What is a P2P?

Published on: February 27th, 2015

A P2P is a play on a Peer to Peer network. While sometimes these two terms are incorrectly used synonymously, they actually are very different.  Both involve the ability to share files.  A key difference is that P2Ps allow and promotes sharing of files across the internet. Whereas Peer To Peer, is local area network only, it cannot (not without a VPN) share files across the internet. P2Ps typically involved installing a program and being a “member” of the service network.  Most P2P’s are free to join and install their applications.  P2P’s service do not actually store files on “their servers” but share files that are stores in the “network member’s”.   If a member of the P2P has a file that you are looking for then you can simply download it from them.  Conversely, if you have a file they are looking for they can get it from your computer.  In some ways it P2Ps seem like a great service however in actual use they are extremely dangerous to your computer and you.  First off they break rule 1.a of computer safety 101 – “never download or open anything from anyone that you do not know”.  You do not know who joe666 is. All you know is joe666 has the song, movie, or software that you were looking for.   How do you know that file does not contain malware, a virus, or is not copyrighted?  You don’t.  P2P are a common source of infections and pirated copy righted materials.  Next, you typically have no control over who has access to your files.   The files you share are shared with every member of the P2P network.  Last, most user of P2P are also totally unaware that they are sharing files from there computer and totally unaware what they sharing.   P2P’s should be avoided and forbidden on your computers and networks.  There is one exception to P2Ps – LogMeIn has a product that they market as a VPN, Hamachi. It is not really a VPN but a P2P. What makes Hamachi different is you control who has access to your P2P network, what is shared and who has access to it. It is also encrypted communication.

If you are on one of our Managed Service Plans or Monitored Antimalware and content filtering plans, we block most P2ps.