In
computer networking
A computer network is a set of computers sharing resources located on or provided by network nodes. The computers use common communication protocols over digital interconnections to communicate with each other. These interconnections are ma ...
, a peer group is a group of functional units in the same layer (see e.g.
OSI model
The Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model) is a conceptual model that 'provides a common basis for the coordination of SOstandards development for the purpose of systems interconnection'. In the OSI reference model, the communications ...
) of a network, by analogy with
peer group
In sociology, a peer group is both a social group and a Primary and secondary groups, primary group of people who have similar interests (homophily), age, background, or social status. The members of this group are likely to influence the person's ...
. See also
peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer (P2P) computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads between peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the network. They are said to form a peer-to-peer n ...
(P2P) networking which is a specific type of networking relying on basically equal end hosts rather than on a hierarchy of devices.
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Computer networking