Peer to peer content sharing on ad hoc networks of smartphones

Peer-to-peer networks offer advantages over traditional client-server networking models, such as the lack of a need for connectivity to trusted intermediary hosts or servers and the use of less costly communication links. While they have become popular in the wired broadband environment, they have not yet been effectively adapted to the resource-constrained mobile network environment. They promise significant potential in applications such as the sharing of files like multimedia and operating system updates between mobile devices. However, the peer-to-peer model faces unique challenges in the mobile context, such as limitations on processing power, on-board device memory, wireless data bandwidth, and available battery energy. We propose a high-level framework for a peer-to-peer protocol with these specific constraints addressed. In addition, we investigate the feasibility of a practical implementation of a peer-to-peer file sharing model on smartphones, including an analysis of how performance is impacted by various variables that can be dynamically controlled in the protocol. Through experimentation on leading smartphones, we have found various optimal strategies, including minimizing the upload-to-download ratio to conserve battery life, using larger file segments to increase throughput, and using sockets to decrease memory overhead.