Peer-to-Peer File Transfer System

Overview

This project implements a simple Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file transfer system using Python. The sender and receiver communicate over a local area network to transfer a file. P2P systems allow direct communication between peers without the need for a central server, providing advantages as discussed below.

Advantages of Peer-to-Peer

1. Decentralization: P2P systems eliminate the need for a central server, distributing the workload across multiple peers.

2. Scalability: P2P networks can easily scale as more peers join, making them suitable for large-scale file sharing.

3. Redundancy: The distributed nature of P2P systems enhances data redundancy and fault tolerance.

4. Efficiency: Peers can directly communicate with each other, leading to faster file transfers and reduced network bottlenecks.

Functionalities

Sender (Sender.py)

1. Socket Initialization: Creates a socket for communication.
2. File Selection: Uses Tkinter to prompt the user to select a file for transfer.
3. Connection Establishment: Listens for incoming connections and establishes a connection with the receiver.
4. File Size Transmission: Sends the size of the selected file to the receiver.
5. File Transmission: Sends the file data in chunks to the receiver.

Receiver (Receiver.py)

1. Socket Initialization: Creates a socket to connect to the sender.
2. Connection Establishment: Connects to the sender using the provided IP address and port.
3. File Size Reception: Receives the size of the incoming file.
4. File Saving Dialog: Prompts the user to select a location and name for the received file.
5. File Reception: Receives file data in chunks and saves it to the specified file.

Libraries Used in this P2P File Transfer System

1. Socket (socket): For creating and managing network sockets to facilitate communication between the sender and receiver.
2. Os (os): For interacting with the operating system and retrieving information about the selected file, such as its size.
3. Tkinter (tkinter): A GUI toolkit used for building the user interface for the sender. It provides a file dialog for selecting the file to be sent and prompting the user for interaction.
4. Filedialog (tkinter.filedialog): A submodule of Tkinter specifically used to create file selection and saving dialogs. It simplifies the process of interacting with the file system, allowing users to choose a file for sending or specify the location to save the received file.
5. Struct (struct): Although not explicitly imported, it is implicitly used for converting file size to bytes and vice versa. This is done through the to_bytes and from_bytes methods for encoding and decoding integers.

How to Use It

1. Run Sender.py on the machine you want to send the file from.
2. Note the IP address displayed by the sender.
3. Run Receiver.py on the machine you want to receive the file on.
4. Enter the sender's IP address when prompted.
5. Select a file for transfer on the sender side.
6. The file will be transferred and saved on the receiver side.

Further Possible Expansions

1. Security: Implement encryption and authentication for secure file transfers.
2. User Interface: Develop a more user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) using a dedicated framework.
3. Error Handling: Enhance error handling to provide better feedback to users in case of connection issues or file transfer failures.
4. Concurrency: Use threading to handle multiple file transfers simultaneously.
5. Protocol Enhancements: Design a custom protocol to support additional functionalities, such as resuming interrupted transfers or providing file metadata.

Note

To gain a deeper understanding and clearer insights into the Peer-to-Peer File Transfer System, it is recommended to refer to the accompanying report and PowerPoint presentation. These supplementary materials provide a comprehensive overview, detailed explanations, and visual aids to enhance your comprehension of the project.

Contributors

This Peer-to-Peer File Transfer System is brought to you by:

• Viswanadha sai nissankararao
• Nishant Kumar (me)

Thank You !!