A popular peer-to-peer file sharing network on the Internet. Gnutella lets users share files from user machine to user machine without the use of a central directory, which was the original Napster architecture. Numerous client programs, such as LimeWire, Morpheus, BearShare and Mutella, have been developed that incorporate the Gnutella file sharing protocol. For more information, visit www.gnutella.com.
Developed by Nullsoft/AOL
Nullsoft, makers of the popular Winamp software media player, was acquired by AOL in 1999. In 2000, the Nullsoft division released the Gnutella software on the Internet, but AOL quickly pulled the plug the next day. However, licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), Gnutella spread rapidly in that short time, and Gnutella clients emerged soon after. The Gnutella name is a combination of GNU from the license and the chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella.
How Files Are Shared
Each client in a Gnutella network is also a server, and the term "servent" is the combination of server and client. When starting for the first time, each Gnutella servent requires the IP address of at least one other servent, which it can obtain from a default list of UDP host caches (UHCs) or GWebcaches. UHCs crawl the Internet looking for Gnutella hosts (servents), and GWebcache servers are updated by the Gnutella hosts themselves.
Once a servent contacts another servent, that servent tries to contact the nodes it is aware of, and the request gets forwarded throughout the Gnutella network until the request times out. High-speed, non-firewalled servents can become "ultrapeers," which can connect to 32 other ultrapeers and 30 regular servents. The ultrapeers maintain key words of the files in the servents and forward them only requests for files they are likely to have. See peer-to-peer network.
Developed by Nullsoft/AOL
Nullsoft, makers of the popular Winamp software media player, was acquired by AOL in 1999. In 2000, the Nullsoft division released the Gnutella software on the Internet, but AOL quickly pulled the plug the next day. However, licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), Gnutella spread rapidly in that short time, and Gnutella clients emerged soon after. The Gnutella name is a combination of GNU from the license and the chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella.
How Files Are Shared
Each client in a Gnutella network is also a server, and the term "servent" is the combination of server and client. When starting for the first time, each Gnutella servent requires the IP address of at least one other servent, which it can obtain from a default list of UDP host caches (UHCs) or GWebcaches. UHCs crawl the Internet looking for Gnutella hosts (servents), and GWebcache servers are updated by the Gnutella hosts themselves.
Once a servent contacts another servent, that servent tries to contact the nodes it is aware of, and the request gets forwarded throughout the Gnutella network until the request times out. High-speed, non-firewalled servents can become "ultrapeers," which can connect to 32 other ultrapeers and 30 regular servents. The ultrapeers maintain key words of the files in the servents and forward them only requests for files they are likely to have. See peer-to-peer network.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- FrostWire 4.18.5 (Mac)
- FrostWire is a fork of the very popular LimeWire PRO Gnutella/Bittorrent client. The purpose of FrostWire is to keep and maintain the freedoms that LimeWire LLC may be forced to withdraw. Share any type of file on Gnutella and the Bittorrent network.
- Software downloads 2009-11-25
- MP3 Rocket 5.3.4 (Windows)
- MP3Rocket the fastest file sharing download software for mp3 music and movies. Award winning software providing the smartest and fastest access to millions of songs, MP3s, movies, TV shows, live channels and games. MP3Rocket combines powerful Gnutella and BitTorrent technologies with effortless live channel streaming to give you the world's...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- Blubster 3.1 (Windows)
- Blubster is a file-sharing network that uses a peer-to-peer network similar to Gnutella, with a new private protocol that works without a central server. Once your client program connects with another client, you can search and download MP3 files from the entire network of users. Blubster offers an easy-to-use interface...
- Software downloads 2009-11-11
- FrostWire 4.18.4 (Windows)
- FrostWire is a fork of the very popular LimeWire PRO Gnutella/Bittorrent client. The purpose of FrostWire is to keep and maintain the freedoms that LimeWire LLC may be forced to withdraw. Share any type of file on Gnutella and the Bittorrent network.
- Software downloads 2009-11-08
- MP3 Torpedo 5.5.9 (Windows)
- MP3 Torpedo is a fork of the very popular LimeWire Gnutella client. The purpose of MP3 Torpedo is to keep and maintain the freedoms that LimeWire may be forced to withdraw. Features optimizes computers performance by lowering CPU usage; enhanced and more reliable downloads using new methods and technologies; new...
- Software downloads 2009-10-31
- Shareaza 2.5 (Windows)
- Shareaza has unique features, including ghost ratings, a completely user-configurable queue area, and multinetwork support. The program started as a Gnutella client but recently branched out and developed Gnutella2, a completely open and documented network. Shareaza's interface is easy to use, yet powerful and fully skinnable. Shareaza's download core was...
- Software downloads 2009-10-31
- Sky Downloader 3.1 (Windows)
- SkyDownloader is the #1 downloader for free music, movies, live TV and more. It's home base for everything that entertains you online, providing the smartest and fastest access to millions of songs, MP3s, movies, TV shows, live channels and games. SkyDownloader combines powerful Gnutella and BitTorrent technologies with effortless live...
- Software downloads 2009-10-22
- WireStack 1.1 (Windows)
- WireStack is a newly emerged p2p client that combines all the great features in top file sharing applications. Based on probably the most popular p2p software, Limewire, this program manages to makes the file sharing of music, movies, images, games, and text documents even easier. WireStack supports the Gnutella file-sharing...
