In a connected world like now, sharing files is the most basic need of netizens. Be it a photo, video, or just a document, there are a plethora of options available. But in today’s post, I would be talking about an alternative way of sharing files, called peer-to-peer file sharing, and using Syncthing to achieve this.
Let’s say you want to share a photo with someone. What is the first option that comes to your mind? WhatsApp? What about sending a photo without compression and of high quality? Email?
What about sending high-quality videos? Email is good for smaller videos. But with smartphones having the capability of shooting in 4K, even a short video can run into GBs. If you are thinking about Dropbox, let me remind you that it has a limit of 2 GB in its free tier. You have no choice but to start looking into paid options now.
P2P File Sharing
Remember, most of the file-sharing services are actually charging you for storage. But what if you do not need storage? You only want your share your file directly to someone - like an SMS.
That’s where peer-to-peer, or P2P file-sharing programs help you out. Chances are, you might have already used P2P to download stuff from the web using programs like μTorrent which use the BitTorrent protocol to share files across multiple clients (users) without storing the actual data in a centralized location (like a server). But the problem with a client like this is that its very hard for a casual user to set up file sharing which is private and secure.
And here comes Syncthing to the rescue.
Syncthing
Now, Syncthing is a file synchronization program. Think of it as an automatic backup program like Google Drive. Only in this case, instead of syncing to cloud servers, you are syncing your files with another computer - a computer that you trust. And that another computer can be in the same LAN or can be in a totally different country.
We can use this sync feature to share huge files with someone for absolutely free. The only condition is that both of you must have Syncthing installed on your computers.
Installation
Installing Syncthing is a breeze and is well documented in their website. But I would recommend to go and take a look at the Community Contributions section and download one of the GUI wrappers.
If you are a Windows user, SyncTrayzor is a good option. The installation is a breeze if you use Chocolaty.
> choco install synctrayzorOn the other hand, if you are a macOS user, you can install syncthing-macos using homebrew:
$ brew cask install syncthingUsing Syncthing
Again, the documentation on their website is adequate for getting started. Just browse to http://127.0.0.1:8384/ in your web browser and you should see the Syncthing admin GUI.
One thing I would recommend you should do before you start sharing your files is that you set up a separate Default Folder Path for your files from . You should then delete the default folder and then add another folder by clicking on Add Folder. Enter default as Folder ID and enter a Folder Path which is within the Default Folder Path mentioned before.
Other Options
One of the primary contenders of Syncthing is Resilio Sync (previously called BitTorrent Sync) which is a proprietary product, unlike Syncthing. But a free version is also available nonetheless.
Although I haven’t tried Resilio Sync, the primary reason why I was attracted to Syncthing is the fact that its an open-source project.
So, go ahead - spread the word and start sharing files using Syncthing!