Project Vision

What is ThePeerDrop?

ThePeerDrop is a peer-to-peer file sharing platform inspired by solutions such as:

• AirDrop
• SnapDrop
• LocalSend
• ShareDrop

The goal is to allow two or more devices to exchange data directly without routing the actual file through a central server.

The server's responsibility is limited to helping peers discover each other and establish a connection.

Once the connection is established:

Device A
	|
	|
	|
	V
Direct Peer Connnection
	^
	|
	|
	|
Device B

The server is no longer involved in file transfer.

Core Objective

Build a production-grade peer-to-peer transfer platform from scratch while learning:

• Real-time communication
• WebRTC internals
• Network fundamentals
• Session maangement
• Signaling architecture
• Distributed systems
• Large-scale file transfer design

The project should not simply work.

It should teach how modern peer-to-peer systems are built internally.

Long-Term Vision

ThePeerDrop should eventually support:

Peer-to-Peer Messaging

User A <-> User B

without a backend relay.

File Transfer

Images
Videos
Documents
Archives

between peers.

Multiple Devices

LaptopDesktop
Phone
Tablet

connected within a session.

Cross Network Connectivity

Home Network
Office Network
Mobile Network

through STUN and TURN infrastructure.

Transfer Management

Features such as:

• Pause
• Resume
• Cancel
• Retry

Security

End-to-end encrypted communication using WebRTC DTLS.

Non-Goals

ThePeerDrop is not intended to become:

Cloud Storage

Not:

Google Drive
Dropbox
OneDrive

Files are not stored permanently on servers.

Content Delivery Network

Not:

CDN
Object Storage

The backend is not responsible for serving uploaded files.

Messaging Platform

Not:

WhatsApp
Telegram
Discord

Messaging exists primarily to support peer communication and transfers.