Accessing a network from a different location or making a file server...?

[MaxRat]

I need to know what the best way or how or what I should do to do this...?

What I want to do is put all the files I normally use for backups and various installs on one PC...Which I have done...Now I have networked these PC's together in my home so I can access the info from "My Network Places" which works fine...But...

How would I access this PC from somewhere else without installing software on the rig at a different location...

The rig in question is the NF3 rig in my sig and it's running XPpro64bit...I tried the Himachi thing and that works also But... you have to install in on another rig to login and get the files...

What I would like to do is just be able to have access to the files on this computer no mater where I am without installing more software on the PC at that location...

I Have seen some people who have this type of set up just type a http:// then and IP address and then a password and then have access to the files on a PC at a home location and be able to pull files...

Say I am over at someone house and they want some benchmark programs or something or an OLD version of a program not available and I have it on my pc... I want to be able without installing any software on their PC....get the file from mine and give it to them...(install it for them or what ever) OR if I need a file for work and I dont want to go home and copy it to a cd I can just access my PC from work or where ever I am...

I currently have my PC's all connected to a Network Everywhere router as run out of the box..

Is there a way I can just set up something from the PC with the files that I can use the PC's IP address and assign a password..? then access the pc from anywhere...?

Or will I have to use File Server software...I dont mind installing Software on this PC...I just dont want to install it on any other pc I want to access from...

Thanks...

[DynamicTech]

First, you will need a service like this dyndns.
Then, if you are using a router, you will have to setup port forwarding.
You can get creative on how you want to access your files. IE: webserver, ftp server, etc.

[MaxRat]

That just really confused me...?

I guess I need more simpler terms on what I need and whats the easiest way to do what I need to do....

I'll read more on the dyndns thing...

EDIT: I read the DNS guide... and the how to set up.... that gives me a name like "myname.dyndns.org" and then I can log in that way....

The way I have seen others do it is that they just type in a IP address in the address bar... they get prompted for a password and then after that it looks just like when you open windows explorer... you see all the files...thats more what I am looking for...?

[mojo]

All that dyndns does for you is keeps you from always having to remember the IP. Words tend to be easier to remember than numbers, and the dyndns name will always be the same, as opposed to the IP your ISP gives you which can change. So, from the remote computer, you would type in your dyndns name, and then a username and password and be able to access files, but as mentioned before, you need to set up a web server or ftp server to host the files on your machine.

[MaxRat]

Ok cool...

So How do I do the File server thing....Thats mostly what I'm after...I Think?

[Ob1]

if you have xp pro on your NF3 build follow this guide to setup FTP on it
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1491

[MaxRat]

Thanks...thats what i was looking for...That will work for me....

[MaxRat]

Update....

I followed that guide to the letter...I cannot gget this to work....I get the following error...

FTP Folder Error

Windows cannot access this folder. Make sure you typed the file name correctly and that you have permission to access the folder.

Details...

The connection with the server was reset


I am not sure whats going on here...I am behind a router and I did open port 21... it was automatically set in the router for that port under FTP all I had to do was check the IP and enable it...

Also FTP IS enabled in XP firewall...

Seems like it see's the FTP but cannot access it...

I am running XPpro64 on this NF3 rig....

Can really try bypassing the router as I dont have access to another pc to try and query the server to see if it works....Not sure if even the router is the problem...???

got any ideas...???


EDIT:....I went to the IIS in control panel and expaned my FTP and then on properties selected Browse....I get the same error...so it cant access the file on the PC in which it resides...?

[Ob1]

try turning off your firewall on the FTP server and see if you can access it.

also if you were to just browse to that folder in windows explorer can you access it?

in the IIS control panel, if you right click your ftp site and choose permissions, what permissions are currently set?

are you running as an administrator?

if your using IE to view the ftp server, go into tools>internet options>advanced tab> and deselect use passive FTP. close the browser and reopen it and try again.

[MaxRat]

1)...I am only using the XP firewall and I tried turning it off...no go

2) Yes...I can access the file thru Windows explorer...I put a folder in there named Test to see if I could see it...

3)It does nothing when I do that... On my FTP if I click permissions the ftp file highlights above my FTP...?

4) Yes I beleive so...I loaded XPpro64 to this rig and did Not create any accounts...used the default as loaded...

5)...I have not done that.... as stated I cannot browse to the file from my FTP in IIS connections nor can I see it thru other PC's.. will try though...

any other idea.... I wonder if it is a 64 bit issue? I wouldnt think so but could be...

I dont know if it matters.... but this pc as well as the 4 others in the house are all networked together....They are all plugged into the router via there own cat5 cable and then the network wizard was run to link them together so i could share file between them...they all access the internet via the router... I ran the wizard and created my own workgroup name...?

[Ob1]

ill grab an old rig and throw xp on it and see if i can get it to work by following those exact directions. mine will be the original xp pro with SP2.

ill post back with my results

[MaxRat]

mine is XPpro64 with IE7 installed....all updates from Windows Updates...?

[Ob1]

ill use ie7 with xp 32bit sp2 and all updates and see what i can come up with. i dont have 64bit unfortunately.

