BitTorrent Gets D-Linked

Written by Ryan Lawler

Thursday, June 5. 2008 at 09:55 AM EDT 1 comment

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The most pervasive peer-to-peer (P2P) software client just got a little bit more pervasive, as D-Link Systems Inc. announced it would be adding the commercial BitTorrent Inc. client to its network-attached storage devices.

The announcement comes almost a year after the P2P technology firm announced it would partner with device makers to embed its software into their products, and about six months after D-Link joined the program.

D-Link's DNS-323 two-bay network storage enclosure now includes the BitTorrent software development kit (SDK), which will allow users to access, store, and share content using BitTorrent technology.

In addition to NAS devices, BitTorrent is looking to embed its technology onto set-top boxes and game consoles, as well as Internet-enabled TVs or DVD players.

In that respect, it's not alone. P2P firm GridNetworks, for instance, has been public with its desire to grab a foothold in set-top boxes and other Internet-enabled devices.

Even though other P2P firms may be talking about working with device manufacturers to embed their technology, Ashwin Navin, president and co-founder of BitTorrent, says his company is actually doing it. And Navin says BitTorrent has a few advantages over newer competitors -- namely, years of experience and network-aware software.

The D-Link device -- and any embedded partner devices -- contains a commercial version of the software that doesn't have any of the network performance issues of the open-source non-commercial client software based on the BitTorrent standard.

"This is a lot more polite than normal BitTorrent clients, which tend to sabotage the LAN and ISP network," Navin says.

One other advantage is the level of integration BitTorrent is working on with device folks. According to Navin, BitTorrent is looking to embed at the semiconductor level, which is no walk in the park.

"Device integration is not easy stuff," Navin says. "Devices are resource-constrained -- they're not PCs. So we went to the semiconductor level and are building reference designs with semiconductor manufacturers."