research, for example.
• Peer-to-peer encryption (usually: end-to-end encryption) is also based on this principle. Data is encrypted before transmission and decrypted after receipt. The sender and recipient are linked equally, which enables secure communication.
• In finance, "peer-to-peer loans" refer to the borrowing or lending of loans between two people without a financial institution acting as intermediary. Such loans are usually granted over the Internet.

In the next practical tip, we will show you how you can connect two computers together.