WolfP2PHow WolfP2P transfers files without a middle copy
For:All users
No technical knowledge required.WolfP2P browser clients stream file bytes directly from sender to receiver. The WolfP2P server provides the coordination service that helps them connect, but it never receives, stores, or relays file bytes or file metadata.
This page explains that technical path. For guidance about the security consequences of another provider-held copy, read Why Avoiding an Intermediary File Copy Improves Privacy.
What “no middle copy” means
Many sharing workflows have two separate movements: the sender uploads a file to an intermediary service, then the receiver downloads another copy from it. The intermediary holds the file between those steps and may retain it according to its own settings and policies.
WolfP2P instead establishes a live peer-to-peer WebRTC data channel. The browser clients exchange the file metadata needed to review the offer; once the receiver accepts, they become the endpoints that stream the selected file bytes. Only the source file and the receiver's intended destination copy are required.
Why the path matters
The direct path means the receiver can get the bytes as they are sent, without waiting for an intermediary upload to finish. It also means WolfP2P's coordination server never becomes a temporary file destination.
That architectural boundary can reduce storage exposure for sensitive material, but it is a separate question from channel encryption. Read the dedicated intermediary-copy security guidance for the risks it avoids and the cases where managed storage remains preferable.
A server still helps establish the connection
“No middle copy” does not mean that no infrastructure is involved. WolfP2P's coordination server creates the temporary tunnel and exchanges the connection details the browsers need to find each other. Internet and local-network infrastructure also carries the encrypted traffic.
The important boundary is that WolfP2P's server does not become a file destination or relay. If the two browsers cannot establish a direct path, WolfP2P does not fall back to sending the file bytes through a TURN relay.
Read Encrypted Transfer for transport protection and What WolfP2P's Server Sees for the coordination boundary.
Direct transfer and hosted sharing solve different problems
| WolfP2P direct transfer | Hosted file link | |
|---|---|---|
| When the receiver can collect the files | While both participants are online | Later, while the hosted copy remains available |
| Provider-held file copy | None on WolfP2P's server | Required by the hosting provider |
| Reuse by several recipients | Create a separate live transfer | One persistent link may serve several recipients |
| Sender availability during delivery | Sender remains online | Sender can leave after upload |
When a hosted copy is the better choice
A hosted service is more suitable when the receiver must download later, several people need the same persistent link, or the sender cannot remain online. WolfP2P is designed for a live transfer while both computers are online together.
Compare the tradeoffs on Compare Transfer Methods.