Linksys and Maxtor are expected to announce a $100 drive sharing device designed to allow an external hard drive to connect to a wireless router, according to CNET News.com: "The Linksys Network Storage Link connects to an external hard drive through one of two USB ports and includes a file management system, the companies said. It is designed to work with a wired or wireless network, and to work with other external drives apart from Maxtor products.
that's the point . I don't want to carry it around. I want to access it from anywhere. I only might need some of the files but I don't want to have to take all of my files in case I need one of them.
It sits in my home. I move.
Not another computer(unless clustered)
Gobs of storage
all my stuff in one place.
accessable
apple interface
simple connectivity
Sounds like a grand plan, but there will be stumbling blocks to implement it to get it to Apple's normal level of "idiot-proofness". You need to have knowledge of secure file transfer (via SSH, SFTP, etc) to set it up currently as well as speed issues with the on-the-road downloads. I guess that seeing there isn't much of a demand, Apple will not be spending the $ to build such a device. With some knowledge and insight, you can setup your own however, but right now you need to know the tools to get you there.
If that's the case, you will probably need to find a windows-based web/fileserver to suit your needs.
Windows?? You're joking, right?
Open up System Preferences. Click on Sharing. Service tab. Select Personal Web Sharing. Put anything you want access to in your Sites folder. Done.
AND you're running Apache, and are a couple of orders of magnitude more secure than you would be running Windows and opening up yourself to worms, viruses, and DoS attacks.
Linksys and Maxtor are expected to announce a $100 drive sharing device designed to allow an external hard drive to connect to a wireless router, according to CNET News.com: "The Linksys Network Storage Link connects to an external hard drive through one of two USB ports and includes a file management system, the companies said. It is designed to work with a wired or wireless network, and to work with other external drives apart from Maxtor products.
Sounds like a grand plan, but there will be stumbling blocks to implement it to get it to Apple's normal level of "idiot-proofness". You need to have knowledge of secure file transfer (via SSH, SFTP, etc) to set it up currently as well as speed issues with the on-the-road downloads. I guess that seeing there isn't much of a demand, Apple will not be spending the $ to build such a device. With some knowledge and insight, you can setup your own however, but right now you need to know the tools to get you there.
So I figure the grand plan finally was accepted. But we dont have the tools to get there. Maybe some skilled software developers could do something about it ? Hmm...
Take a Xserve cabinet, throw in a G4 processor, large hard drive, airport, ethernet, dvd and a tv-tuner. Runs a downsized osx.
Accessable from every Mac in the house, contains the library of iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iCinema and files. May dock iPods. DVR/Tivo capabilities.
Contents can be read via airport, express to the stereo, video to TV or Mac, integrated gateway handles FW/NAT and broadband access both ways.
Everything is well known from before, most of it already integrated into OSX. Yet to be integrated in a box. This is the digital hub.
Open up System Preferences. Click on Sharing. Service tab. Select Personal Web Sharing. Put anything you want access to in your Sites folder. Done.
AND you're running Apache, and are a couple of orders of magnitude more secure than you would be running Windows and opening up yourself to worms, viruses, and DoS attacks.
Jeez mon.
Kickaha,
Please read the previous posts. That was already suggested. But TednDi didn't want to use a Macintosh as a server. He said that it takes up too much space. He wants a small box, priced under $600 that can serve up to 250GBs of files over the internet and it can't be a laptop computer. Which is why I had no other ideas than to suggest those personal file servers that are built for Windows.
All the tools are there, you just have to know how to implement them. Sure it is slow as hell, but this is the internet we are talking about. Unless you hit a WiFi hotspot, you are talking dial-up and that sucks for transferring that much data. The other tools are there - WebDAV, SFTP or SSH, etc....
"Windows-based" which you suggested, is a bit far removed from "designed to work with Windows networks".
There are SAN boxen which are designed for Windows networks, true. It read to me that you were suggesting he get a Windows box and open up the files through its web/file interface. Bad juju, especially since the idea of access-from-anywhere-on-the-Internet was bandied about. *shudder*
Please read the previous posts. That was already suggested. But TednDi didn't want to use a Macintosh as a server. He said that it takes up too much space. He wants a small box, priced under $600 that can serve up to 250GBs of files over the internet and it can't be a laptop computer. Which is why I had no other ideas than to suggest those personal file servers that are built for Windows.
Let's see... a cheap solution that doesn't involve Windows? Hmmm.
