Definition: Boasting millions of registered users, Napster was once one of the most popular network software applications in history. Napster allowed its members to exchange music files over the Internet for free. Napster implemented a relatively simple IP-based protocol for communicating control operations and data. Napster also implemented a custom name space similar to, but separate from, DNS.
The network traffic generated by Napster downloads flooded some university networks, and a few institutions banned Napster from their networks by blocking the appropriate network ports.
Legal challenges and industry pressure led to the demise of the original Napster application. However, Napster helped popularize peer-to-peer (P2P) network computing.
