File-sharing program
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File-sharing programs are used to directly or indirectly transfer files from one computer to another over the Internet, over a smaller Intranet, or across simple networks usually following the peer-to-peer (P2P) model. Most of the programs are integrated in filesharing networks and obtain information about each other from central servers.
A variety of file-sharing programs is available on several different networks. Availability depends partly on operating system, and different networks have different features (for example, multiple-source downloads, different sorts of search limiting, and so on). It is common for commercial file sharing clients to contain abrasive advertising software, or spyware.
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Categories of clients:
- Centralized Clients: OpenNap
- Decentralized clients: Gnutella
- Benefits: Usually more reliable and rarely shut down
- Negatives: Generally slower than centralized systems
- Decentralized tracker-based clients: Bittorrent
- Benefits: Very fast due to concentration of bittorrent networks on a single file, is principally used to offer new, large files for download
- Negatives: Not centrally searchable, tracker sites are often closed down or fail, not truly anonymous
- Multi-network clients
- Benefits: allows connection to more than one network, almost always on the client side.
- Negatives: often playing catch-up to individual networks' changes and updates.
- Anonymous peer-to-peer: Freenet, GNUnet, MUTE, I2P
- Benefits: allows for the uncensored free flow of information and ideas
- Negatives: due to anonymity it allows for questionable or illegal material to be exchanged easier than other networks, often slower than regular p2p because of the overhead
List of file sharing protocols
Operating system protocols
- Network file system (NFS)
- Samba or Server message block (SMB)
- AppleShare
- IPX
Operating servers
Applications
By network protocol
- EDonkey network protocol
- Freenet protocol
- GNUnet protocol
Miscellaneous protocols
- Bit Torrent (decentralized dynamic network of users)
- MUTE
- I2P
User agents
Depot channels
Miscellaneous
- Servers
- Apache HTTP Server
- IIS Microsoft Internet Information Services
- Servers
- OpenNap protocol
- Audiogalaxy
- iMesh
- Direct Connect
- Clients (user agents)
- NeoModus Direct Connect
- DC++
- BCDC++
- CZDC++
- oDC
- Hubs (servers)
- Ptokax, YHub, NMDCH, etc..
- Clients (user agents)
- SoulSeek
- Mnet
- (open)ssh based systems:
- Revision control systems are specialized file sharing systems.
- General tools:
- Netcat, a networking pocketknife.