With the release of PicPic Social 2.3.4 and its 100% offline capability, we’ve gotten an increased number of questions asking how the new version of PicPic Social works if you do not have internet at the venue. To answer this question, we must first explain a few concepts. We’ll try to explain these concepts in a very simplistic manner:
Wi-Fi:
- This is a method devices such as your PC, iPad, Android Tablets, etc use to communicate with each other on a network or connect to the Internet.
- A Wi-Fi signal is created by your router, designated hotspot device, or your phone which can be turned into a hotspot.
- Your devices connect to this Wi-Fi hotspot, and when you have more than one device connected to the same Wi-Fi hotspot, you have created a “Local Area Network.”
Local Area Network:
- Also known as LAN.
- A LAN is created when you have a group of devices connected to each other via Wi-Fi or network cable. This Local Are Network sends information from one device to another. In the case of PicPic Social, we are sending images and settings from your photo taking PC to a device your guests are using to share photos.
- You can create a LAN and NOT have Internet
Internet:
- Think of LAN as your local internet, techies refer to this as your Intranet (yes, Intranet, not Internet)
- Your computers and devices are speaking to each other within their small world, while the Internet is a World Wide LAN, where everyone with a connection online is now part of your LAN, but instead of a LAN, it’s called… *wait for it* … the Internet!
- You can create a LAN WITHOUT having internet. It’s the equivalent of your Internet service being disconnected in your home, but your router is still on and running, but you can’t get to Google because your service is not enabled.
OK, So How Does it All Come Together?
Hopefully we now understand the concept of Wi-Fi, LAN, and Internet. With this knowledge in mind, PicPic Social DOES NOT need Internet to fully operate, but it needs a LAN, which you create with your hotspot/router.
To visualize, if you are at your home or office and your Internet service is disrupted, as long as you can create a LAN, PicPic Social will be able to send images from one device to another. Ie, If you are running a photo booth, you can run the PicPic Social Server on your photo booth computer, and if your iPad is connected to the same Wi-Fi signal as the photo booth, the iPad running PicPic will download images from your photo booth PC.
How Can I Create a LAN on Location?
You can create a LAN by using the following methods:
- Turn your PC into a Hotspot with Connectify
- Use the Wi-Fi Connection of your venue
- Use a dedicated hotspot device from your mobile service provider)
- Turn your smartphone into a hotspot (call your service provider for support)
What Features DO NOT Function When Using PicPic Social Without Internet & Why?
Facebook and Twitter do not work if you do not have Internet. Facebook & Twitter both require an active internet connection because they need to verify the username and password of your event guests. All other features of PicPic Social will continue to function, but email and text messages will be queued until you have an active & stable internet connection.
You will know if you have images in your queue if you see this grey arrow in the top right hand corner of your PicPic Social screen:
Conclusion
Hopefully this post was informative enough to explain how PicPic Social operates if you do not have Internet. If you have additional questions, please ask in the comments section below and we’ll respond.
