LAN Communicator

A comprehensive real-time communication application for local area networks, featuring video calls, voice chat, screen sharing, and file transfer capabilities.

Installation & Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd my_meet

2. Create Virtual Environment (Recommended)

# Windows
python -m venv venv
venv\\Scripts\\activate

# macOS/Linux
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure Firewall (Windows)

For Windows users, run the firewall setup script as administrator:

# PowerShell (as Administrator)
.\\setup_firewall.ps1

# Or Command Prompt (as Administrator)
setup_firewall.bat

🎮 How to Run

Starting the Application

python app.py

Setting Up a Session

Option 1: Host a Session

1. Launch the application and enter your username
2. Click "Host a Session"
3. Generate a Session ID using the "Generate Session ID" button
4. Share the session information with other participants:
   • Session ID (8-character code)
   • Your IP address
   • TCP and UDP ports (if not using defaults)
5. Click "Start Hosting" to begin the session
6. Wait for participants to join using your session information

Option 2: Join a Session

1. Launch the application and enter your username
2. Click "Join a Session"
3. Enter the session details provided by the host:
   • Session ID
   • Host's IP address
   • TCP and UDP ports (if not defaults)
4. Click "Join Session" to connect
5. Start communicating once connected

Using the Features

Video & Audio

• Toggle microphone: Click the microphone button in the bottom control bar
• Toggle camera: Click the camera button in the bottom control bar
• Speaking indicators: Green borders appear around users who are speaking
• Audio controls: Mute/unmute yourself or adjust audio settings

Screen Sharing

• Start screen sharing: Click the screen share button in the control bar
• Stop screen sharing: Click the screen share button again to stop
• View shared screens: Shared screens appear in the main video grid

Chat

• Open chat: Click the chat button (💬) in the bottom right
• Send messages: Type in the chat input and press Enter or click "Send"
• View history: Scroll through the chat history in the sidebar

File Transfer

• Share files:
  1. Click the chat button to open the sidebar
  2. Switch to the "Files" tab
  3. Click "Browse Files..." to select a file
  4. Click "Share File" to upload
• Download files:
  1. View available files in the Files tab
  2. Double-click a file or select and click "Download Selected"
  3. Choose download location

User Management

• View participants: Click the users button (👥) to see all participants
• User status: See who's online and their current media status
• Leave session: Click "Leave Session" or close the application

🔧 Configuration

Network Settings

The application uses the following default ports:

• TCP Port: 54321 (for control messages)
• UDP Port: 54322 (for media streams)

These can be configured in config.json:

{
  "network": {
    "tcp_port": 54321,
    "udp_port": 54322,
    "buffer_size": 65536
  },
  "media": {
    "video_quality": "medium",
    "audio_sample_rate": 44100
  }
}

User Profiles

User profiles are stored in profiles.json and include:

• Username preferences
• Last used settings
• Session history (optional)

Features

Video & Audio Communication

• High-quality video calls with real-time video streaming
• Crystal-clear voice chat with speaking indicators
• Microphone and camera controls with mute/unmute functionality
• Speaking detection with visual indicators (green borders)
• Audio strength monitoring for optimal voice quality

Screen Sharing

• Full desktop screen sharing for presentations and collaboration
• Real-time screen capture with optimized performance
• Easy start/stop controls for screen sharing sessions

Real-time Chat

• Instant messaging with all participants
• Message history during the session
• User-friendly chat interface with sidebar design

File Transfer

• Secure file sharing between participants
• Drag-and-drop file upload support
• File download with progress tracking
• Multiple file format support

User Management

• Multi-user sessions with up to multiple participants
• User presence indicators showing who's online
• Dynamic user grid that adapts to the number of participants
• User authentication with session-based access

Advanced Features

• Session hosting and joining with unique session IDs
• Automatic network discovery and configuration
• Reconnection handling for network interruptions
• Error management with user-friendly notifications
• Responsive UI that adapts to different screen sizes

Technical Implementation

Architecture

• Client-Server Architecture: Centralized server for session management
• Multi-threaded Design: Separate threads for GUI, networking, and media processing
• Qt-based GUI: Modern, responsive user interface using PySide6
• UDP Media Streaming: Low-latency audio/video transmission
• TCP Control Channel: Reliable messaging for chat and file metadata

