Re:Free and Open Source Alternative to Airdrop
by spieglt on Sunday January 21, 2024 @05:44PM
(#39083856)
It's a very cool idea, but the first barrier that comes to mind would be that when the clients join the hotspots, they don't have internet access, so joining the network would mean losing internet, for laptops and phones without cellular data. I know the LocalOnlyHotspot API I use on Android doesn't offer internet tethering. I'm not sure how possible it is to ensure that on Windows and Linux devices that host hotspots. Also, the device that offers the hotspot in Flying Carpet is pretty much acting like a normal WiFi access point in infrastructure mode, so a real mesh network would probably look a lot different.
Re:Free and Open Source Alternative to Airdrop
by araes on Monday January 22, 2024 @09:01AM
(#39089617)
Thanks. Those are the kind of issues I was worried about with a superficial glance. The general idea looks tempting ("send files to nearby devices"). However, dropping connectivity every time would probably be a deal breaker. I was hoping you might be able to connect for like 10-20 seconds, grab a few kB of files, and then continue on your way, having a spotty, partial connectivity to other devices while wandering the above mall scenario.
I thought Bluetooth might be viable, as beacons and GattServers seem to be designed for this purpose. Android's implementation was painful, yet doable. However, after wading into Microsoft's codebase, I suspect it will be slog.
Question: With an agreed upon network name or configuration, and agreed upon access parameters, how much change do you think it would take for FlyingCarpet to instead by used as a semi-anonymous, dynamic membership mesh network?
Ex: A laptop and a phone get near each other, they recognize their proximity, and that they are both offering the known network, they then check for the presence of known filetypes in a known folder location, and exchange small updates with each other. The same with any number of desktops, laptops, or phones that get near each other. If I was in a mall with 11 other similarly configured phones nearby, and 5 people working on laptops, then my phone would call the 16 other devices, and they would each get a file from my phone, and I would get a file from their phones.