Remotely Accessible storage

[thephilosophizer]

Ok, so I have tons of stuff on my desktop pc that I would like regular access to. Currently, I have my home network set up in such a way that I can access all my desktop files via my macbook, which doubles as an htpc. But I would like to be able to do this when I'm not at home, but I would also like to not leave the desktop on all the time either.
So, I'm wondering what is the best possible, fastest and cheapest solution to achieving this? I honestly don't know much about doing this remote network stuff, some I'm going to need some guidance. I've got cable, and plenty of upload bandwidth, I am also concerned about security, don't want anybody else getting into my stuff and all.

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

Hi,

You could set up an FTP 'site' within your network, that points to the location of your data, or you could configure a VPN that enables you to link into your whole network remotely, or you could even install some form of IIS 'server' to make that shared data folder accessible over HTTP.

Any/all of those options should be available to you for free, and could be set up for restricted (default) or open access to remote as in anything that isn't the "host" devices. Whichever option you choose of those, you would just need to ensure that you can 'dial' back to your LAN remotely, either by using/getting a static WAN IP, and/or using DDNS to give your network a DNS name - DDNS is more aimed at dynamic WAN IPs, but you can also use it for just providing a DNS pointer to a static too.

DynDNS (DynDNS.com - Free Domain Name, Managed DNS, Email Services) is what I use myself, it can either by updated by an app you install or some routers can be configured with the credentials of the DDNS account and will send the 'heartbeat' back for you. With DynDNS you have to either use the app version; log in every thirty (IIRC) days to keep the account active; or subscribe and pay a fee. I've gone for the freebie..


Another option I have heard about recently, could be to use a "GDrive" with a Google account - though I have no experience with this. GMail Drive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[thephilosophizer]

Thanks for the reply. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that approach requires that I leave the computer on, right? I think my router allows for a network attached external hard drive, would that work the same way?

[stroyal]

Maybe Nude will know, but will wake on LAN work remotely?

[GroundZero3]

The router at his home has to support the ability to forward the request plus the network he is on has to have forwarding capability (which most networks dont allow or is dropped by the layer 3 routing

[thephilosophizer]

Ok, but what if I did just plug a 2tb HDD into the router, would I be able to get into that remotely?

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

Maybe Nude will know, but will wake on LAN work remotely?

If you can enable it in the BIOS, then you can do that remotely - or at least you can if you use LogMeIn (http://www.logmein.com), and I'm sure you could do it over a VPN if you can do it within the LAN too (as you're effectively extending the LAN), but whether you can remotely do a WOL...I have no idea - though I'm sure GZ's comment sounds like it would be accurate if you weren't going through a tunnel... Essentially LMI uses a tunnel to the machine to enable the WOL trigger to work...

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

Ok, but what if I did just plug a 2tb HDD into the router, would I be able to get into that remotely?

This will depend on a few things: whether you can access it within the LAN; whether you are able to set it up as/with an FTP 'server' function; whether you need to have any additional software to connect to the FTP 'server' function and also whether it is blocked (as it often is - especially in a business environment, even more so if that place is a financial or 'enterprise' type of institution; or a wi-fi hotspot) from the network you're accessing from.

Personally, I would just leave the machine you've got it on now powered up all the time and Fold on it... You can also use that machine as a 'print server' so any computers can print from one print device, and I'm sure you're aware of the need for backups - which need the machine to be powered up to run anyway........................

[thephilosophizer]

Not that I'm opposed to folding, but I do like to minimize my energy consumption. But I leave the possibility open.
If I took a flash drive and plugged it into the router, would I be able to figure out if a permanent attached drive would? And what would I have to do to get that figured out?

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

In theory, that would suffice...after all, it is just a USB connection to a storage device..


Give it a try and let us know how you get on..