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Direct file transfer via browser with no server involvement

cend.me

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Re: Direct file transfer via browser with no server involvement

#31
post #15

Used to use sharedrop.io but found the “saved messages” option in Telegram is just the most zero friction option for mobile desktop transfers.

Syncthing is actually pretty great for this purpose. I used it to keep my music collection, pictures etc. synced between my computers and my phone.

Nowadays I use nextcloud, mostly because it allows easier sharing with third parties and comes with calendar etc.

Re: Direct file transfer via browser with no server involvement

#32
post #27
post #9

Alternatively, using the same technology: https://www.sharedrop.io/ and actually multiple others. Quite convincing to transfer files between devices in LAN, instead of looking for USB cable to connect the phone or trying to establish (never working and much slower) Bluetooth connection.

* convenient

Of course, thanks

Re: Direct file transfer via browser with no server involvement

#33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do the same, and I think it's sad that this is the best we can do in 2021 :)

Yes, today it's much harder to transfer files in a local network without using cloud (or external coordinator), for some reason.

Is it? If you have the IP of the sender/receiver, it's trivial to use even something like netcat to send/receive files. Samba works as well if you want something more user-friendly and integrated with the traditional file explorers on various OSes.

Re: Direct file transfer via browser with no server involvement

#36
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's it. I got the error, enabled WebRTC and it worked. A better error message would be "You need a browser with WebRTC enabled to use this service." Chances are that if the feature check for WebRTC fails the user intentionally disabled it and knows how to enable it again.

If a user knows how to disable webrtc, he or she should also know that this is the technology needed for direct data transmission, so should not wonder why nothing works. And sure, they could add x finegrained error messages, but I doubt there are too many people who have this setup, that this is remotely a priority.

Is it a part of resistFingerPrinting? If so, users may not know that this is the issue. Also if WebRTC is the issue, then that's what the browser should report, not endorsing a Google product.

Re: Direct file transfer via browser with no server involvement

#37
post #15

Used to use sharedrop.io but found the “saved messages” option in Telegram is just the most zero friction option for mobile desktop transfers.

I use Whatsapp for that purpose.

1. create a group with some one on your contact list. 2. Kick the other person out of group 3. now, attach any file you want to the group and access it via whatsapp web.

Pretty simple to setup and use. for larger files, i would use ftp client on Mobile and use it to transfer files

Re: Direct file transfer via browser with no server involvement

#38

Why would anyone use this service when you can just transfer files by temporarely opening a TCP port and starting a netcat listener that you pipe into the file you want? It's as simple as nc -lvnp 1234 > myfile.txt

The other party then only needs to pipe the file into a netcat socket from their commandline. nc -w 3 IP

Jokes aside I'm intrigued at the "no server involvement". I'm assuming they mean the file isn't transferred through the server but directly (WebRTC?). There is probably still some server involvement to get around the firewalls / NAT. I don't think this will work if you just host your own instance of it.

Re: Direct file transfer via browser with no server involvement

#40
post #15

Used to use sharedrop.io but found the “saved messages” option in Telegram is just the most zero friction option for mobile desktop transfers.

I remember using infra red for this purpose, around 15 years ago using an IR receiver I got from a Lego Mindstorms set... it felt easier back then!
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