2.1.4-Peer to Peer networks

Question 1

Describe P2P networks.

Answer 1

Each computer is directly connected to another, therefore there is no need for a central server and each computer has an equal status. Peers can access each other’s data and files.

Question 2

Advantages of a P2P network.

Answer 2

Cheap- a P2P network is cheaper than a client-server network, no expensive or dedicated hardware is needed.
Easy set-up
No downtime- No centralized server so if one peer fails the others can still use the network.
Accessing data on other peers will be more efficient.
Hackers can’t hack one thing and have access to all the data, decentralised.

Question 3

Disadvantages of P2P networks

Answer 3

No central maintenance- updates can’t be carried out at once
File duplication- files need to be duplicated and transferred between machines which can lead to multiple versions which can become out of date.
Remote access can be dangerous as it will be easier to access sensitive data
All peers accessing different peers will slow down the performance of the peers