- Software downloads 2009-10-20
- ShareGhost 1.1 (Windows)
- ShareGhost is one of the most technologically capable p2p file sharing application ever made. It was created with a focus on user-friendliness keeping at the same time all the range of useful features like multinetwork support, ghost ratings, and a queue area which users can entirely configure. ShareGhost offers exceptional...
- Software downloads 2009-10-12
- InterGate Policy Manager 9.3.1 (Mac)
- InterGate Policy Manager - A comprehensive Internet access management solution, providing fine grained control of web content access, usage of Peer to Peer, Instant Messaging and Skype networks, logging and reporting of user activity, as well a core IP router and firewall to provide advanced protection to your network. Advanced...
- Software downloads 2009-10-09
- ShareDix 1.1.0 (Windows)
- ShareDix is a clear-cut file sharing client using the up-to-date architecture to help you download movies, music, text documents and other with greater efficiency. The availability in terms of networks, ghost ratings, a queue area you can easily configure, make it an optimal solution as a p2p software. The program...
- Software downloads 2009-09-12
- Rocket Torrents Pro 5.3 (Windows)
- Rocket Torrents is an award winning file sharing program allowing users to download MP3 music, movies, games from the Bittorrent or Gnutella networks. Additionally users can watch live streams for over 5000 movies and TV shows, a Live Radio feature so you can listen to over 1000 live radio stations,...
- Software downloads 2009-08-30
- Rocket Torrents Pro 5.2.4 (Windows)
- Rocket Torrents is an award winning file sharing program allowing users to download MP3 music, movies, games from the Bittorrent or Gnutella networks. Additionally users can watch live streams for over 5000 movies and TV shows, a Live Radio feature so you can listen to over 1000 live radio stations,...
- Software downloads 2009-08-03
- Seeksy 0.2 (Windows)
- Seeksy is a p2p software that allows users to download unlimited free mp3 files with no monthly fees and no per song download fees. Seeksy downloads songs with a turbo charged engine and Seeksy allows you to download mp3s at lightning fast speeds. Seeksy is safe to use and keeps...
- Software downloads 2009-06-26
- MP3 Rocket 5.1.9 (Mac)
- MP3 Rocket is an award winning file sharing program allowing users to download mp3 music files from the gnutella and torrent networks. Users can also search for and download movie files, software titles, games, documents and images. Other features include the ability to preview files while downloading, advanced techniques for...
- Software downloads 2009-06-03
- MP3 Search Premium 3.50 (Windows)
- Connecting to major P2P network such as Gnutella, G2, and Bittorrent, Peer Search Premium is advanced file searching and sharing program. It returns thousands of song, movie, image, and other media files within a second. Thanks for the multihost downloading swamp features, Peer Search Premium greatly improve the download speed...
- Software downloads 2009-05-24
- MP3 Boss 0.672 (Windows)
- MP3 Boss allows you to easily/fully manage and play your music files. MP3 Boss includes integrated support for WinAmp, automatic scanning of MP3 tags (ID3v1, ID3v2, and Lyrics), extensive database functions (sorting, searching, filtering, reporting), general file management (rename, move or delete files even while that song is playing), file...
- Software downloads 2009-03-31
- Streamripper for Winamp 2 and 5 1.64.6 (Windows)
- Streamripper is an open-source GPL plug-in for Winamp that connects to streaming MP3 servers such as Shoutcast and records the tracks to your hard drive as individual files. With the emergence of file-sharing protocols such as Napster and Gnutella, the average Internet user can download nearly any MP3 file quickly...
- Software downloads 2009-03-31
- TurboWire 1.3 (Windows)
- TurboWire is currently one of the strongest p2p clients built. Think at Limewire with an attitude. To be as comfy as possible with the downloading process and to enable a more precise search, TurboWire let you specify you fields for title, artist, album, track number, genre, year, length and bitrate....
- Software downloads 2009-03-30
- Torrent Monster 1.3 (Windows)
- Torrent Monster has easily entered the top of the most stylish, solid and least cluttered p2p clients around. Torrent Monster is a reliable file sharing app that allows you to download any digital file such as images, music, movies, applications, documents, etc. fast and accurate. Running on the largest decentralized...
- Software downloads 2009-03-30
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Reduce risk. Reduce complexity. Increase reliability.
-
A simplified IT environment isn't just less complex. It's also more reliable. Standardize on a single Linux platform with SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell, and get the world's most interoperable Linux
- Learn more >>
- Keep Up With The Latest In Document Management with The DocuMentor.
-
Doc delivers the scoop on today's enterprise content management, printer maintenance, and all other issues related to document management. It's the DocuMentor Blog.
- Learn more >>
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online - Free Six-Month Trial for Eligible Organizations
-
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides fast online access, simple contact management and better sales performance for a low monthly cost - the best value on the market today.
- Learn more about the free, six-month trial offer>>
SmartPlanet
- Thought-provoking progressive ideas on diverse topics that intersect with technology, business, and life, and matter to the world at large. Visit SmartPlanet
- More from IBM
-
- How to Drive Better Business Outcomes with Exceptional Web Experiences Download the eBook
- Driving Business Agility through SOA Connectivity & Integration Read the White Paper from IBM
- Linking Decisions and Information for Organizational Performance Read the Tom Davenport study
