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.

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.

Categories of clients:

• Centralized Clients: OpenNap
  • Benefits: Faster searching and downloading
  • Negatives: Often more vulnerable to legal and DDOS attacks

• 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

• Private file-sharing networks

List of file sharing protocols

• HTTP
• FTP File Transfer Protocol
• Kermit

Operating system protocols

• Network file system (NFS)
• Samba or Server message block (SMB)
• AppleShare
• IPX

Operating servers

• Windows 2000 Server
• Linux
• Novell
• Mac OS X Server

Applications

By network protocol

• FastTrack protocol
  • KaZaA
  • Grokster
  • KCeasy

• OpenFT protocol
  • giFT
  • KCeasy

• Edonkey Network protocol
  • eMule
  • mlDonkey
  • eDonkey2000
  • Overnet

• Freenet protocol
  • Freenet
  • Entropy, (P2P)

• GNUnet protocol
  • GNUnet
  • Freeway(p2p)

• Gnutella protocol
  • KCeasy
  • BearShare
  • Gnucleus
  • LimeWire
  • Morpheus
  • Shareaza
  • XoloX

Miscellaneous protocols

• Bit Torrent (decentralized dynamic network of users)
• MUTE
• I2P

User agents

• Mozilla
• CuteFTP
• Konqueror
• Internet Explorer
• IRC

Depot channels

• Hotline
• Suprnova.org

Miscellaneous

• • Servers
    • Apache HTTP Server
    • IIS Microsoft Internet Information Services
• OpenNap protocol
  • Directory servers
    • OpenNap Server
  • User agents
    • Napster
    • Gnapster
    • WinMX
  • Espra
• Audiogalaxy
• iMesh
• Direct Connect
  • Clients (user agents)
    • NeoModus Direct Connect
    • DC++
      • BCDC++
      • CZDC++
      • oDC
  • Hubs (servers)
    • Ptokax, YHub, NMDCH, etc..
• SoulSeek
• Mnet
• (open)ssh based systems:
  • scp
  • sftp
  • rsync (now commonly uses ssh as the successor to rsh)
• Revision control systems are specialized file sharing systems.
  • CVS
  • Subversion
• General tools:
  • Netcat, a networking pocketknife.

See also

File sharing comparison