With the help of Leaf software one can easily use main local network facilities within Internet connection. Media resources exchanging, head-to-head gaming, printer sharing etc. are now available due to patent pending technology realized in Leaf. Let’s make a close inspection of the above-mentioned product.
Installation and adjustment
Self-extracted archive of the program takes about 1.5 Mb and can be downloaded for free. To install this tool you ought to have Microsoft.NET framework version 1.1 or higher. After installation has been completed, you have to ensure that Leaf.exe application has not blocked in your local firewall or virus scanning software. Another critical requirement for proper operation of the software is settings of a router/firewall located behind your PC, it should have port 6300 opened. It is worth to notice that general network troubleshooting is discussed on the official site and do not hesitate to ask for technical help by e-mail having previously examined support forums.
Getting started and facilities
Describing an exterior view of the program one should mark it simple and even ascetic. Modest interface agrees with a set of functions, which provide sufficient amount of declared facilities. To begin using the program you should first of all register a new account and then log in. Next you create a network (“My friends” is a default one) and can add there Leaf users searching them by Leaf ID, e-mail or by name. Basic procedures are similar to those for instant messengers.
Now one can manage Leaf facilities by clicking the Share tab and selecting a desirable point. Choose a network within what you will deal with options Files, Game Server and Private Network. Press the permissions button next to the Files icon to choose the folder and members that you would like to share it with. The person added can view the folder and the files within it, just like it was any other folder on their own PC. You can also be able to write permission to the folder. Using this feature, you can share your disk space with some of your members. Another useful feature of this option is a possibility to have an access to your home PC from the laptop you added as a network member thus there is no more need to copy or synchronize files just use files and folders on your PC.
Next reasonable feature is a game server option which allows you to play with your friends head-on-head with your game consoles. You just need an Xbox as a part of your PC network and the Leaf will pick up the console traffic off your home network and route it to the members you have selected without any additional plug-ins and software to be installed. Simply share your Xbox game console with your friend by clicking the game server share button and selecting the users you want to allow access to your game. Those members that you have given access to your game share will see your game server on their game console in their list of game servers.
The next exciting feature of the Leaf software is ability to create virtual private networks. Just go to the share tab and set Private Network permissions. Here you can select the member from your network you want to add to your private network. The added members will see an appropriate icon with "Connect to private network" message under your name. One can double-click this link and get on your computer as being directly connected to it.
Leaf software designers declare that direct peer-to-peer connection is established and protected traffic is used upon you set a VPN option. But how does it work? The Leaf client software uses so-called "Out-of-Band TCP Signaling" to form a TCP connection between two computers by means of special control channel that is setup using the Leaf Peer Server. Once the TCP connection is formed, the control channel is torn down and there is a direct TCP connection between each computer. This socket connection is used to create a virtual private network interface that you see as the Leaf Network Adapter on your computer.
As upcoming feature, a possibility to get stream music and videos from other members PCs directly to your digital media receiver and TV is declared. As one in network enables media sharing, the other members just need to allow incoming stream and then can browse and play video and music from one’s media center.
Resume
Thus, you can share game consoles, storage devices, PC’s, other peripherals within networks built using Leaf software. It seems that the Leaf is a small but reasonable tool to provide advantages of local network facilities over broadband Internet connection of course if you have the latter. Leaf designers have promised to release a Linux version the Leaf soon. We are looking forward to it.
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