Windows Phone doesn't support files sharing through Wi-Fi

[kishorekumar_a]

I do hope you are encrypting those files first! You do realize that you are "giving" those files the ET website servers, then they transfer them back to your other device. It would bother me as to what happens with the data left on their inter-exchange server.





You can do the same thing but a *little* more safely by attaching the files to an email that you send to yourself and download on the other device. If you use gmail then the files will be TLS-encrytpted in transit.

For your information the data is not transferred to ET servers. There is no ET server and the data does not even go to internet at all. You connect your phone via a Wi-Fi network to the other device. The data is transferred via the WiFi server to the other device utilising the WLAN (not internet). What's more you don't even need a Wi-Fi server, you connect to the other device by the 'Internet Sharing' option in your phone. It is like, forget like, IT IS hosting a website from your phone, except it is only available for your WLAN network. Accessible only by those connected to the WLAN. Like all those Workplace Intranet sites accessible only within the workplace LAN.



It is like Wi-Fi Direct, only done in a roundabout way to overcome the restrictions of Windows Phone.



And by the way, why are many of you guys confusing a WiFi connection for an Internet connection. A file transfer via WiFi doesn't mean a file transfer via internet. It is like transferring files over a LAN connection only Wireless (direct from device to device). A WiFi can exist without an internet connection as it is, after all, just WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network).

 

[PiggyMiddle]

the data does not even go to internet at all.

Ummm, I think you will find that the wifi is getting a web-page interface to run the transfer, much the same as is done when setting up a router. To refute this you could hook Wireshark into the loop and see for sure. I have neither the time not inclination to do so.

I am well aware of how wifi works, I have been programming computers for 40-years. Try this...
1: Remove the SIM from the phone so it has no access to the outside world.
2: Unplug the DSL/Cable connection from your router so it has no access to the outside world.
3: Setup for a wifi ET transfer.
4: Come back and tell us how well it worked.

 

[kishorekumar_a]

Ummm, I think you will find that the wifi is getting a web-page interface to run the transfer, much the same as is done when setting up a router. To refute this you could hook Wireshark into the loop and see for sure. I have neither the time not inclination to do so.

I am well aware of how wifi works, I have been programming computers for 40-years. Try this...
1: Remove the SIM from the phone so it has no access to the outside world.
2: Unplug the DSL/Cable connection from your router so it has no access to the outside world.
3: Setup for a wifi ET transfer.
4: Come back and tell us how well it worked.

Regardless, the data does not travel over internet. And I know for a fact that it does not need to be connected to internet to work as I did the transfer over a WiFi without internet connection when I tested the app. And guess what, I also did as you asked disconnected the phone and the WiFi network from the internet access and yes I was able to transfer the data via Easy Transfer. I have the screen shots for you to see.

And the last paragraph from my last post was not for you. There were some other posters who were getting this confused. Sorry about not being clear on that.

 

[RothSothy]

This is just one of the useful functions I miss a lot from the legacy Nokia devices running Symbian, Maemo, MeeGo. I was able to transfer files through bluetooth to other brand of phones that also had support for bluetooth file transferring. It may have been slow transfer, but at least it worked.
A few weeks ago, I tried to share a photo I captured from my Lumia 1020 to a friend with a Galaxy Note II using NFC, and it didn't work. Then I remembered another way, which was to use a Nokia app called Photobeamer. That method worked so well, so quick; and no need of touching each other's phones.
Now there's another method where you can share your entire screen. It's a Nokia produced app called Nokia Beamer, which lets you screen share; similar to the function on the Blackberry Z10. I've yet to try it, but I'd assume it works just as well as Photobeamer, with even more options.
If it's an audio/video file like an mp3 song or something with big file size, I'd just upload it to a cloud drive like OneDrive or Dropbox, and then link the person the URL of it.

// Roth

 

[Aniket Mhatre]

Try Photojet

 

[Dantekai14]

My point is, if you are using WiFi, you can use dropbox or onedrive. And yes, you can use it for big files too. It's not like there's no way to transfer files.

You are stuck on OneDrive or dropbox.
Isn't it?

 

[mpt15]

You are stuck on OneDrive or dropbox.
Isn't it?

it works over WiFi, that's why.

 

[kvrbrijith]

Regardless, the data does not travel over internet. And I know for a fact that it does not need to be connected to internet to work as I did the transfer over a WiFi without internet connection when I tested the app. And guess what, I also did as you asked disconnected the phone and the WiFi network from the internet access and yes I was able to transfer the data via Easy Transfer. I have the screen shots for you to see.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/06/aby2a6av.png

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/06/saqare8u.png

And the last paragraph from my last post was not for you. There were some other posters who were getting this confused. Sorry about not being clear on that.

Exactly... I'm not a techno by profession...( I'm a doctor), Only a windows phone enthusiastic. As far as I know, windows phone does not allow us to turn on "internet sharing" if our cellular data is switched off. That's why we need a data connection.. Right..?