Linux?
Here's some easy options that provide simple fileserving.
It's what I use for WAS (wide area storage) usage. Best thing about it, is that you can cannibalize your old windows boxen to much better use. Mac and linux play so well together anyway. They're great options until Apple comes up with some 'wow' solution.
Please read the previous posts. That was already suggested. But TednDi didn't want to use a Macintosh as a server. He said that it takes up too much space. He wants a small box, priced under $600 that can serve up to 250GBs of files over the internet and it can't be a laptop computer. Which is why I had no other ideas than to suggest those personal file servers that are built for Windows.
Exactly, Think different I don't want to make ends meet and cobble together the solution (that's windows) Apple can do this and sell the hell out of this.
It would be nice if Apple would make one, but until it does there is always the
Snap Server 1100. Snap servers use their own OS and play nice with Macs. They start at around $550.00
You could also get something like the The briQ from Terra Soft Solutions. It is normally the size of a CD drive, but it is double the hight with full sized drive option(which you would need to store 250-500 GB ). It is more expensive and not as easy to set up as a Snap server, but you also get a cool linux computer.
[B]It would be nice if Apple would make one, but until it does there is always the
Snap Server 1100. Snap servers use their own OS and play nice with Macs. They start at around $550.00
The SnapServers are a bit expensive and is generally fileserver only. They are not very consumer oriented. This might be improved by adding software that works.
A combinaton of a SnapServer and a Dreambox ($ 390 ex HD) is more close to what I am talking about.
The hardware of both the dreambox and the SnapServer are mostly the same, it should be possible to integrate these two at a reasonable $ 7-800.
I really want to thank all of you for all of your help and suggetions. I know that I can make this system work. The main idea here was to suggest that apple produce a simple file server for the non techical among us. Wonderful ideas abound
using Linux (great, another os to tackle)
Windos (why bother to migrate and it' full of security holes)
exotic 3rd parrty servers (play nice with mac but are not designed for mac)
all have their limitations.
Add another computer (ok but not ideal)
carry some of the files (my current solution)
10 ipods or rmovable drive(s) risk damage and add weight and are not elegant solution.
What if scenario:
I fly to London from NY I meet with a magazine publisher I have some files which I think he might be interested in. Deadline tomorrow. In our discussion, an idea forms. Use one of the pics on my laptop but photoshop another pic from home into it.
Problem: That file is locked in my appartment in NYC. I didn't know he would want that photo.
yes , get a friend to go to my house then describe to that person which file from among the thousands that i am talking about.
solution-
Fileserver
made simple by apple and secure at a reasonable price.
I fly to London from NY I meet with a magazine publisher I have some files which I think he might be interested in. Deadline tomorrow. In our discussion, an idea forms. Use one of the pics on my laptop but photoshop another pic from home into it.
Problem: That file is locked in my appartment in NYC. I didn't know he would want that photo.
yes , get a friend to go to my house then describe to that person which file from among the thousands that i am talking about.
solution-
Fileserver
made simple by apple and secure at a reasonable price.
does not exist.
Ok, but for that purpose, something has to be on and running and waiting for you at all times in your house, no? I guess I see this as a fileserver (full client, with authentication abilities), because you also want security on it, right?
Now, I realize having another box in your house doesn't excite you, but you almost require it from your scenario above. Just click Go...Connect to Server from your Finder menu (Command-K) enter your personal server's IP address or hostname (Dynamic DNS) like this:
afp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx or afp://my.homecomputer.com
And it mounts on your desktop like any other removable storage. Speedy connection required on both ends to be functional, but for your scenario, you require it.
Or just configure the built-in Apache web server to show indexes and put your images/music within the htdocs directory. Enter your IP address or hostname into Safari and browse away.
Yeah, I see where Apple can clean it up a bit, but I don't see them specifically releasing or selling a lot of this. People either have plenty of room on their current iDisk with .Mac or if they use this in their job, they have a full-fledged server at home/work, like I am suggesting above.
Yeah, I see where Apple can clean it up a bit, but I don't see them specifically releasing or selling a lot of this. People either have plenty of room on their current iDisk with .Mac or if they use this in their job, they have a full-fledged server at home/work, like I am suggesting above.
I agree. Those that really need this kind of functionality either a.) have the technical expertise to implement the solution, or b.) have the resources to hire someone to make it simple.
