View source for FastTrack

{{Other uses|Fast Track (disambiguation)}}
'''FastTrack''' is a [[peer-to-peer]] (P2P) [[Protocol (computing)|protocol]] that was used by the [[Kazaa]],<ref>{{Citation|title=Chapter 12 - FastTrack|date=2005-01-01|journal=Securing Im and P2P Applications for the Enterprise|pages=319–357|editor-last=Piccard|editor-first=Paul L.|publisher=Syngress|isbn=9781597490177|editor2-last=Baskin|editor2-first=Brian|editor3-last=Edwards|editor3-first=Craig|editor4-last=Spillman|editor4-first=George|doi=10.1016/B978-159749017-7/50017-3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hipertextual.com/2019/06/compartir-descargar-primeros-p2p|title=La historia del P2P y la descarga de archivos|last=López|first=José María|date=2019-06-10|website=Hipertextual|language=es-ES|access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref> [[Grokster]],<ref>{{Citation|title=Chapter 12 - FastTrack|date=2005-01-01|journal=Securing Im and P2P Applications for the Enterprise|pages=319–357|editor-last=Piccard|editor-first=Paul L.|publisher=Syngress|isbn=9781597490177|editor2-last=Baskin|editor2-first=Brian|editor3-last=Edwards|editor3-first=Craig|editor4-last=Spillman|editor4-first=George|doi=10.1016/B978-159749017-7/50017-3}}</ref> [[iMesh]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.symantec.com/security_response/attacksignatures/detail.jsp?asid=21593|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129050128/http://www.symantec.com/security_response/attacksignatures/detail.jsp?asid=21593|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 29, 2015|title=Audit: P2P Fasttrack Network Ping Messages: Attack Signature - Symantec Corp.|website=[[Broadcom#Symantec enterprise security|Symantec]]|access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref> and [[Morpheus (file-sharing software)|Morpheus]] [[file sharing]] programs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/49902-morpheuskazaa-called-new-napster|title=Morpheus/KaZaa Called "New Napster" - ExtremeTech|website=www.extremetech.com|access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref> FastTrack was the most popular file sharing network in 2003, and used mainly for the exchange of music [[MP3]] files. The network had approximately 2.4 million [[concurrent user]]s in 2003. It is estimated that the total number of users was greater than that of [[Napster]] at its peak.{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}}

==History==
The FastTrack protocol and Kazaa were created and developed by [[Estonia]]n programmers of BlueMoon Interactive headed by [[Jaan Tallinn]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.starmus.com/team/jaan-tallinn/|title=Jaan Tallinn « STARMUS Festival|language=en|access-date=2019-06-30}}</ref> the same team that later created [[Skype]]. After selling it to [[Niklas Zennström]] from [[Sweden]] and [[Janus Friis]] from [[Denmark]], it was introduced in March 2001 by their [[Netherlands|Dutch]] company Consumer Empowerment. It appeared during the end of the first generation of [[Peer-to-peer|P2P networks]] &ndash; [[Napster]] shut down in July of that year. There are three FastTrack-based networks, and they use mutually [[Software incompatibility|incompatible]] versions of the protocol. The most popular [[Client (Computing)|clients]] on each are Kazaa (and its variations), Grokster, and iMesh. For more information about the various [[lawsuit]]s surrounding Kazaa and [[Sharman Networks]], see [[Kazaa]].

==Technology==
FastTrack uses [[supernode (networking)|supernode]]s to improve [[scalability]].

To allow downloading from multiple sources, FastTrack employs the [[UUHash]] [[hashing algorithm]]. While UUHash allows very large [[computer file|files]] to be [[checksum]]med in a short time, even on slow weak [[computer]]s, it also allows for massive [[data corruption|corruption]] of a file to go unnoticed. Many people, as well as the [[RIAA]], have exploited this [[Vulnerability (computing)|vulnerability]] to spread corrupt and fake files on the network.<ref>Thomas Mennecke.
[http://www.slyck.com/story1019.html How Overpeer was able to corrupt data on the FastTrack network] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926232223/http://www.slyck.com/story1019.html |date=2007-09-26 }}.
2005.</ref>

The FastTrack protocol uses [[encryption]] and was not [[documentations|documented]] by its creators. The first clients were all [[Proprietary software|closed source software]]. However, initialization data for the encryption algorithms is sent in the clear and no [[public key]] encryption is used, so [[reverse engineering]] was made comparatively easy. In 2003, [[open source]] [[programmer]]s succeeded in reverse-engineering the portion of the protocol dealing with client-[[Supernode (networking)|supernode]] communication, but the supernode-supernode communication protocol remains largely unknown.{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}}

==Clients==
The following programs are or have been FastTrack clients:
* '''[[Kazaa]]''' and variants
* '''[[KCeasy]]''' (requires the gIFT-fasttrack plugin)
* '''[[Grokster]]'''
* '''[[iMesh]]'''
* '''[[Morpheus (file-sharing software)|Morpheus]]''', until 2002
* '''Apollon''' - KDE-Based
* giFT-FastTrack  &ndash; a [[giFT]] plugin<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-04-24 |title=BerliOS Developer: Project Summary - giFT-FastTrack |url=http://developer.berlios.de/projects/gift-fasttrack/ |access-date=2025-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424193328/http://developer.berlios.de/projects/gift-fasttrack/ |archive-date=24 April 2014 }}</ref>
* [[MLDonkey]], a free multi-platform multi-network file sharing client

==See also==
* [[Kad network]]
* [[Overnet]]
* [[Open Music Model]]
* [[Comparison of file sharing applications]]

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140424193328/http://developer.berlios.de/projects/gift-fasttrack/ giFT-FastTrack home page]
{{File sharing protocols}}

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[[Category:File sharing networks]]
[[Category:File transfer protocols]]