Peer-to-peer networks gained widespread popularity in the late 1990s with several file-sharing services, such as Napster and Gnutella, that enabled peers to exchange files with one another. The Napster system used an approach similar to the first type described above: a centralized server maintained an index of all files stored on peer nodes in the Napster network, and the actual exchange of files took place between the peer nodes. The Gnutella system used a technique similar to the second type: a client broadcast file requests to other nodes in the system, and nodes that could service the request responded directly to the client. Peer-to-peer networks can be used to exchange copyrigh
Peer-to-peer computing is a network model where each computer, called a peer, can share and access resources directly with other peers without depending on a central server. Unlike the client server model, where a server provides services to clients, in P2P all peers have equal roles they can both request and provide data. This makes P2P useful for file sharing, online collaboration, and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. In simple words, it works like friends exchanging books directly instead of always going to a library.
