Darknet (overlay network)
Template:Filesharing A darknet is a private network where connections are made only between trusted peers — sometimes called "friends" (F2F)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> — using non-standard protocols and ports. The collection of all darknets forms a subsection of the Deep Web.<ref name=dark_web>Template:Cite web</ref>
Darknets are distinct from other distributed peer-to-peer networks as sharing is anonymous (that is, IP addresses are not publicly shared).<ref name=Wood>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The term has been widely adopted and has been used by major media sources, including Rolling Stone and Wired.
Ambiguously called dark web
It is known as the Dark Web, subsection of the deep web, though there is some ambiguity in the common use of dark web.<ref name=dark_web />
Darknet uses
The darknet may be used for various reasons, such as:
- Out of privacy concerns or for fear by dissidents of political reprisal
- To publish for criminal gain
- To share media files (sometimes copyrighted files)
First use of the term
Originally coined in the 1970s to designate networks which were isolated from ARPANET (which evolved into the Internet) for security purposes,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> darknets were able to receive data from ARPANET but had addresses which did not appear in the network lists and would not answer pings or other inquiries.
The term gained public acceptance following publication of "The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution",<ref>Template:Cite conference</ref> a 2002 paper by Peter Biddle, Paul England, Marcus Peinado, and Bryan Willman, four employees of Microsoft who described the concept as follows:
The idea of the darknet is based upon three assumptions:
- Any widely distributed object will be available to a fraction of users in a form that permits copying.
- Users will copy objects if it is possible and if they are interested in doing so.
- Users are connected by high-bandwidth channels.
The darknet is the distribution network that emerges from the injection of objects according to assumption 1 and the distribution of those objects according to assumptions 2 and 3.
The Microsoft researchers argued that the presence of the darknet was the primary hindrance to the development of workable DRM technologies.
Other variances of meaning
The term "darknet" can be used to describe all non-commercial sites on the Internet.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
It has also been used to refer to all "underground" web communications and technologies, most commonly those associated with illegal activity or dissent.<ref name=Wood/>
Terms
When used to describe a file sharing network, the term darknet is often used as a synonym for "friend-to-friend"—both describing networks where direct connections are only established between trusted friends. A most widespread "non-darknet" file sharing network, such as BitTorrent, is not a "friend-to-friend" network since peers may communicate with anyone else on the network.
Almost allTemplate:Clarify known darknets are decentralized and therefore considered peer-to-peer.
ManyTemplate:Clarify darknets require software to be installed to access them.
Software
- Freenet is a popular darknet (friend-to-friend) by default; since version 0.7 it can run as a "opennet" (connecting to untrusted users)
- GNUnet is a popular darknet if the "F2F (network) topology" option is enabled
- Retroshare run as a darknet (friend-to-friend) by default to perform anonymous file transfers if DHT and Discovery features are disabled
- Syndie is software used to publish distributed forums over several networks. The network may be an anonymous deep web network like I2P or Tor.
Defunct software
See also
References
| references-column-width
| references-column-count references-column-count-{{#if:1|{{{1}}}}} }}
| {{#if:
| references-column-width }} }}" style="{{#if:
| {{#iferror: {{#ifexpr: 1 > 1 }}
| Template:Column-width
| Template:Column-count }}
| {{#if:
| Template:Column-width }} }} list-style-type: {{#switch:
| upper-alpha
| upper-roman
| lower-alpha
| lower-greek
| lower-roman = {{{group}}}
| #default = decimal}};">
<references group=""></references>External links
- *****o
- *****o
- Darknet 101 - introduction for non technical people
