Cross-platform file-sharing over wifi

My iPhone has a program called Discover that creates a local website that allows me to share files from my phone over wifi and upload files. I have quite a limited download cap, so keeping the traffic within the network is important. I was wondering if there were any cross-platform programs (Mac, Linux, Windows) that allow me to share files between computers in a similar method so that I can avoid the hassle of complicated configuration.

Casebash

Posted 2010-07-03T03:19:51.017

Reputation: 5 677

do you need something like "look, these 100 files i have, feel free to grab" or is "i will now send you a file" enough? – akira – 2010-07-03T10:57:39.467

"I will send you a file now" – Casebash – 2010-07-03T23:56:17.367

Answers

Yes there is. Samba or smb for short is the native file and printer sharing protocol on Windows and you can install a samba client and/or a samba server on a Linux system or Mac.

Here you can find info for Mac's.

Setting up Samba on Linux will vary based on distribution. Here is one.

Some windows 7 and XP details here.

The wikipedia article is also interesting.

James T

Posted 2010-07-03T03:19:51.017

Reputation: 8 515

I managed to get Samba set up. It requires a bit of configuration though, unlike Discover which just runs and tells you the IP address to type in – Casebash – 2010-07-03T23:57:31.607

You can use a cloud based file storage like Dropbox to share files. It is available on all common platforms and smartphones.

Putte

Posted 2010-07-03T03:19:51.017

Reputation: 69

"over wifi" .. and most likely "traffic stays inside the lan"... – akira – 2010-07-03T07:10:01.027

@Akira: Yes, I would like the traffic to stay within the network. I updated the question – Casebash – 2010-07-03T09:19:31.417

Opera Unite has a file sharing feature and since Opera runs on all platforms listed, this should have you covered.

Take note that you are basically running a web server on your computer when you do this, so secure your machine accordingly. The guide is a good overview.

MDMarra

Posted 2010-07-03T03:19:51.017

Reputation: 19 580

Will the Opera Unite traffic go over the web or stay within the network? – Casebash – 2010-07-03T09:18:21.403

Air Sharing ($2.99 on Apple Store) :

Mount your iPhone or iPod touch as a Wi-Fi drive on your computer (Mac, Windows, or Linux) or connect from your computer's web browser.

Drag-drop files between your iPhone or iPod touch and your computers.

View and email documents in many common formats.

Send email attachments

harrymc

Posted 2010-07-03T03:19:51.017

Reputation: 306 093

Thanks. I just clarified the question, though, to make it clear that I am trying to share files between computers – Casebash – 2010-11-09T10:01:32.440

With this program one can mount the iPhone as a drive on any computer and then share it (or any other directory) via Samba. There is no need for a cross-platform product, since Samba on Linux/Mac uses the Windows SMB protocol to share directories between Linux/Mac/Windows. No software is needed on Windows, since SMB is built-in. – harrymc – 2010-11-09T10:24:03.967