Not only does security become an issue when there are more than ten users involved in a peer-to-peer network, but performance also becomes a problem. Because each user acts as a server in a peer-to-peer network, download and upload can occur slower than it would occur when a central server is present (Edwards, p. 11).
Peer-to-peer networks are effective because they are inexpensive to set and supervise. Also, each user can perform tasks that are characteristic to clients and servers alike, given the fact that they can share and download information at the same time. The only security available when regarding peer-to-peer networks is that clients can control what they share and with who they share it through setting passwords for what they want to share with certain users. However, this is not of the most secure methods of protecting one's information, as any user who knows the password will have access to the restricted information, regardless of their Internet Protocol address (Mueller, p.1077).
Even though they are very complex, they have numerous features in common. The fact that they too can have passwords decreases the chances of security violations (Wai-Sing Loo, 2007, p. 6).
All in all, client/server networks are the best option for those who want to install a network. However, because most users are not willing to pay for a server or because they are not qualified to manage such a network, peer-to-peer networks are usually more common (Mueller, p.1077).
Works cited:
1. Edwards, James. (2002). Peer-to-peer programming on Groove. Addison-Wesley.
2. Mueller, Scott. (2002). Upgrading and repairing PCs. Que Publishing.
3. Wai-Sing Loo, Alfred.(2007). Peer-to-peer computing: building supercomputers with Web technologies. Springer.
