A file-sharing cost fix failed when every browser tab closed
A free file-sharing tool for friends did one simple job: upload a file and receive a link. After it spread further than expected, its server bill jumped from about $4 to more than $200 in one week. It was rebuilt to use almost no server .
Each downloader’s browser became a small host, using WebRTC to send the file directly to the next person. At first, one command created a link, and the file stayed available after the original laptop was closed because other downloaders still had tabs open. A day later, the link failed after everyone closed those tabs, leaving no browser available to host the file.
The design did not remove its single ; it moved that from one server to whoever happened to keep a tab open.
Key points
- Unexpected sharing raised the server bill from about $4 to more than $200.
- Each downloader’s d WebRTC to send the file to later .
- The file stayed available after the original laptop closed while another browser tab remained open.
- The link stopped working when every downloader closed the tab.
- The main point of failure moved from one server to the remaining open .