If like me you're onto the next project before you can really hone down a new technique using VB.NET code I recently came across this simple P2P setup. I had been searching for something like this only to find complex, multi-tasking code which was mostly centered around building multi-user chat programs. I had just about given up finding anything this simple, and in fact, I read loads on the topic from one to many articles which said all this fluff, was needed. What I needed was a simple, down to the bone block of code which would stream some text over to another machine and that other machine has the software to turn that stream into something useful. And unlike so many of the articles I read all that fluff was not needed. This is not for absolute beginners but it will start you off on the path to conquering bigger and better things.
And by the way, other methods I've tried, e-mail, FTP, etc... all of them have worked but I have had some trouble with the preferred method from my client which is e-mail. It's not something easily explained here but suffice to say it's what sent me on this mission to tackle some P2P stuff. Turns out you only need one machine to test this, but to make it really work you need at least two computers, a client and a server. The code was found at dreamincode.net in one of their tutorials on P2P. I modified it into the two components you see below. This is easily taken to the next step once you see how easy it is to make the connection and send the stream over the LAN/WAN. Oh yes, this will most likely set off alarms from within your Windows Firewall that it needs to open a port. And that's a good thing because as with any P2P app, there are security questions to be addressed. Be sure you investigate this before using any P2P app.
First, open a new Windows Application Form project. In the form, place one textbox, one button and one timer. In the properties for the timer, set the Interval to 100, lower if needed and set Enabled to True.
SERVER CODE:
CLIENT CODE:
As a minimalist I took out anything not actually needed for this to work.
And by the way, other methods I've tried, e-mail, FTP, etc... all of them have worked but I have had some trouble with the preferred method from my client which is e-mail. It's not something easily explained here but suffice to say it's what sent me on this mission to tackle some P2P stuff. Turns out you only need one machine to test this, but to make it really work you need at least two computers, a client and a server. The code was found at dreamincode.net in one of their tutorials on P2P. I modified it into the two components you see below. This is easily taken to the next step once you see how easy it is to make the connection and send the stream over the LAN/WAN. Oh yes, this will most likely set off alarms from within your Windows Firewall that it needs to open a port. And that's a good thing because as with any P2P app, there are security questions to be addressed. Be sure you investigate this before using any P2P app.
First, open a new Windows Application Form project. In the form, place one textbox, one button and one timer. In the properties for the timer, set the Interval to 100, lower if needed and set Enabled to True.
SERVER CODE:
Code:
Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.IO
Public Class Form1
Dim Listener As New TcpListener(65535)
Dim Client As New TcpClient
Dim Message As String = ""
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
Dim ListThread As New Thread(New ThreadStart(AddressOf Listening))
ListThread.Start()
End Sub
Private Sub Listening()
Listener.Start()
End Sub
Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
If Listener.Pending = True Then
Message = ""
Client = Listener.AcceptTcpClient()
Dim Reader As New StreamReader(Client.GetStream())
While Reader.Peek > -1
Message = Message + Convert.ToChar(Reader.Read()).ToString
End While
MsgBox(Message, MsgBoxStyle.OkOnly)
End If
End Sub
Private Sub Form1_FormClosing(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) Handles Me.FormClosing
Listener.Stop()
End Sub
End ClassCLIENT CODE:
Code:
Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System.IO
Public Class Form1
Dim Client As New TcpClient
Dim Message As String = ""
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Client = New TcpClient("10.0.0.110", 65535) ' Change the IP here to the server's address
Dim Writer As New StreamWriter(Client.GetStream())
Writer.Write(TextBox1.Text)
Writer.Flush()
End Sub
End Class