Big Booger
December 21st, 2003, 07:37 AM
Since the extinction of centralised server based file sharing networks, P2P software developers thought that they got it right when they developed decentralised based networks that do not rely on a central server. These include Kazaa, iMesh, Morpheus, WinMX and so on. While the software developers are safer from legal issues than with centralised based systems since decentralised P2P networks cannot be easily shut down, a flaw exists which still makes users that share or download large quantities of file highly vulnerable to being watched upon and slapped a lawsuit for copyright infringement.
When a user searches for files on a typical decentralised P2P network, their search request is sent to the supernode they are connected to. This node returns any client information that matches their request and this supernode then passes this search request on to other supernodes for further results. Any supernode that has details matching the users search request is passed directly back to the user. If the user wants to download from a result, their client makes a direct connection to the remote address provided in the search result to import the file. All the tracer such as the RIAA has to do is search for a few popular artists or even the term 'mp3' to build up a quick detailed database on who is sharing what. When the RIAA find 1,000's of results coming from a specific address they would (up until recently ) issue a subpoena to the ISP where the IP belongs to and when they get the user’s details, it is just a matter of issuing a lawsuit.
MUTE's network has a different approach. A user's search request spreads out as with the other P2P networks, but when a supernode responds to a search request, it sends back a virtual address instead of the actual IP address in search results. If the client then wishes to download from a result, the request is sent to their supernode and then the next in the same series as the original search request went to get that result. The remote peer then sets up a connection to their supernode. This supernode makes a connection to the next and so on back to the client along the same path to the client, but in reverse. Finally, unlike most typical P2P networks, all these communications are encrypted using RSA encryption similar to that
CDfreaks Info (http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/8747)
The Mute Homepage (http://mute-net.sourceforge.net/)
Windows Download (http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/mute-net/MUTE_fileSharing-0.1_Windows.exe?download)
When a user searches for files on a typical decentralised P2P network, their search request is sent to the supernode they are connected to. This node returns any client information that matches their request and this supernode then passes this search request on to other supernodes for further results. Any supernode that has details matching the users search request is passed directly back to the user. If the user wants to download from a result, their client makes a direct connection to the remote address provided in the search result to import the file. All the tracer such as the RIAA has to do is search for a few popular artists or even the term 'mp3' to build up a quick detailed database on who is sharing what. When the RIAA find 1,000's of results coming from a specific address they would (up until recently ) issue a subpoena to the ISP where the IP belongs to and when they get the user’s details, it is just a matter of issuing a lawsuit.
MUTE's network has a different approach. A user's search request spreads out as with the other P2P networks, but when a supernode responds to a search request, it sends back a virtual address instead of the actual IP address in search results. If the client then wishes to download from a result, the request is sent to their supernode and then the next in the same series as the original search request went to get that result. The remote peer then sets up a connection to their supernode. This supernode makes a connection to the next and so on back to the client along the same path to the client, but in reverse. Finally, unlike most typical P2P networks, all these communications are encrypted using RSA encryption similar to that
CDfreaks Info (http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/8747)
The Mute Homepage (http://mute-net.sourceforge.net/)
Windows Download (http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/mute-net/MUTE_fileSharing-0.1_Windows.exe?download)