Gnutella: The Future of Free Internet File Sharing

1
Gnutella The Future of Free Internet File
Sharing

• Kenneth J. Garrow
• March 04, 2004
• Presentation D

2
Introduction

• Gnutella
• Comparison to Napster
• How it works
• Features
• Problems
• Summary

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Comparison to Napster

• New kind of file sharing software
• Similar to Napster for all files
• Music, sounds, documents, movies, games and
  programs
• Unlike Napster, Gnutella is not based on a
  central server
• Central server with a database
• Tells program which user has which file

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How it works

• Gnutella is totally different
• Works like a pyramid scheme
• Connected to other computers
• Connect to four computers
• Search goes down the tree of users
• Results from thousands of computers
• No Central Servers
• Next to impossible for anyone to shut it down
• Every computer acts as a server
• Impossible to ban certain songs (no one is in
  control)

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Features

• Full movies, games, programs and just about
  anything else
• No one can make a huge profit off of it
• Can monitor all the searches against your
  database
• When searching, no one can tell who you are

6
Problems

• Many viruses when first released
• Resuming file transfers
• Identified by your IP address
• Many users have a dynamic IP address
• No frequent download buddy list
• Control
• People connecting to your computer
• Slows your computer down

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Problems (cont)

• Speed
• Has to warm up
• collect all the different IP addresses
• establish connections
• Long searches (goes down tree of users)
• Downloading
• Sometimes get disconnected
• busy signals

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Summary

• Still relatively new
• Getting better
• Perfect alternative to Napster
• Banning songs
• Limiting users
• Gnutella clients are very user friendly
• Recommend this to anyone with a cable modem/ DSL
  or faster connection

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Questions?

• The End