Truly, the linux solution that I mentioned above from ClarkConnect is particularly simple and requires minimal expertise. You don't have to learn the linux OS. The entire server is administered via a web browser interface. You may have to learn a bit about network security to make this work, but any solution is going to require some learning. Check it out.
Truly, the linux solution that I mentioned above from ClarkConnect is particularly simple and requires minimal expertise. You don't have to learn the linux OS. The entire server is administered via a web browser interface. You may have to learn a bit about network security to make this work, but any solution is going to require some learning. Check it out.
Just looks like a *nix-based gateway/firewall to me. Certainly nothing special, but may be easy to use. Sun has done this forever with their Netra boxes and such - I remember setting up one of the first Netra boxes released with 3 interfaces for public, private and DMZ networks. The web interface was good and the firewall rules were certainly easy to implement.
Integrating with iApps is another story though. The sharing built into the iApps makes local networks easy, but when you are talking about browsing through thousands of media files, it can be a slow, ugly process. Bandwidth restraints are the biggest issue that is holding back TednDi's ideas. Just no way around it, currently.
Sounds like a pretty straight forward file server/web server to me.
There are a few specialist linux boxes that do this sort of thing.
In fact, this was exactly the sort of thing that raq did.
Pick up a rack cube on ebay, it is exactly what you are talking about.
Theres been plenty of discussion here about how Apple could meet this market, in particular there is a good thread on the headless ibook.
Currently available products include the mirra ( small linux file server ) and some cheap ethernet disks ( which tend to use custom protocols, not tcp/ip, and so dont support macs ).
There is a nice linux distro called sme which is really easy to install and run ( really easy, it just works, asks about 10 questions ). Have a look at http://www.e-smith.org/ if you have a spare x86 machine then it is perfect, maybe not quite as good as a raq cube.
Comments
Linksys to unveil wireless drive sharing device
Linksys and Maxtor are expected to announce a $100 drive sharing device designed to allow an external hard drive to connect to a wireless router, according to CNET News.com: "The Linksys Network Storage Link connects to an external hard drive through one of two USB ports and includes a file management system, the companies said. It is designed to work with a wired or wireless network, and to work with other external drives apart from Maxtor products.
http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/person...9183386,00.htm
So the idea wasn't so crazy after all.
Originally posted by TednDi
that's the point . I don't want to carry it around. I want to access it from anywhere. I only might need some of the files but I don't want to have to take all of my files in case I need one of them.
It sits in my home. I move.
Not another computer(unless clustered)
Gobs of storage
all my stuff in one place.
accessable
apple interface
simple connectivity
Sounds like a grand plan, but there will be stumbling blocks to implement it to get it to Apple's normal level of "idiot-proofness". You need to have knowledge of secure file transfer (via SSH, SFTP, etc) to set it up currently as well as speed issues with the on-the-road downloads. I guess that seeing there isn't much of a demand, Apple will not be spending the $ to build such a device. With some knowledge and insight, you can setup your own however, but right now you need to know the tools to get you there.
Originally posted by BeigeUser
If that's the case, you will probably need to find a windows-based web/fileserver to suit your needs.
Windows?? You're joking, right?
Open up System Preferences. Click on Sharing. Service tab. Select Personal Web Sharing. Put anything you want access to in your Sites folder. Done.
AND you're running Apache, and are a couple of orders of magnitude more secure than you would be running Windows and opening up yourself to worms, viruses, and DoS attacks.
Jeez mon.
Originally posted by ren
Here it is:
Linksys to unveil wireless drive sharing device
Linksys and Maxtor are expected to announce a $100 drive sharing device designed to allow an external hard drive to connect to a wireless router, according to CNET News.com: "The Linksys Network Storage Link connects to an external hard drive through one of two USB ports and includes a file management system, the companies said. It is designed to work with a wired or wireless network, and to work with other external drives apart from Maxtor products.
http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/person...9183386,00.htm
So the idea wasn't so crazy after all.
Too bad it only has a USB 2.0 port and not a firewire one
Originally posted by Rhumgod
Sounds like a grand plan, but there will be stumbling blocks to implement it to get it to Apple's normal level of "idiot-proofness". You need to have knowledge of secure file transfer (via SSH, SFTP, etc) to set it up currently as well as speed issues with the on-the-road downloads. I guess that seeing there isn't much of a demand, Apple will not be spending the $ to build such a device. With some knowledge and insight, you can setup your own however, but right now you need to know the tools to get you there.