Core Components

1. Application Layer (app.py)

• Main application controller managing window transitions
• Integration between GUI and networking components
• Session lifecycle management

2. GUI Components (gui/)

• Login Window: User authentication and profile management
• Host/Join Window: Session creation and connection interface
• Main App Window: Primary communication interface with all features
• Responsive Design: Adaptive layouts for different screen sizes

3. Client Networking (client/)

• LANClient: Main client networking class
• MediaCaptureManager: Audio/video capture and processing
• FileTransferManager: File upload/download handling
• Reconnection Logic: Automatic reconnection on network issues

4. Server Networking (server/)

• LANServer: Multi-client server for session management
• Message Routing: Efficient message distribution to clients
• Media Relay: UDP stream forwarding between participants
• Session Management: User presence and session state

5. Utilities (utils/)

• Network Protocol: Message serialization and packet handling
• Configuration Management: Settings and preferences
• Logging System: Comprehensive logging for debugging
• Error Management: Centralized error handling and reporting

Media Processing

• OpenCV: Video capture and frame processing
• SoundDevice: Audio capture and playback
• MSS: Screen capture for screen sharing
• NumPy: Audio processing and analysis

Network Protocol

• TCP Control Channel: JSON-based messaging for reliability
• UDP Media Streams: Binary packet streaming for low latency
• Message Types: Authentication, chat, file transfer, media control
• Stream Identification: Unique stream IDs for media routing

Requirements

System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10/11
• Python: 3.8 or higher
• Memory: 4GB RAM minimum, 8GB recommended
• Network: Local Area Network (LAN) connectivity
• Hardware: Webcam and microphone for full functionality

Python Dependencies

PySide6>=6.5.0          # GUI framework
opencv-python>=4.8.0    # Video processing
numpy>=1.24.0           # Numerical operations
sounddevice>=0.4.6      # Audio capture/playback
mss>=9.0.0              # Screen capture
pyinstaller>=5.13.0     # Executable creation (optional)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Connection Problems

• Cannot connect to host:
  • Verify the IP address and ports are correct
  • Check firewall settings on both host and client
  • Ensure both devices are on the same network

Audio/Video Issues

• No audio/video:
  • Check device permissions for camera and microphone
  • Verify devices are not being used by other applications
  • Restart the application if devices were connected after launch

Performance Issues

• Lag or poor quality:
  • Close unnecessary applications
  • Check network bandwidth
  • Reduce video quality in settings

Firewall Issues

• Windows Firewall blocking: Run the firewall setup scripts as administrator
• Third-party firewalls: Add exceptions for the application and ports 54321-54322

Logs and Debugging

• Log files: Check the logs/ directory for detailed error information
• Verbose logging: Enable debug logging in the configuration
• Network diagnostics: Use built-in connection testing features

Development

Project Structure

my_meet/
├── app.py                 # Main application entry point
├── requirements.txt       # Python dependencies
├── config.json           # Application configuration
├── profiles.json         # User profiles
├── gui/                  # User interface components
│   ├── login.py          # Login window
│   ├── hostjoin.py       # Host/Join session window
│   ├── mainapp.py        # Main application window
│   └── icons.py          # UI icons and graphics
├── client/               # Client networking
│   ├── client.py         # Main client class
│   └── media_capture.py  # Media capture management
├── server/               # Server networking
│   └── server.py         # Multi-client server
├── utils/                # Utilities and helpers
│   ├── config.py         # Configuration management
│   ├── logger.py         # Logging system
│   ├── error_manager.py  # Error handling
│   ├── network_proto.py  # Network protocol
│   └── file_transfer.py  # File transfer utilities
└── logs/                 # Application logs

Building Executable

To create a standalone executable:

pip install pyinstaller
pyinstaller --onefile --windowed app.py

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions:

1. Check the logs in the logs/ directory for error details
2. Review this README for troubleshooting steps
3. Open an issue on the project repository
4. Provide detailed information about your system and the issue

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LAN Communicator - Bringing people together through seamless local network communication!