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Vaibhav Singh
Vaibhav Singh

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Peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol

All of you might have heard of BitTorrent. I think this is the best example to explain the peer-to-peer network protocol.

BitTorrent is a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) protocol designed for distributing large amounts of data over the internet. Traditional downloads often rely on a single server, which can fail or corrupt files. BitTorrent, however, simplifies this issue through its decentralized approach, enhancing both speed and reliability.

In a BitTorrent network, users (peers) share pieces of files, known as packets, with each other instead of depending on a central server. This decentralization allows for different parts of a file to be downloaded from multiple sources simultaneously, making the process faster and more efficient.

To download a file using BitTorrent, a user first obtains a small file called a torrent file. This torrent file contains information about the desired file and the trackers that coordinate the file distribution. Once the torrent file is opened in a BitTorrent client, the user connects to the network to begin downloading and uploading file pieces.

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The more users participating, the faster the download becomes, as each user contributes to the file's distribution. This collaborative sharing of resources is a key feature of P2P protocols like BitTorrent, making them efficient for distributing large files to a wide audience.

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