So I figure the grand plan finally was accepted. But we dont have the tools to get there. Maybe some skilled software developers could do something about it ? Hmm...
Take a Xserve cabinet, throw in a G4 processor, large hard drive, airport, ethernet, dvd and a tv-tuner. Runs a downsized osx.
Accessable from every Mac in the house, contains the library of iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iCinema and files. May dock iPods. DVR/Tivo capabilities.
Contents can be read via airport, express to the stereo, video to TV or Mac, integrated gateway handles FW/NAT and broadband access both ways.
Everything is well known from before, most of it already integrated into OSX. Yet to be integrated in a box. This is the digital hub.
Originally posted by Kickaha
Windows?? You're joking, right?
Open up System Preferences. Click on Sharing. Service tab. Select Personal Web Sharing. Put anything you want access to in your Sites folder. Done.
AND you're running Apache, and are a couple of orders of magnitude more secure than you would be running Windows and opening up yourself to worms, viruses, and DoS attacks.
Jeez mon.
Kickaha,
Please read the previous posts. That was already suggested. But TednDi didn't want to use a Macintosh as a server. He said that it takes up too much space. He wants a small box, priced under $600 that can serve up to 250GBs of files over the internet and it can't be a laptop computer. Which is why I had no other ideas than to suggest those personal file servers that are built for Windows.
There are SAN boxen which are designed for Windows networks, true. It read to me that you were suggesting he get a Windows box and open up the files through its web/file interface. Bad juju, especially since the idea of access-from-anywhere-on-the-Internet was bandied about. *shudder*
AirPort Express is *so close*. *sigh*
Originally posted by BeigeUser
Kickaha,
Please read the previous posts. That was already suggested. But TednDi didn't want to use a Macintosh as a server. He said that it takes up too much space. He wants a small box, priced under $600 that can serve up to 250GBs of files over the internet and it can't be a laptop computer. Which is why I had no other ideas than to suggest those personal file servers that are built for Windows.
Let's see... a cheap solution that doesn't involve Windows? Hmmm.
Linux?
Here's some easy options that provide simple fileserving.
http://www.clarkconnect.com/
http://www.mandrakelinux.com/
It's what I use for WAS (wide area storage) usage. Best thing about it, is that you can cannibalize your old windows boxen to much better use. Mac and linux play so well together anyway. They're great options until Apple comes up with some 'wow' solution.
Originally posted by BeigeUser
Kickaha,
Please read the previous posts. That was already suggested. But TednDi didn't want to use a Macintosh as a server. He said that it takes up too much space. He wants a small box, priced under $600 that can serve up to 250GBs of files over the internet and it can't be a laptop computer. Which is why I had no other ideas than to suggest those personal file servers that are built for Windows.
Exactly, Think different I don't want to make ends meet and cobble together the solution (that's windows) Apple can do this and sell the hell out of this.
not too hard I imagine...
Originally posted by Kickaha
"Windows-based" which you suggested, is a bit far removed from "designed to work with Windows networks".
Yep, it was just a case of bad wording. But you get what I'm trying to say.
Snap Server 1100. Snap servers use their own OS and play nice with Macs. They start at around $550.00
You could also get something like the The briQ from Terra Soft Solutions. It is normally the size of a CD drive, but it is double the hight with full sized drive option(which you would need to store 250-500 GB ). It is more expensive and not as easy to set up as a Snap server, but you also get a cool linux computer.
Originally posted by Res
[B]It would be nice if Apple would make one, but until it does there is always the
Snap Server 1100. Snap servers use their own OS and play nice with Macs. They start at around $550.00
The SnapServers are a bit expensive and is generally fileserver only. They are not very consumer oriented. This might be improved by adding software that works.
A combinaton of a SnapServer and a Dreambox ($ 390 ex HD) is more close to what I am talking about.
The hardware of both the dreambox and the SnapServer are mostly the same, it should be possible to integrate these two at a reasonable $ 7-800.
using Linux (great, another os to tackle)
Windos (why bother to migrate and it' full of security holes)
exotic 3rd parrty servers (play nice with mac but are not designed for mac)
all have their limitations.
Add another computer (ok but not ideal)
carry some of the files (my current solution)
10 ipods or rmovable drive(s) risk damage and add weight and are not elegant solution.
What if scenario:
I fly to London from NY I meet with a magazine publisher I have some files which I think he might be interested in. Deadline tomorrow. In our discussion, an idea forms. Use one of the pics on my laptop but photoshop another pic from home into it.
