Using the local network for the connection is a garbage plan because Wi-Fi coverage and availability is not consistent enough to become mainstream. I am aware of two practical solutions for this: instant hotspot (assuming the sharing app can temporarily reconfigure the wifi settings, and wifi encryption keys can be transferred with a QR code) or OnionShare (uses TOR to make a sharable link using any firewall/NAT configuration, share the link with a QR code).

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You don’t need to use TCPIP with WiFi. It can be ad-hoc and some other protocol.

[–] anothercatgirl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

yeah I just researched and learned about wifi direct

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

By “WiFi” I mean the wireless protocol, which is confusing because that includes Bluetooth.

[–] anothercatgirl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

...b-but I hate Bluetooth with a passion...

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 2 points 9 months ago

That’s the data on top of it. Some sort of universal sharing protocol would have some kind of broadcast, either over a LAN or over the air, then there would be a handshake which would exchange MACs and cryptographic keys, then the actual exchange of data.

It would have nothing to do with Bluetooth, it would just use the 802.11 public use bands.

[–] Aopen@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 9 months ago

Nearby share is Googles proprietary protocol

[–] halva@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

well, localshare works well if you don't mind having to find a local network with multicast (or using tethering)

[–] anothercatgirl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 9 months ago

that requires every participant to reconfigure their Wi-Fi settings to connect to a participant's hotspot. Not simple enough to substitute Air-drop unless there's an app to do this automatically.