Peer-to-peer distribution of web content using WebRTC within a web browser

• Main Authors: Ersson, Kerstin, Siri, Persson
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Torrent; WebTorrent; peerweb.io; BitTorrent; p2p; peer-to-peer; JavaScript; Precisit; WebRTC; website hosting; websocket; Node.js; peer connection; Other Computer and Information Science; Annan data- och informationsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-254725

The aim of this project was to investigate if it is possible to host websites using the BitTorrent protocol, a protocol for distribution of data on the web. This was done using several Node.js modules, small clusters of code written in JavaScript, such as Browserify and a modified version of WebTorrent. In these modules, technologies like websockets and WebRTC are implemented. The project resulted in a working WebTorrent module, implemented on the website www.peerweb.io. However, the module still needs optimization concerning the time it takes to set up a WebRTC peer connection. With these modifications, we believe that hosting websites via peer-to-peer network will be the future of the web.