Real-Time File Sync: Broadcast Files to Multiple Devices Instantly
Ever needed to send a file to a few coworkers in a meeting, or share a quick asset with your entire design team without fumbling with uploads, share links, or USB drives? Most solutions are built for one-to-one transfer or async sharing. What you often need is a one-to-many broadcast.
That's the itch that FileSync scratches. It's a simple tool that lets you send a file from one device to many others in real-time, over your local network. No complicated setup, no internet upload required—just fast, direct broadcasting.
What It Does
FileSync is a local web server that you run on a machine with the file you want to share. It generates a QR code and a local URL. Anyone else on the same network can scan that code or visit the URL to download the file directly to their device instantly. The moment you hit "send," it's available for everyone to grab. It's like a digital flash drive for the whole room.
Why It's Cool
The clever part is in its simplicity and use of existing web tech. It’s not trying to be another bloated file-sharing service. It’s a single-purpose tool that does one thing well.
- No Internet Required: It works over your local Wi-Fi or LAN. This makes it incredibly fast and useful in environments with spotty or secured external internet.
- Zero Configuration: You run one command. It finds your local IP and starts the server. There's nothing to configure.
- QR Code Convenience: The auto-generated QR code is a small but genius touch. Instead of reading out a long IP address, people just point their phone cameras and they're done.
- Ephemeral by Design: The file is served only as long as the server is running. You share it, everyone downloads it, you shut it down. It doesn't linger anywhere it shouldn't.
It’s perfect for quickly distributing a build to QA testers, sharing a presentation PDF with an audience, or getting a asset file to your entire dev team during a standup.
How to Try It
Getting started is straightforward, assuming you have Node.js and npm installed.
-
Clone the repository and install the dependency:
git clone https://github.com/polius/FileSync.git cd FileSync npm install -
Start the server and point it at your file:
node server.js /path/to/your/file.zip -
The terminal will output a local URL (e.g.,
http://192.168.1.10:3000) and generate a QR code. Anyone on your network can use either method to download the file immediately.
That's it. No sign-ups, no fees, just instant file broadcasting.
Final Thoughts
FileSync is a great example of a utility tool that solves a specific, common problem with a minimal and effective solution. It's the kind of script you might whip up yourself for a project and then realize how generally useful it is. For developers, it's a handy tool to have in your arsenal for those moments where you need to get a file to a group of people without the friction of traditional sharing methods. The code is clean and simple, making it easy to understand, fork, and modify if you have a specific need it doesn't quite cover.
Check out the project on GitHub to try it for yourself or contribute.
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