NetworkConnection

NetworkConnection

Initiate a client-server communication channel using PowerShell

Disclaimer

This is an old module I wrote back in 2019, so the code is not as savvy.
It can get some improvements in regards to clean code, readability, error-handling, SRP, KISS, .Net types with C#, etc...
But the functions work nonetheless, it does what it's supposed to do.
Also the Pester tests were written for Pester v4, so they won't work with Pester v5, they need to be updated.
I may spend a bit of time on the module at some stage if I have a break, we'll see.

Since this was an old module that I happened to restore from my computer, I've also added an extra folder with my notes from back then, as they are handy and give some context, even though they are not needed for the module to work.

Examples

TCP Example

• Open 2 powershell sessions, one will be the server and the other one will be the client

first we'll set up a new client-server connection, we'll use the TCP transport for this one

• On the server
  $con = Start-ServerConnection -Transport TCP -PortNumber 1202 -Timeout 30 -Verbose
  let's say your local IP is 192.168.0.52

• And now on the client
  $con = Start-ClientConnection -ComputerName 192.168.0.52 -Transport TCP -PortNumber 1202 -Verbose

now let's send some data over the connection

• From either the server or the client
  SendTo-NetworkConnection -Connection $con -Data 'abcd'
• And then on the other end
  ReceiveFrom-NetworkConnection -Connection $con

finally let's close the connection

• From both the server and the client
  Stop-NetworkConnection -Connection $con -Verbose

Names Pipes Example

same setup as above, 2 PS Sessions

• On the server: $con = Start-ServerConnection -Transport Pipes -PipeName MyConnection -Timeout 30 -Verbose
• On the client: $con = Start-ClientConnection -ComputerName 192.168.0.52 -Transport Pipes -PipeName MyConnection -Verbose
• From either end: SendTo-NetworkConnection -Connection $con -Data '1234'
• On the other end: ReceiveFrom-NetworkConnection -Connection $con
• From both ends: Stop-NetworkConnection -Connection $con -Verbose

UDP Example

again same setup

• On the server: $con = Start-ServerConnection -Transport UDP -PortNumber 1202 -Timeout 30 -Verbose
• On the client: $con = Start-ClientConnection -ComputerName 192.168.0.52 -Transport UDP -PortNumber 1202 -Verbose
• From either end: SendTo-NetworkConnection -Connection $con -Data 'qqqq'
• On the other end: ReceiveFrom-NetworkConnection -Connection $con
• From both ends: Stop-NetworkConnection -Connection $con -Verbose

HTTP Example

the only change on this setup, is that the PS Session on the server side needs to run as admin

• On the server: $con = Start-ServerConnection -Transport HTTP -PortNumber 1202 -Timeout 30 -Verbose
• On the client: $con = Start-ClientConnection -ComputerName 192.168.0.52 -Transport HTTP -PortNumber 1202 -Verbose
• From either end: SendTo-NetworkConnection -Connection $con -Data 'test12'
• On the other end: ReceiveFrom-NetworkConnection -Connection $con
• From server end: Stop-NetworkConnection -Connection $con -Verbose
  no need to stop the connection from the client side when using the HTTP transport