Problem: That file is locked in my appartment in NYC. I didn't know he would want that photo.
yes , get a friend to go to my house then describe to that person which file from among the thousands that i am talking about.
solution-
Fileserver
made simple by apple and secure at a reasonable price.
does not exist.
Originally posted by TednDi
What if scenario:
I fly to London from NY I meet with a magazine publisher I have some files which I think he might be interested in. Deadline tomorrow. In our discussion, an idea forms. Use one of the pics on my laptop but photoshop another pic from home into it.
Problem: That file is locked in my appartment in NYC. I didn't know he would want that photo.
yes , get a friend to go to my house then describe to that person which file from among the thousands that i am talking about.
solution-
Fileserver
made simple by apple and secure at a reasonable price.
does not exist.
Ok, but for that purpose, something has to be on and running and waiting for you at all times in your house, no? I guess I see this as a fileserver (full client, with authentication abilities), because you also want security on it, right?
Now, I realize having another box in your house doesn't excite you, but you almost require it from your scenario above. Just click Go...Connect to Server from your Finder menu (Command-K) enter your personal server's IP address or hostname (Dynamic DNS) like this:
afp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx or afp://my.homecomputer.com
And it mounts on your desktop like any other removable storage. Speedy connection required on both ends to be functional, but for your scenario, you require it.
Or just configure the built-in Apache web server to show indexes and put your images/music within the htdocs directory. Enter your IP address or hostname into Safari and browse away.
Yeah, I see where Apple can clean it up a bit, but I don't see them specifically releasing or selling a lot of this. People either have plenty of room on their current iDisk with .Mac or if they use this in their job, they have a full-fledged server at home/work, like I am suggesting above.
Originally posted by Rhumgod
Yeah, I see where Apple can clean it up a bit, but I don't see them specifically releasing or selling a lot of this. People either have plenty of room on their current iDisk with .Mac or if they use this in their job, they have a full-fledged server at home/work, like I am suggesting above.
I agree. Those that really need this kind of functionality either a.) have the technical expertise to implement the solution, or b.) have the resources to hire someone to make it simple.
Truly, the linux solution that I mentioned above from ClarkConnect is particularly simple and requires minimal expertise. You don't have to learn the linux OS. The entire server is administered via a web browser interface. You may have to learn a bit about network security to make this work, but any solution is going to require some learning. Check it out.
Originally posted by sunrein
Truly, the linux solution that I mentioned above from ClarkConnect is particularly simple and requires minimal expertise. You don't have to learn the linux OS. The entire server is administered via a web browser interface. You may have to learn a bit about network security to make this work, but any solution is going to require some learning. Check it out.
Just looks like a *nix-based gateway/firewall to me. Certainly nothing special, but may be easy to use. Sun has done this forever with their Netra boxes and such - I remember setting up one of the first Netra boxes released with 3 interfaces for public, private and DMZ networks. The web interface was good and the firewall rules were certainly easy to implement.
Integrating with iApps is another story though. The sharing built into the iApps makes local networks easy, but when you are talking about browsing through thousands of media files, it can be a slow, ugly process. Bandwidth restraints are the biggest issue that is holding back TednDi's ideas. Just no way around it, currently.
try this instead
www.ximeta.com
netdisk, basically an external hard drive with ethernet
or if you really want a linux based fileserver, try this
linux fileserver
There are a few specialist linux boxes that do this sort of thing.
In fact, this was exactly the sort of thing that raq did.
Pick up a rack cube on ebay, it is exactly what you are talking about.
Theres been plenty of discussion here about how Apple could meet this market, in particular there is a good thread on the headless ibook.
Currently available products include the mirra ( small linux file server ) and some cheap ethernet disks ( which tend to use custom protocols, not tcp/ip, and so dont support macs ).
There is a nice linux distro called sme which is really easy to install and run ( really easy, it just works, asks about 10 questions ). Have a look at http://www.e-smith.org/ if you have a spare x86 machine then it is perfect, maybe not quite as good as a raq cube.
Install Fedora 2/Madrake10/Suse 8...
Enable Samba & NFS.
Done.
Buy 450Mhz G4,
Install 10.3.4.
Share windows/mac/web etc. (as Kickaha wrote)
Done.
Cheap solutions and pretty secure by default.
Or
Buy cheap PC, buy windows, lose data due to virus not released for scanning.
Dobby.