🎓 P2P Networking Learning Summary

What We Built

  • Automatic peer discovery
  • Real-time messaging
  • Decentralized architecture
  • CLI interface
  • Robust networking

Key Concepts Learned

  • Service discovery
  • Direct communication
  • UDP vs TCP
  • Async programming
  • Protocol design
  • Distributed systems

Technical Skills

  • Rust async/await
  • UDP/TCP networking
  • Error handling
  • JSON serialization
  • CLI development

Real-World Applications

  • File sharing (BitTorrent, IPFS)
  • Communication (Skype, Discord)
  • Blockchain (Bitcoin, Ethereum)
  • Gaming networks

Next Steps

  • Message history, UI improvements, file sharing, private messages
  • Encryption, NAT traversal, GUI, mobile support
  • DHT, consensus, gossip protocols, blockchain

Key Takeaways

  • P2P: scalable, resilient, but complex
  • Rust: safe, performant, great for networking