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Q: Who should read this document?
A:You should read this document if you are a member of the press and have general technical questions.

Q: What is Gnutella?
A: Gnutella is a peer to peer network where users can share files with everyone. It does not depend on any one server. The word Gnutella is a name for a technology, like the terms e-mail and Web.

Q: How do I connect to Gnutella?
A: You can connect to the Gnutella network using any compatible servent. Each computer on the network maintains a small handful of connections to other computers. This forms the foundation of the decentralized network. BearShare automates the process by using a service provider, like Clip2, to obtain the initial necessary IP addresses of live hosts.

Q: Where is the main Gnutella web site?
A: There is no web site for "Gnutella". Gnutella is a name for technology. It is the name of the protocol which specifies how messages are passed between hosts on the network. BearShare, which uses the Gnutella protocol to communicate with peers, is available at BearShare.com. Additional community resources are located at BearShare.Net.

Q: Where is the program named Gnutella?
A: There is no official program named "Gnutella". Gnutella is a name for technology. It is the name of the protocol which specifies how messages are passed between hosts on the network. The Gnutella protocol and original 0.56 beta were conceived and developed by Justin Frankel and Tom Pepper at Nullsoft in March, 2000. The first release, Gnutella 0.56, was good for its time but should never be used on the network since it does not have "good citizen" features. The Gnutella network is unique in that vendors are producing software that is interoperable with software from other vendors. This diversity is one of Gnutella's main strengths.

Q: Where is the main server for Gnutella?
A: There is no main server for "Gnutella". Gnutella is a name for technology. It is the name of the protocol which specifies how messages are passed between hosts on the network. There is no central index of files for the network, and no central authority which records or enforces security on network users. This decentralized nature makes Gnutella different from other impure peer to peer networks.

Q: What is BearShare?
A: BearShare is a new Windows file sharing program from Free Peers, Inc. that lets you, your friends, and everyone in the world share files! Built on Gnutella technology, BearShare provides a simple, easy to use interface combined with a powerful connection and search engine that puts thousands of files in easy reach!

Q: How many different users are on Gnutella or BearShare at once?
A: Several companies track the total size of the network and the number of hosts online at a given moment. Visit these sites to track this information:
Clip2
Gnutellameter.com

Q: How is the web site traffic and user base affected by the Napster legal issues?
A: We see significant traffic and new user increases when Napster is affected legally.

Q: Where are some companies that track the Gnutella network?
A: Visit these sites to track the Gnutella network:
Clip2
Gnutellameter.com

Q: How many different people use Gnutella each day?
A: Although this number changes frequently, there are thousands of users on Gnutella on any given day.

Q: What is the monthly visitor count for Gnutella?
A: Visit Gnutellameter.com to obtain monthly Gnutella visitor counts.

Q: What are people on the network searching for?
A: Visit these the following sites for statistics on what people on the network are searching for:
Gnutellameter
Gnutella - NOT the official site! But ranked #1 in the search engines
Clip2 - tracks P2P networks and improve their performance
LimeWire - provides rolling host count

Q: I heard that the network doesn't scale, is this true?
A: There are various opinions on this matter. Please refer to the following articles by Jordan Ritter and Greg Bildson:
"Why Gnutella Can't Scale. No, Really.", by Jordan Ritter
"Gnutella is Not O(N^2)", by Lucas Gonze

Q: What are some additional links to knowledge areas?
A: Visit these sites for additional Gnutella information:
Zeropaid
Gnutella News


Please direct comments, questions, or contributions, via e-mail, to faq@bearshare.com.