P2P Commands

Share files directly between peers without uploading to a central server. Uses QUIC transport for fast, secure, multiplexed connections.

Zero-Config Local Sharing

Use --local flag for same-network sharing. No internet required - mDNS automatically discovers peers on your WiFi or LAN.

Command	Description	Usage
share	Share a directory via P2P (host)	dits p2p share [OPTIONS] <PATH>
connect	Connect to a P2P share (client)	dits p2p connect [OPTIONS] <TARGET>
send	Send a file to a peer	dits p2p send <FILE> <TARGET>
receive	Receive a file from a peer	dits p2p receive [OPTIONS]
status	Show P2P status and discovery methods	dits p2p status
ping	Test connectivity to a peer	dits p2p ping <TARGET>

Discovery Methods

DITS supports multiple peer discovery methods, tried in priority order. By default, all available methods are used with automatic fallback.

Method	Flag	Priority	Use Case
Direct IP	--direct	0	Known addresses, no discovery
mDNS	--local	10	Same WiFi/LAN, no internet
STUN	--stun	20	NAT traversal, hole-punching
Signal Server	--signal <URL>	30	Internet sharing, NAT traversal
Relay	--relay	40	100% NAT traversal, no port forwarding

dits p2p share

Share a directory via P2P. Creates a QUIC server and registers with discovery services so other peers can find and connect to you.

Synopsis

dits p2p share [OPTIONS] &lt;PATH&gt;

Arguments

PATH - Directory to share

Options

-p, --port <PORT>      Port to listen on (default: 4433)
-n, --name <NAME>      Name for this share
    --signal <URL>     Signal server URL
    --code <CODE>      Use specific join code
    --local            Use only mDNS (local network, no internet)
    --direct           Use only direct IP mode (no discovery)
    --stun             Use STUN for external IP discovery
    --relay            Force relay mode (guaranteed NAT traversal)

Examples

# Share on local network (easiest, no internet)
$ dits p2p share ./my-project --local
DITS P2P - Sharing Active
============================================================
  Mode:      local network (mDNS)
  Or use code:     ABC-123
  Connect with:    dits p2p connect ABC-123 --local
============================================================

# Share over internet (default)
$ dits p2p share ./my-project
DITS P2P - Sharing Active
============================================================
  Mode:      auto (mDNS + signal + relay)
  Or use code:     XYZ-789
  Connect with:    dits p2p connect XYZ-789
============================================================

# Share via relay (no port forwarding needed!)
$ dits p2p share ./my-project --relay
DITS P2P - Sharing Active
============================================================
  Mode:      relay (no port forwarding needed)
  Or use code:     XYZ-789
  Connect with:    dits p2p connect XYZ-789 --relay
============================================================

# Share with direct IP only
$ dits p2p share ./my-project --direct
DITS P2P - Sharing Active
============================================================
  Mode:      direct IP only
  Connect with:    dits p2p connect 0.0.0.0:4433
============================================================

# Share with custom signal server
$ dits p2p share ./my-project --signal ws://localhost:8080

dits p2p connect

Connect to a P2P share. Uses the discovery chain to find the peer by join code, URL, or direct IP address.

Synopsis

dits p2p connect [OPTIONS] &lt;TARGET&gt;

Arguments

TARGET - Join code (ABC-123), URL (https://dits.byronwade.com/j/ABC-123), or direct IP:port

Options

-o, --output <PATH>    Output directory
    --signal <URL>     Signal server URL
    --local            Use only mDNS (local network)
    --direct           Use only direct IP mode
    --relay            Force relay mode (guaranteed NAT traversal)

Examples

# Connect on local network
$ dits p2p connect ABC-123 --local
DITS P2P - Connecting
============================================================
  Target:    ABC-123
  Mode:      local network (mDNS)
  Discovering peer...
  Found:     192.168.1.50:4433 [mDNS] (local)
  Connected: 192.168.1.50:4433
============================================================

# Connect via relay (no port forwarding needed!)
$ dits p2p connect XYZ-789 --relay
DITS P2P - Connecting
============================================================
  Target:    XYZ-789
  Mode:      relay (no port forwarding needed)
  Using relay server for NAT traversal
  Found:     relay.dits.byronwade.com [relay] (remote)
  Connected: via relay
============================================================

# Connect using auto-discovery
$ dits p2p connect XYZ-789
  Found:     203.0.113.50:4433 [signal] (remote)

# Connect via direct IP
$ dits p2p connect 192.168.1.100:4433
  Found:     192.168.1.100:4433 [direct] (local)

# Connect using share link
$ dits p2p connect https://dits.byronwade.com/j/ABC-123

dits p2p send / receive

Send and receive individual files between peers.

Send a File

dits p2p send <FILE> <TARGET>

# Example
$ dits p2p send video.mp4 ABC-123
DITS P2P - Sending File
============================================================
  File:   video.mp4
  Size:   1,234,567 bytes
  Chunks: 10
============================================================

Receive a File

dits p2p receive [OPTIONS]

Options:
  -o, --output <PATH>    Output path
  -p, --port <PORT>      Port to listen on
      --code <CODE>      Use specific join code

# Example
$ dits p2p receive --output ./downloads
DITS P2P - Ready to Receive
============================================================
  Share code: DEF-456
  Sender should run:  dits p2p send <file> DEF-456
============================================================

dits p2p status

Show P2P status including available discovery methods.

$ dits p2p status
DITS P2P Status
============================================================
  Protocol Version: 1
  Default Port:     4433
  Signal Server:    wss://dits-signal.fly.dev

  Discovery Methods:
    - direct
    - mDNS
    - STUN
    - signal server

  Active Shares:    0
  Active Connects:  0
============================================================

Choosing the Right Method

Scenario	Recommended	Command
Same WiFi/LAN	`--local`	dits p2p share --local
Remote collaborator	Default (auto)	dits p2p share
Known IP address	Direct connection	dits p2p connect IP:port
Self-hosted setup	`--signal`	dits p2p share --signal ws://...
Maximum privacy	`--local`	No external servers used

Run Your Own Signal Server

DITS includes a simple signal server. Run cargo run -p dits-signalto start it locally, then use --signal ws://localhost:8080.

Troubleshooting

Peer not found with --local

Ensure both peers are on the same network
Check if mDNS is blocked (corporate networks)
Verify firewall allows UDP multicast (port 5353)
Try the signal server method instead

Connection timeout

Check firewall allows UDP port 4433
Try direct IP if you know it
Verify signal server is reachable

Debug Mode

# Show discovery process
$ dits -v p2p connect ABC-123

# Show detailed debug info
$ dits -vv p2p connect ABC-123

Related Commands

Remote Commands - Push, pull, and sync with servers
Repository Commands - Initialize and clone repositories

P2P Commands

Zero-Config Local Sharing

Discovery Methods

dits p2p share

Synopsis

Arguments

Options

Examples

dits p2p connect

Synopsis

Arguments

Options

Examples

dits p2p send / receive

Send a File

Receive a File

dits p2p status

Choosing the Right Method

Run Your Own Signal Server

Troubleshooting

Peer not found with --local

Connection timeout

Debug Mode

Related Commands

Related Topics