Method for optimally utilizing a peer to peer network

A first node for connecting to a network having a plurality of nodes arranged in a peer to peer network to exchange electronic messages, the first node comprising:

• one or more hardware interfaces configured to exchange the electronic messages with other peer nodes such that connections to at least some of the peer nodes cannot be directly made if a number of hops between such nodes is greater than a maximum number of hops allowed by a peer to peer network protocol used by the peer nodes;
• a processor for executing instructions containing a stored program, the instructions for:
• connecting to a second peer node to form a direct connection;
• issuing a search request message to the second peer node over the direct connection, the message requesting the second peer node to forward the search request message to other peer nodes of the second peer node;
• receiving a response to the search request message from the second peer node including one or more responses from the other peer nodes of the second peer node, the response including peer node distance information;
• determining from peer node distance information provided in the response, which of the other peer nodes of the second peer node is a determined peer node, such that a number of hops along a path from the first peer node to the second peer node to the determined peer node is equal to or greater than a maximum number of hops that the search request message may be forwarded using the direct connection to the second peer node;
• maintaining connection information received from the plurality of peer nodes, the connecting information including information about connections among the plurality of peer nodes;
• and
• accepting or denying a search request received by the first peer node from a requesting peer node, the search request requesting to connect to another peer different from the requesting peer node and the first peer node, the accepting or denying based on the connection information maintained by the first peer node and received from peer nodes other than the requesting peer node.