Question

2. Imagine that the user at computer A wants to open a file that is on computer C's hard disk, in a peer-to-peer fashion. What path do you think data would take between these two computers?

Answer 1

Answer:

Since there is no server in a peer-to-peer network, both computers will share resources through the network component used in linking them together such as a cable or a switch.

Explanation:

In its simplest form, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network is created when two or more computers (in this case computer A and C) are connected and share resources without going through a separate server computer. A P2P network can be an ad hoc connection—a couple of computers connected via a Universal Serial Bus to transfer files or through an Ethernet cable. A P2P network also can be a permanent infrastructure that links a half-dozen computers in a small office over copper wires using switches as a central connector. Or a P2P network can be a network on a much grander scale in which special protocols and applications set up direct relationships among users over the Internet.

Please find attached the diagram of the peer-to-peer network of the two computers, computer A and computer. We have two network connections in the diagram.

The first one was implemented using a crossover Ethernet cable to connect both computers through the RJ45 LAN port on their network interface card.

In this network configuration, that will go through the NIC card from Computer C, through the cable to the NIC on computer A and vice versa.

In the second implementation, we used a switch to connect both computers using a straight Ethernet cable.

In this connection, data will go through the NIC card in computer C, through the cable connecting Computer C to the switch, through the switch, then through the cable connecting the switch to computer A and finally through the NIC card on computer A and vice versa