[MaxRat]

I am goin to try removing this pc from the network and trying it again... I dont know if having this pc on/in a network maybe conflicting with the FTP thing...I set up the network 1st and then decided to do the FTP...?

[Ob1]

make sure you have common files, ftp and IIS snap in installed through add/remove programs.

so far all i had to do was install the three services listed above. i specified my ftp home directory, i put some files into that directory and i am able to explore it from the IIS control panel as well as browse it from another pc. make sure you have read access on that home directory.

[MaxRat]

Ok I have those....

Thats the 1st part of the tutorial...

I have common files checked....

File transfer protcol (ftp) service checked.....

Internet Information Services manager....checked....

Nothing else checked....


Can you do it if networked...?

EDIT:...I dont know how to remove this PC from the network with out reformatting...? if thats the problem...

I have a XPpro 32bit box next to me and I'll try doing the ftp thing on that...It's also networked...if it does the same thing I know thats it....???

did you try this behind a router..? I am trying to see what maybe wrong for me...? Thanks..

[MaxRat]

Udate....

This seems to be a Windows XPpro 64 bug....

I just did the same thing to my XPpro x86 box and it went right thru...no hassle no problem...easy as pie...

This box was already connected to the network and i did the IIS thing and was fine...set up the server and am on the network....

so I'll mess with it...and I'll prolly have to reformat the x64 box with 32bit pro to get it to work right....

The more I use pro64 the more I dislike it... unless anyone knows a work around...?

[Ob1]

yeah i accessed it through a router with port forwarding enabled for tcp port 21 and set a static ip on the ftp server. then i just used the router ip as such: ftp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx and it connected right to it. in IE7 i noticed that initially it shows an ftp server in plain text. you can switch that by going to the page button and choosing view ftp in windows explorer, which will open a new window but you will have all files and folders showing like you would normally see in windows. i haven't figured out how to set that as a permanent thing as i do not use IE7 unless i have to for some specific reason. i'm hooked on firefox.

[MaxRat]

Right I noticed that...IE7 is funny... but it works....

Now...how do I speed it up...

I put a 257mb game in there and went to another PC and double clicked it...I got the download box... so I downloaded it...

Downloads at 7.92mb/s off the network.... is this good...?

I can download off the internet at 380kb/s
I tried loading a 40.5mb file (nvidia drivers...) and it was slower than the game file which was bigger...

So I guess..is my server downloading faster in house than I am off the net...?

7.92mb/s server VS. 380kb/s off the net...?

[mojo]

7.92 MB/s is pretty good over 100Mbit ethernet. The theoretical limit is 12.5 MB/s so you're not too far off.

[Ob1]

max

one more thing make sure you have write access in IIS and on the folder you specified for FTP. my test lab i was trying to copy something up and it kept timing out. turns out i only had NTFS read permissions but in IIS i had read and write permissions. for simplicity i just checked modify and now i was able to upload to the ftp site.

just wanted to add that in case you run into that problem. i see you had no problem downloading off of it.

[MaxRat]

Hey...

What I did was point towards the shared folder on the network... I did check write in IIS also...I did upload a few 4 gig files to the server across the network...

Now I am looking for a way to either really compress the files or change the format to get them from the server to the access point...like from work to home...

some of the files are dvd files that I've loaded to the server and want to watch at work... It's just for fun to see if I can get it to work quickly..?

Also I would like to say thanks.... the tip you gave me was exactly what i was looking for... the server thing works pretty good so far in house... hopefully I can get it going pretty good from here to work with either tweaking speeds or doing the file thing...again thanks...

[Ob1]

transferring a dvd file over a slow WAN connection is going to take way to long, im talking 8-10+ hours.

[MaxRat]

Any suggestions on how to speed it up or how to change it...?

[Ob1]

change to a different file type:
AVI
MPEG
Window Media Video

http://www.deskshare.com/Resources/a...eFileSize.aspx

[MaxRat]

Ok ...New question...

Do I need to do anything else to be able to access this from across the internet...?

I can access this fine from home (the network) on any pc... but I called a friend across town and gave him the info and he could NOT access it...

He got an error saying some thing like page cannot be displayed...name not recognized or site doesn't exist... plus a few others...???

I am using the IP assigned by the router...which is something common like 192.168.1.1**

which is from the Network Everywhere (Linksys) router.... I have tried the actual IP of the pc...which is listed in the router...

If I have to register this to be able to access this from the internet....I would need something compatable with x64... but I am seriously thinking of going back to pro-x86...

Thanks...

Edit.... Router is setup to automatically obtain IP... in the status section.... on the DHCP tab..DHCP is set to "enable" and nothing filled in for DNS...?....Thats all I can think of that will help...

[faulkner132]

Your friend needs to use your public IP (assigned by your ISP).

Here is how everything ties together for what you are trying to do:
http://pcmech.com/show/internet/1048/5/#external

[Ob1]

the public ip address can be located on the status page of your linksys router.

[glc]

It can also be obtained by going to www.whatismyip.com.

[MaxRat]

ok...I tried that on the network and it didnt work...should it...?

I looked on the status page and got the IP... and tried it in the network...no go...got the same error I got before about cant find file/server was reset...?

but I'll call him later and have him try...