1. Introduction

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last decade you've probably used or heard of some type of P2P (peer to peer) application. Ever since the dawn and decline of Napster, people have been looking for better ways to download and share not only music, but also video, gaming and other digital files.

As its name implies, peer-to-peer sharing involves the transfer of files directly between networked computers, usually via the Internet. Using a P2P network involves downloading and installing an application onto your computer, which lets you find and download content from other users running the same P2P program. This application also installs a server program, which catalogs the content that you want to share and handles its upload to other users looking to download that content.

P2P programs differ in the exact methods they use to catalog and upload / download files. They also differ in search capabilities and in the amount of adware, malware and just plain unwanted junk they install along with the P2P application itself. Finally, they also differ in the amount and variety of content offered and speed of download, all of which is usually directly related to the number of users.

I looked at ten of the most popular P2P applications to help you choose one to get started with P2P or switch to a different program if you're fed up with the one you're using.

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