🚀 LAN Chat Room

A completely offline, high-speed, terminal-based chat client for Local Area Networks.

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Welcome to LAN Chat Room, a lightning-fast, zero-dependency Python chat application. Whether you are on a flight, at a remote hackathon, or just want a secure localized space to chat without relying on an internet connection, this tool is for you.

All you need is a shared Wi-Fi network (or a mobile hotspot) and Python!

✨ Features

• 📡 Zero Internet Required: Connect securely over your Local Area Network (LAN) or a mobile hotspot.
• ⚡ Real-time Multi-Client Sync: Thread-safe backend architecture ensures instant message delivery to all clients simultaneously.
• 🎨 Beautiful Terminal UI: Fully customized with ANSI color codes to cleanly differentiate system alerts, timestamps, self, and other users.
• 🕒 Timestamps: Every message is cleanly logged with accurate timestamps.
• 🔔 Connect/Disconnect Broadcasts: Real-time logging signals when your friends join or leave the room.
• 🪶 Ultra Lightweight: Built with 100% standard Python libraries—absolutely zero dependencies to pip install!

🛠️ Prerequisites

• Python 3.x installed.
• All users must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network or Hotspot.

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🚀 How to Use

1️⃣ Start the Server (Host Machine)

One person needs to host the chat room. Run the server script and it will automatically figure out your host IP address.

python server.py

The terminal will display an IP address and Port (e.g., 192.168.1.5 and 55000). Share this IP address with your friends!

2️⃣ Join the Chat (Client Machine)

Anyone wanting to join the chat runs the client script. The host can also run a client script in a separate terminal window to join their own room.

python client.py

You will be prompted to:

1. Enter the Server IP (provided by the host).
2. Enter your Username.

3️⃣ Start Chatting!

Type your messages and press Enter to communicate in real-time.

To leave the room gracefully, either type the exit command or press Ctrl+C:

/quit

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💻 Tech Stack Highlights

• Sockets (socket): Handles lightweight, low-level TCP/IP network communication.
• Threading (threading): Non-blocking I/O operations using parallel daemon threads (allows clients to send and receive messages simultaneously).
• Graceful Error Handling: Safe teardown protocols for sudden BrokenPipeError or ConnectionResetError events if a user drops offline unexpectedly.

Happy Offline Chatting! 💬