Advantages:
- Easy to install and configure.
- Individual machines do not depend on the presence of a dedicated server.
- Individual users have control over their own shared resources and data.
- It is cheaper to purchase and operate.
- No need of expensive server.
- No additional software or hardware beyond suitable operating system is needed.
- No need of dedicated administrators to run the network.
- If one computer fails it will not disrupt any other part of the network. Just those files/resources on the malfunctioning computer will not be available to the others at that time.
- Files can not be centrally backed up. Data recovery or backup is very difficult.
- There is no centralized organizational scheme to locate or control access to data.
- In this network, the whole system is decentralized thus it is difficult to administer. (i.e., one person cannot determine the whole accessibility setting of whole network)
- System Security in this system is very less. Viruses, spywares, trojans, etc malwares can easily transmitted over this architecture.
- File Security is not good other than setting passwords for the files that other should not access.
- If the connections are not connected to the computers properly then there can be problems accessing certain files.
