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Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

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Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#181

Post by lxgr »

SingleSourceAI wrote: post #40
eigenspace wrote: post #28

My problem is that all these alternatives require the devices to be on the same local network. One beauty of Airdrop is that it creates and handles that local network automatically under the hood (as far as I understand). So you could be out on a hike with friends and Airdrop something. The workaround I've found after switching to an Android device has been to teather my connection to my friend's device, which ends u…

[flagged]

> It uses a time-sliced channel-hopping mechanism so the radio can serve both infrastructure WiFi and the direct peer link simultaneously.

This is really nothing special as 802.11 implementations go, as it's pretty easy to do as long as you can control the physical channel for at least one side.

Many Windows, Linux, and Android devices have been supporthing this for years. It's usually called something like "simultaneous AP/STA mode".

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#182

Post by lxgr »

3form wrote: post #90
SingleSourceAI wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

>It uses a time-sliced channel-hopping mechanism so the radio can serve both infrastructure WiFi and the direct peer link simultaneously. This seems like such a basic solution that I'm surprised that it isn't required by any of the mainstream standards before WiFi Aware. I wonder if this was some sort of a patent issue or similar.

It's been a standard feature of many Wi-Fi chipsets/drivers for over a decade.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#183

Post by armchairhacker »

SingleSourceAI wrote: post #40
eigenspace wrote: post #28

My problem is that all these alternatives require the devices to be on the same local network. One beauty of Airdrop is that it creates and handles that local network automatically under the hood (as far as I understand). So you could be out on a hike with friends and Airdrop something. The workaround I've found after switching to an Android device has been to teather my connection to my friend's device, which ends u…

[flagged]

FYI this is an LLM comment, and other replies point out inaccuracies…

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#184

Post by lxgr »

gregoriol wrote: post #65
SingleSourceAI wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

AWDL is such an amazing technology, it's understandable that Apple wants to keep it only for their devices as it gives them a noticeable advantage for quick stuff sharing.

AWDL really isn't that novel, neither as an idea nor implementation. What Apple did nail is the user experience on top of it.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#185

Post by rglover »

This has been on my mind a lot as AirDrop has continuously failed to find devices on my network (no VPN enabled on either device, no weird routing or tunneling, even after flushing networking stuff).

Just set this up in a few minutes and it works a peach (quite fast, too). Just nudged me a little closer toward a "just use Linux" default.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#186

Post by lxgr »

joenot443 wrote: post #103
SingleSourceAI wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> which is a proprietary peer-to-peer layer that runs alongside your existing WiFi connection without dropping it. It uses a time-sliced channel-hopping mechanism so the radio can serve both infrastructure WiFi and the direct peer link simultaneously. Maybe a network nerd can chime in - is this implementation so difficult that it's unrealistic we'll see an OSS version?

The physical layer part really isn't complicated, and most Wi-Fi chipsets have supported something like it for over a decade now.

What's tricky is to specify and get everybody to implement the layers on top of it, including device discovery (frequently offloaded to Bluetooth for efficiency reasons), user identification (Apple runs a PKI for this) etc.

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#187

Post by lxgr »

sholladay wrote: post #94
eigenspace wrote: post #28

My problem is that all these alternatives require the devices to be on the same local network. One beauty of Airdrop is that it creates and handles that local network automatically under the hood (as far as I understand). So you could be out on a hike with friends and Airdrop something. The workaround I've found after switching to an Android device has been to teather my connection to my friend's device, which ends u…

Not only that, but with iOS 17.1 or later, AirDrop transfers will continue to work if you go out of Wi-Fi range during the transfer. It seamlessly switches to an Internet-based relay.

Which, in my view, significantly decreases the value proposition, as there is no way to deactivate this feature to my knowledge (at least not without also opting out of other useful features under the "Handoff" umbrella).

A typical Apple feature, dreamed up by engineers that are presumably not aware of the existence of metered data plans...

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#188

Post by steelbrain »

benterris wrote: post #180
roman-holovin wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both Samsung and Google already did it. My S26 Ultra supports Airdrop and I've tested it by sending and receiving photos with iPad

What do you mean they support airdrop? Natively?

Yes, natively. Thanks Google: https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android...

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#189

Post by DaSHacka »

Fokamul wrote: post #54
eigenspace wrote: post #28

My problem is that all these alternatives require the devices to be on the same local network. One beauty of Airdrop is that it creates and handles that local network automatically under the hood (as far as I understand). So you could be out on a hike with friends and Airdrop something. The workaround I've found after switching to an Android device has been to teather my connection to my friend's device, which ends u…

Yes exactly, that's why another RCE which will be found in Airdrop, if found by bad actor. Will be pretty fun to watch. Last RCE in Airdrop, could be made into worm, it was found by whitehat, luckily for Apple there are still people, which are willing report exploits for little money, so billionaires can enjoy their life on yachts.

How is this at all unique to AirDrop?

Re: Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

#190

Post by w3ll_w3ll_w3ll »

benterris wrote: post #180
roman-holovin wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both Samsung and Google already did it. My S26 Ultra supports Airdrop and I've tested it by sending and receiving photos with iPad

What do you mean they support airdrop? Natively?

Yes Google added the feature recently https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android...
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