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2 Other currently-used filesharing protocols |
MFTP and What It Does
Where It's Found
This is the communication protocol used by eMule/eDonkey clients and (in its extended form) the Overnet network as well.
Features/Strengths
Due to its ability to uniquely identify files regardless of what they're named on each individual computer in addition to being able to search by filename, it is superior to most other filesharing protocols. It also has bandwidth management built into the protocol (aka, leech resistance) as well as user-definable tweaks to file and user download priority in every known mature client. It is also possible to share metadata about a given file with links on web sites (such as: this file is good, this file is corrupted, this file isn't what the name may indicate, etc.); in this case, the files are identified with their md4 hash numbers (which are consistent) rather than their filenames (which will often vary from one computer to the next). The protocol is still under development, so additional features and other improvements are still possible.
Other currently-used filesharing protocols
Bit Torrent
The Bit Torrent protocol is the only filesharing protocol in widespread use that offers features/speed above that of the MFTP at this time. It tends to offer greater download speeds due to the fact that each the tracker for each torrent contains client information for one specific file or set of files. There is a small reduction in bandwidth utilization due to protocol overhead compared to MFTP, but the biggest benefit is due to the fact that every peer connected to the tracker is sharing and downloading the exact same file(s). Thus, while Bit Torrent is a little more efficient, it is also much less flexible and is also not a purely p2p application since the tracker URL must resolve and the tracker must provide filesharer information before any file data can be found and transferred.
OpenNap (originally Napster)
This was the protocol originally used by the Napster client, which was the first widely used peer-to-peer filesharing application. It is still used in applications such as WinMX.
Kazaa
Kazaa utilizes a proprietary protocol similar to OpenNap. While it is the application with the largest installed userbase, it is worth noting that the Kazaa client (produced by Sharman Networks) installs spyware onto the user's machine. Whether this offsets the features and benefits of the client software is a decision for each individual user, reading about spyware and the related security and privacy risks can only help potential users make the best choice based upon their own needs.