Difference between revisions 104912299 and 104912300 on dewiki

{{Unreferenced|date=October 2008}}
'''Segmented downloading''' (also known as '''multisource downloading''' OR '''swarming download''') can be a more efficient way of [[downloading]] [[Computer file|file]]s from many peers at once.  The one single file is downloaded, in parallel, from several distinct sources or uploaders of the file.  This can help a group of users with [[asymmetric]] connections, such as [[ADSL]] to (contracted; show full)
* Typical downloading configurations can have a single user in touch with up to ''10 to 30 ephemeral users per file'' scattered across the global internet.
* IP router tables can become bloated with routes to these ''ephemeral users'' slowing down table lookups.

== Network advantages ==

Segmented downloading networks do have some advantages* Large files can be made available efficiently to many other users by someone who does not have large upload bandwidth.
* routes to the more obscure parts of the Internet can assert themselves across most of the Internet—this is especially true for dial-up users
* segmented downloading does save some transmission capacity, as the number of lost or redundant megabytes is minimal compared to losing a prolonged [[http]] or [[ftp]] download

Most ISPs have learned to cope with segmented downloading technology, but coping has meant the mandatory deployment of TCP/IP traffic shaping technology.{{fact}}

== Limitations ==
Segmented downloading technology cannot magically solve all downloading problems. There are mathematical constraints on the effectiveness of the technology.

In a group of users that has insufficient upload-bandwidth, with [[Demand (economics)|demand]] higher than [[Supply (economics)|supply]]. Segmented downloading can however very nicely handle traffic peaks, and it can also, to some degree, let uploaders upload "more often" to better utilize their connection.

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== See also ==
* [[Peercasting]]

{{Download managers}}

[[Category:Data transmission]]
[[Category:File sharing]]