SimpleFileServer

SimpleFileServer is a tiny command-line application that permits you to seamlessly share files in your local network via the web browser. This can be done by just opening a port to allow any other computer in your LAN to connect and download files. It's not necessary to set up anything on the client PCs.

Installing this program isn't required because it's wrapped in a portable package, which can be saved anywhere on the disk and whose .exe can be double-clicked to start the server right away. However, you must have .NET Framework integrated with Windows as well as make the configuration before firing up the server.

By opening the server_config.ini file, you can check out the default IP (bind_ip), port (bind_port) and shared folder (server_dir). Your computer's local IP address is not autodetected by the app so you have to enter it yourself.

The default port is set to 3300 but can be changed into anything else (as long as it's not currently in use). Meanwhile, the server_dir line is responsible for the directory whose containing files will be made public on the server. Once the server is launched, any machine in the local network can connect to it by opening any web browser and entering the server's IP address and port number.

Back to the server, you can check out log details in the command-line interface, which are also auto-recorded to file, in order to find out the local IP address of all workstations that have connected to yours. Unfortunately, no other details are captured, such as downloaded files. Files can only be saved if the web browser supports this feature.

As the name of the application says, this is a simple application, which means that users interested in advanced features are probably looking for something more than SimpleFileServer has to handle. For example, uploading isn't possible. Nevertheless, it offers a simple solution for keeping track of your important files when juggling multiple computers at the workplace.