Network between friends

mynamesnotdave

Hi,
Me and a few of my friends live all over the UK and are wanting to setup a private way of sharing files between ourselves.
We're all on different types of broadband and I don't really know what the best method to use would be?
We'd prefer not to upload them to a shared space but allow access to shared directoires on our harddisks.
Any ideas?

albertross_2

Some sort of vpn connection would be the most secure, netgear routers with the latest firmware support vpn..

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101534.asp
http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101569.asp

or this may be of use:

http://www.iopus.com/ipig/

or

http://openvpn.net/

or

http://www.hamachi.cc/

wolfman

Yep a vpn, although it can be slow, and a pain transferring files. Good if you want to host private gaming though. I've played UT2004 with friends before on a VPN no problem.

You may find it easier just to each host an ftp server, and connect and download via that. It is after all what ftp (file transfer protocol) was invented for.

http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/
FileZilla has both a client and server app and is completely free. It's a very good ftp app and quite simple to use.

amosworks

wolfman wrote:

You may find it easier just to each host an ftp server, and connect and download via that. It is after all what ftp (file transfer protocol) was invented for.

The user did ask for a private way and FTP is an open unsecure protocol :-\ There is of course SFTP (Secure FTP) or you could simply tunnel your FTP over an SSH connection or something...but I guess that's a bit too advanced based on what you're asking for.

I guess you just want plain samba access, in which case I'd suggest use the in-built VPN functionality of Win 2k/XP Pro editions if you use Windows.

Good luck!

opportunity_cost

I couldn't agree more with what wolfman said. Private sharing of files, access to directories on hard disks... that had me screaming FTP!

FTP was indeed invented for that and it'd fit you and your friends like a glove. VPN for a non-mission critical/sharing files among friends type of thing seems a bit OTT.

amosworks makes a good point concerning security. Running an ftp server on an unsecured computer would leave a gaping hole to hackers (the ports ftp servers use are routinely scanned) and gaining access to the compromised computer and taking control of it could be dead easy for them.

So yes, use FTP but only once you and your friends computers are clean and behind a good firewall, anti-virus, anti-trojan and anti-malware. Then block anonymous access to the ftp server (plus give every friend a unique login and password) and don't share root or default directories (C:/ / C:/Windows C:/Program Files and the like) and you'll be OK.

mynamesnotdave

Thanks for all your help....FTP looks the best way by far then.
Cheers again!

wolfman

amosworks wrote:

The user did ask for a private way and FTP is an open unsecure protocol :-\ There is of course SFTP (Secure FTP) or you could simply tunnel your FTP over an SSH connection or something...but I guess that's a bit too advanced based on what you're asking for.

I wouldn't say it's necessarily an "open unsecure protocol", and it definitely is private if you want it to be. You just need to setup authentication (rather than anonymous usage), secure ftp, only give write access on a set folder, run it on a custom port, possibly even restrict access by ip address. There are plenty of ways you can lock it down, more than adequate between friends.

And if you want to go a step further, then as you say running it via your VPN is a good idea. Using standard windows file sharing over a vpn can be slow, with ftp you can just queue stuff and leave it running, with the option to resume should anything happen to the connection.

amosworks

lol what I meant was I often sniff for FTP connections and pickup data in transit if it looks interesting The data isn't excrypted, so all the security and precautions in the world on mynamesnotdave's machine still wouldn't stop someone stealing his data. But, as mentioned, it's not likely to be mission critical so go for it

wolfman

Maybe on a Local Network, but sniffing externally is very difficult to do as the connection between the user and their ISP is a routed network, you're not just watching via a hub/switch.

And yeah Ftp does have a weakness there, but then again so do many other protocols, http, pop3, imap, telnet etc...

For the average user, it's highly unlikely for them to get sniffed especially by someone outside their network. It'd take someone with a decent amount of know how to do so.

amosworks

wolfman wrote:

Maybe on a Local Network, but sniffing externally is very difficult to do as the connection between the user and their ISP is a routed network, you're not just watching via a hub/switch.

I meant someone at either ISP, or the several connections in-between Depends what you're sharing eh mynamesnotdave

mynamesnotdave

amosworks wrote:

I meant someone at either ISP, or the several connections in-between Depends what you're sharing eh mynamesnotdave

It sure is.