Difference Between Peer to Peer And Client Server Network in 3 Easy Points

Introduction

Peer to peer network and client-server network are the telecommunication networks where the information is transferred from the source to the destination without any loss or only minimal loss in transmission. In both these kinds of the network, a path is used for transmission of the information. In the client-server network, the path is dedicated but the peer to peer network does not have a dedicated path. Let us read about these servers and the difference between peer to peer and client-server.

1. What is Client Server Network?
2. What is Peer to Peer Network?
3. Difference Between Client Server and Peer to Peer Network

1) What is Client Server Network?

A client server network includes many clients or workstations that are connected to at least one central server. Most of the data and the applications get installed on the server. When the client wants access to the resources they then access it from the server. The server mostly has a private user directory as well as many public directories. The client server network has faster speed access because these are designed to support several clients. The client functions as a workstation without sharing any of the resources.

It makes it easy to upgrade the software applications and the files because these are held on a single computer only. The server software provides system-wide services. There is enhanced security in the client server network because the server handles the security. This is a network model that is broadly used. In the client server network, the clients and the servers are differentiated and specific servers and clients are present. In a client server network, the centralized server gets used to store data because it has centralized management. In this network, the server responds to the services which are requested by the client.

A client server network is a kind of online network that comprises of a single central computer that behaves like a server and that directs various computes or clients to it. When the server is accessed clients can reach the shared information and files that are saved on the computer serving it. The World Wide Web is an example of a computer application that makes use of the client server model.

The nature of the application is what decides whether in the client server model the computer is a client, a server, or acts like both of them.

2) What is Peer-to-Peer Network? 

A peer to peer network is one that involves two or more than two computers that pool individual resources like the printers, DVD players, and disk drivers. These are the shared resources that are available in every computer in the network. Each of the computers will behave as the client as well as the server and it communicates with the other computers directly. In the peer to peer network like for example the printer of one of the computers can be used by any computer present in the particular network. It is inexpensive to set up a peer to peer network.

All that is needed is a Wi-Fi router or an Ethernet cable to set it up. The model does not differentiate between the server and the client, and here every node behaves as a server and a client. In the peer to peer network, every node can request as well as respond to the services.

The peer to peer network is a computer group or a group of computer systems that are connected through the internet. It allows direct sharing of the files between the network systems without any need for a central server. The network form is common in small offices that do not need a file server that is dedicated for use. All the MAC, Windows, and Linux client versions function as a node in the peer to peer network which allows sharing of the files.

3) Difference between Client Server and Peer to Peer Network

Here is the difference between peer to peer and client server.

• The servers and clients are differentiated in the client network however the client and the server do not get differentiated in the peer to peer network.
• The client server networks work on sharing of information while the peer to peer networks focuses on connectivity.
• Centralized servers get used to store data in the client server network while each peer gets its data in the peer to peer networks.

• In the clients’ server network, the serves respond to the client’s request where in the peer to peer network each node can request as well as respond to the services. It is an important peer to peer vs client server difference.
• The client server networks are much costly than the peer to peer networks.
• The client server network is more stable as compared to the peer to peer networks.
• The client server networks can be used for small and large networks but the peer to peer networks can be suited only for the small networks. This is another difference between client server and peer to peer network.
• The client server network does not save the information that gets transmitted so there is no option to resend the data if in case it gets lost for some reason. If the information gets lost in the peer to peer networks then the corresponding node can resend the information as the information is stored.
• The full bandwidth gets reserved in advance in the client server network because there are only two nodes and a dedicated submission path. In the peer to peer network, the entire bandwidth is not reserved in advance. It consumes the bandwidth node as per the bandwidth and they release it when it gets free.
• Client server makes use of geographical addressing whereas peer to peer network makes use of hierarchical addressing

Conclusion

The article solves all doubts about the difference between peer to peer and client server network.

The client server and the peer to peer networks connect the computers so that the resources like applications and files are shared. The peer to peer network connects computers so that every computer shares all or some part of the resources. The client server networks operate with one or more than one central computers or servers that manage the resources and hold the data.

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