 

[kishorekumar_a]

Exactly... I'm not a techno by profession...( I'm a doctor), Only a windows phone enthusiastic. As far as I know, windows phone does not allow us to turn on "internet sharing" if our cellular data is switched off. That's why we need a data connection.. Right..?

Yes, that's why data connection is needed. Not for transferring data over internet. The data is transferred over WLAN.



But if you have a WiFi network that you can connect to, you don't even need the internet connection. That's why I like this app even though it has it's own limitations.

 

[mpt15]

Regardless, the data does not travel over internet. And I know for a fact that it does not need to be connected to internet to work as I did the transfer over a WiFi without internet connection when I tested the app. And guess what, I also did as you asked disconnected the phone and the WiFi network from the internet access and yes I was able to transfer the data via Easy Transfer. I have the screen shots for you to see.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/06/aby2a6av.png

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/06/saqare8u.png

And the last paragraph from my last post was not for you. There were some other posters who were getting this confused. Sorry about not being clear on that.

you say you did the transfer "over WiFi without internet". What do you mean?

 

[kishorekumar_a]

you say you did the transfer "over WiFi without internet". What do you mean?

It means that I removed the DSL cable (the wire which carries the internet connection) from the modem/router and connected to that WiFi network. The WLAN is still working, but the internet is disconnected.

That is proof that the app can transfer files without using internet.

 

[simon.b]

We can shares files through WiFi between Android phones .

Can any app in WP do that?

There is the app ativ beam that is only available for samsung phone though. The app description states it's compatible with all android handsets.It's basically the wifi direct feature that the OP asked about. Unfortunatly its for samsung phones only.

ATIV Beam | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

 

[Dantekai14]

it works over WiFi, that's why.

Wi-Fi means OneDrive?

uploading 1gb file will take almost 8-9 hrs plus downloading time.

Bluetooth is much better option than OneDrive for transferring this much size file.

 

[mpt15]

Wi-Fi means OneDrive?

uploading 1gb file will take almost 8-9 hrs plus downloading time.

Bluetooth is much better option than OneDrive for transferring this much size file.

then use Bluetooth. Personally, I've seen that all my android using friends prefer onedrive and dropbox. No one uses WiFi direct because cloud sharing is a lot more convenient. If you want WiFi direct, at this point in time, go get yourself an android phone.

 

[kvrbrijith]

then use Bluetooth. Personally, I've seen that all my android using friends prefer onedrive and dropbox. No one uses WiFi direct because cloud sharing is a lot more convenient. If you want WiFi direct, at this point in time, go get yourself an android phone.

May be you are correct. But, consider a situation: You are with your friend and your smartphones. No Wi-Fi nearby. You have only 2g available in your phone. You have to send a movie file of about 1gb to your friend's smartphone. What will be your way of transfer..? You can say, those situations are very rare. But, in our country-India, this is the most common condition. At this situation, you can send files via Wi-Fi within 20-30 minutes which is much faster than Bluetooth

 

[kishorekumar_a]

At

then use Bluetooth. Personally, I've seen that all my android using friends prefer onedrive and dropbox. No one uses WiFi direct because cloud sharing is a lot more convenient. If you want WiFi direct, at this point in time, go get yourself an android phone.

Probably, for a First World Citizen Cloud sharing might be more convenient. But for the rest of the world not so much. Trying transferring a 1gb file over a WiFi connection which only gives around 512KBps (4mbps) transfer rate, it will take over 34 minutes to upload and 34 more minutes to download. And that 512KBps is maximum not the norm the most common speed is 64KBps (512kbps) transfer rate. At that speed it will take 5 hours to upload and 5 more to download.

On the other hand via a WLAN network (Wi-Fi) I can transfer files at a speed of 6.75 MBps (54mbps) at the least. That will take just above 5 minutes for transferring a 1gb file (since this is a transfer you don't have to upload and download). Then if you consider the fact the it won't cut into your data, the WiFi transfer much more advantageous.

 

[mpt15]

At

Probably, for a First World Citizen Cloud sharing might be more convenient. .

there's no need to assume my location. You cannot assume which country I live in. And I suggest you don't.

 

[mjrtoo]

there's no need to assume my location. You cannot assume which country I live in. And I suggest you don't.

Russia, has to be... 😆

 

[kishorekumar_a]

there's no need to assume my location. You cannot assume which country I live in. And I suggest you don't.

You missed my point. I am not talking about your country. I am talking about the fact that most of the world does not have a fast internet connection and hence cannot afford to use cloud sharing to transfer files. That's why we are looking for a local solution that does not involve Over The Internet.

That's why WiFi direct is important for us...

 

[ShreyansShah]

You missed my point. I am not talking about your country. I am talking about the fact that most of the world does not have a fast internet connection and hence cannot afford to use cloud sharing to transfer files. That's why we are looking for a local solution that does not involve Over The Internet.

That's why WiFi direct is important for us...

totally agreed.