assistant: Peer-to-peer (P2P) technology is a decentralized approach to network communication where computers, devices, or nodes communicate and share data directly with each other without a central server or authority. To share data over a network of peers using P2P technology, you can follow these general steps:

Choose a P2P protocol: There are several P2P protocols available, such as BitTorrent, Gnutella, and Freenet, among others. Choose the protocol that best suits your needs and the type of data you want to share.

Install P2P software: You will need to install a P2P software that supports the protocol you chose. Some popular P2P software include BitTorrent, FrostWire, and eMule, among others. Install the software on your computer or device, and follow the setup instructions.

Search for content: Once you have installed the P2P software, you can start searching for the content you want to share. Most P2P software has a search function that allows you to search for files, such as music, videos, documents, and other types of data.

Download and share data: Once you have found the content you want to share, you can download it from other peers who have it and share it with others on the network. When you download content, your P2P software will connect to other peers who have the same content and download it in small pieces from multiple sources simultaneously. This process is known as "seeding" and "leeching." Once you have downloaded the data, your P2P software will continue to seed the data, allowing other peers to download it from you.

Manage your downloads and uploads: It is essential to manage your downloads and uploads to ensure that you do not exceed your bandwidth limits or violate any copyright laws. Most P2P software allows you to set limits on the number of downloads and uploads, and you can also choose which files you want to download and share.

Overall, P2P technology allows you to share data over a network of peers in a decentralized and efficient manner. However, it is essential to use P2P technology responsibly and legally to avoid any legal issues or security risks.

prompter: Could you provide me some technical explanations of how these work? ELI5

assistant: Sure, I can try to explain how peer to peer software works like you are five years old. Peer to peer software is a way of sharing things like pictures, videos, music and games with other people on the internet. Imagine you have a big box of toys that you want to share with your friends. You could put all your toys in one place and let your friends come and take what they want, but that would be hard to do and someone might take all your toys. Instead, you could give some of your toys to each of your friends and let them share with each other. That way, everyone can have more toys and no one can take them all.

That’s kind of how peer to peer software works. Instead of putting all the things you want to share in one place on the internet, you split them into smaller pieces and send them to other people who have the same software. Then they can send those pieces to other people too. This way, everyone can get what they want faster and easier because they don’t have to wait for one place to give it to them. They can get it from many places at once.

But how do you know who has what pieces? And how do you tell them what pieces you want? Well, that’s where the software comes in. The software helps you find other people who have the same software and the same things you want to share. It also helps you tell them what pieces you have and what pieces you need. The software uses special codes and rules to make sure everything works smoothly and safely.

Some examples of peer to peer software are BitTorrent, Skype, Napster, LimeWire and Gnutella. They all use different ways of finding and sharing things with other people on the internet. Some are good for sharing big files like movies or games. Some are good for talking or video calling with your friends or family. Some are good for finding new music or books.

I hope this helps you understand how peer to peer software works a little better

prompter: What if one of the peers are down (ie crashed, no internet)

assistant: Peer-to-peer (P2P) technology is a way for computers, devices, or nodes to talk to each other and share information without a central server or authority. To use P2P, you need to choose a P2P protocol, like BitTorrent or Gnutella, and install software that supports it, such as BitTorrent or FrostWire. Once you have the software, you can search for files, like music or videos, and download them from other peers on the network. Your software will connect to multiple sources at the same time to download the file, and once you have it, you can also share it with others by seeding it. It's important to manage your downloads and uploads and follow copyright laws to avoid issues. P2P allows for efficient and decentralized sharing of data, but it should be used responsibly and legally.