I work for a small company (7 employees), and we all work out of our houses. we would like to all have access to the same files (from a remote location), and we are looking into our options.
does anyone have experience with this? any suggestions as to what to use/not use (ie. server, online service etc.)?
I'm not too technical, but I'll tell you want works for me.
Have your website administrator get you some extra space and then install something like dotproject.net 's project management software. You can put in assignments, tasks, addresses, etc. and everyone will have access. Included in it is the ability to create a library. I only use that function occasionally, but IIRC you can put in a feature so only one person can check out a file at a time (to avoid different versions).
You can also do Gantt charts the stuff. Pretty powerful for free software.
If you don't have a website, go get one. I have the access buried in a directory with no links to it so it can't easily be found. Plus it's password protected.
A "server" will do the trick. However servers take lots of care and feeding as well as attention to security. The company below can set up and maintain everything for you...
A quick and dirty way to accomplish your task security is setting up a samba server at one "site" and have everyone have VPN connections to it. Secure, cheap and easy!
Do you want the world to access your files? The main problem with a domain is, most hosts insist your files be accesible to anyone. That is, no password protection. Can you afford the high price tag of $300 a month for a full server? Plus pay someone to maintain it? In the good old days of 300 baud dial up, before the internet, people would call into a "bbs" and see what wass available to read. You can still do the same thing. Buy a computer, set it up as a full fledged server, then hook it up to a dedicated phone line. At least that way you'd control who was accessing it. Check with your local phone company and see if they DSL available. Might be slow, but a lot cheaper.
I provider doesn't care what I do on my site and if anyone can get to it. Why should they? I can have password protected directories and run password protected programs. Blind directories and two levels of passwords make things pretty safe, I would think.
I get 500 mb but can buy more if I need it. Plus I get lots of front-end support for ecommerce, etc.
I have a site and FTP but I suspect the OP isn't looking for that sort of thing. He wants instant access now, and always, by anyone thats onboard. But still be safe from onlookers. That sounds like a server to me. If thats the case than I don't see any other way than a dedicated server, with its inherent costs and maintenance. I asked a similar question here about a year ago and got the same response. This stuff is still in the stoneage.
I travel quite a bit and also work out of my house, so having "off site" backups and on-line database are pretty important. So I use netproject.net on my website. It gives me an address book, file library, etc. that I can access anywhere, anytime. Plus Gantt charts, tasks, etc., for project management (or in my case, "just how far behind schedule am I?". I installs free to my website. I'n not quite a server, but it ain't $250 a month, either.
I like this idea, if you want access to your files for all your employees if you are the main carrier of files or not.. Choose a person to own the server.. Pickup a cheap but fairly reliable computer (1 time cost + upgrades; every so often). Run a server off of there, and everyone you want to have access can access.
Samba Server is a fairly reliable source. This way you can keep track of anyone who has accessed using logs. If you go with an internet website to upload your files and retrieve at any time, you would have the worry of hackers and cover ups so you wouldn't know who stole your information.
Stick it out with a cheap computer, with a decent FTP server software on it, and run it from the comfort of your own home, so you can turn it on or turn it off at your own satisfaction.
Check out a hosting company. I use netfirms.com - they are reliable, you can set up security, or have someone set it up for you. For about $150 CDN a year, you get 20GBs of capacity and lots of bandwidth.
can't speak for this one, and there are many out there. The great thing is that in the above example you get everything without having to have a place for it, or maintain it.
get a domain name, I recommend godaddy.com open a hosting account, I recommend superior-host, they have free blogg software that you can load to a PW protected folder. Then everyone with PW can access or post to the blogg.
"richard" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news2.newsguy.com:
A decent host will allow you to have a password-protected FTP section.
I think you can still get a site with a PW-protected FTP area for $9.95/month. It's not Real Time, but if all the OP needs is shared files access, that'd work. For added security, compress the files with a password before uploading.
"Pat" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
I didn't get that part, either - as far as I know, the freebie ones are predominantly the ones that require it to all be open-access. Otherwise, once you have your own com site, you should be able to FTP whatever files you want, into whatever directories you want to create.
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