Windows XP Peer-to-Peer Design Finalized

A stealth distribution on Windows Update let loose the final version of Microsoft's P2P designs for Windows XP this past week. The update has also been released as a standalone download, with the plumbing of a software development kit in close quarters.

The upgrade for Windows XP Service Pack 1 repositions the operating system's Internet underpinnings to the next generation IPv6 networking stack. The download also bridges together legacy network standards through NAT traversal technology known as "Teredo."

Service Pack 2 for Windows XP will include the technology, and close ties have also been cited with Microsoft's Live Communications Server -- formerly code-named Greenwich -- product team.

February saw the release of a beta peer-to-peer update for Windows XP, coinciding with the release of Microsoft's threedegrees IM client, intended to connect people to do "fun things together."

The premise behind threedegrees is to enable social interaction within a group of friends or family by extending standard instant messaging with music, group chats, digital photos and personal desktop animations that Microsoft calls "winks."

In order to bypass the myriad of networking issues caused by firewalls and routers hampering peer-to-peer connectivity, Microsoft turned to IPv6, which features enhanced traffic management.

However, the beta caused a flood of problems that Microsoft engineers worked to iron out, including restricting some customers from being able to access certain Internet sites.

The Advanced Networking Pack for Windows XP, which includes the updated IPv6 stack and new IPv6 firewall may be downloaded via FileForum.