P4 0.3.1

P4 is a fully functional, self-organizing overlay network similar to >>Gnutella and >>Freenet. However, P4 differs in that it provides an API for developing plugin applications on top of the network.

P4 handles the networking and exports functionality for unicast, multicast, user and plugin discovery, and strong encryption and authentication. This frees developers from worrying about networking, and allows them to focus on building real functionality.

Since its release in early 2001, P4 has been surpassed by other general-purpose overlay platforms such as JXTA, Groove, and Microsofts Windows Peer-to-Peer SDK.

Furthermore, many other file sharing networks have long been superior to P4 in terms of routing algorithms, bandwidth management, anonymity, maturity, etc. (Theyre mostly dedicated file-sharing networks, though, not general-purpose networks.)

For these reasons, P4 is not currently as competitive as it was a few years ago. However, its still a viable alternative, especially if youre looking for a simple, lightweight, embeddable networking solution.