LAN Sync

LAN sync lets devices on the same local network discover each other and exchange encrypted wiki updates directly. No relay server, no internet connection, and no configuration required.

How Discovery Works

localWiki uses mDNS (multicast DNS) to announce its presence on the local network. When you open the app, it broadcasts a service record that other localWiki instances can detect. Discovery typically takes 2-5 seconds on a standard network.

Device A broadcasts:  _localwiki._tcp.local
Device B discovers:   _localwiki._tcp.local → 192.168.1.42:9472
Device B connects:    encrypted handshake over TCP

Once two devices discover each other, they perform a mutual authentication handshake using your workspace key. Only devices that belong to the same workspace can sync.

No Relay Needed

LAN sync is completely independent of the WAN relay. Your team can sync in an air-gapped office, on a conference Wi-Fi network, or anywhere devices share a local subnet. This is ideal for teams that need P2P sync without any external dependencies.

Verifying LAN Sync

Open Settings > Sync to confirm LAN sync is working. The connection section shows:

• Mode — Displays the current connection mode (e.g. LAN).
• Status — Shows whether the transport layer is connected.
• Sync secret — Must be “configured” (shown in green) for peers to authenticate.
• Peers — Shows the count of currently connected peers.

Connected peers appear in the connected peers list below, showing each peer’s display name, ID, and a green “connected” indicator.

When to Use LAN Only

LAN sync is the fastest and most private option. Use it when your team works from the same office and you want zero external network traffic. Sync latency is typically under 50ms on a wired connection.