peer-to-peer network (redirected from Peer-to-peer file sharing)

peer-to-peer network  (pîrt-pîr)

A network of personal computers, each of which acts as both client and sever, so that each can exchange files and email directly with every other computer on the network. Each computer can access any of the others, although access can be restricted to those files that a computer's user chooses to make available. Peer-to-peer networks are less expensive than client/server networks but less efficient when large amounts of data need to be exchanged. Compare client/server network.