Definition: Kazaa (sometimes spelled Kazzaa) is a free, distributed file sharing service that uses peer-to-peer (P2P) network technology. Kazaa / Kazzaa is most commonly used to share and download MP3 music files over the Internet.
To use Kazaa, a person downloads and installs a software client. Kazaa clients communicate with various registration servers, using Internet protocols, to identify files for sharing or download. Unlike FTP and other client-server network designs, Kazaa does not utilize file servers per se. Instead, the Kazaa network (called FastTrack) simply holds peer registration information, then brokers connections between any two distributed peer clients.
Kazaa works over any speed of Internet connection. A number of Internet accelerator techniques may be used to increase the speed of Kazaa downloads. Kazaa clients run only on Windows operating systems.
See also > Kazaa Lite K++
Alternate Spellings: KaZaA, Kazaa Media Desktop (KMD), Kazzaa, original Kazaa
