How to create my own Cloud with my external drive ??

alykhalil1 · 15 August 2021 at 6:23PM

Neil_Jones said:

The cloud is just code for online storage. Do you need online storage or you really mean you want to be able to access your 1Tb from outside your house?

YES..thats right....I want to make my 1th EXTERNAL HARD DRICE INTO A STORAGE just like we would do with drpbox or onenote etc.....cheers

alykhalil1 · 15 August 2021 at 6:27PM

[Deleted User] said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Sebo027 said:

Network Attached Storage - "NAS" for short. There are a few models on the market. I think you are looking for something like this:

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/data-storage/external-hard-drives/wd-my-cloud-home-nas-drive-2-tb-white-10168821-pdt.html#

or this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Synology-DS220-Bay-NAS-Enclosure/dp/B08G8D819V?th=1

[Deleted User] said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

alykhalil1 · 15 August 2021 at 6:32PM

alykhalil1 said:

Deleted_User said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Deleted_User said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Deleted_User said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Deleted_User said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Deleted_User said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Deleted_User said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Sebo027 said:

Network Attached Storage - "NAS" for short. There are a few models on the market. I think you are looking for something like this:

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/data-storage/external-hard-drives/wd-my-cloud-home-nas-drive-2-tb-white-10168821-pdt.html#

or this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Synology-DS220-Bay-NAS-Enclosure/dp/B08G8D819V?th=1

Deleted_User said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Deleted_User said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Hi TELLMAXSIX

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Above is exactly what i want, my files on my pc and android and my tablet should be synced around all 3 devices. Yes i too use google photos and drive but they are all full. I am positive it is possible but i dont want to spend lots of money. I have a NowTVbroadband router which has inly 2 WAN ports and 1 ADSL. WAN port

alykhalil1 · 15 August 2021 at 6:35PM

[Deleted User] said:

It is all possible, but you probably need to be a bit more specific about what you want to do - eg what type of files are these - photos, music, videos, documents etc? In what direction are they typically moving / copying - eg sync photos from phone to the 1TB drive? What do you want to do - eg listen to music on the 1TB drive on your phone etc? As per above comment - is access required outside the house or just inside?

For example I have 12TB of photos, music, home videos, movies, TV shows etc and I can view/play on any device in and out of the house using a Plex server - you can set this up on your PC and point it at the 1TB USB drive and do the same.

All my documents on my PC are synchronised with my Google Drive so likewise I can access them outside the house if needed on any device - probably easier and more secure than exposing my PC/storage to incoming connections from the internet.

I also use an app called Photosync which is available for iOS/Android which can sync photos to your PC/Mac if you want to auto transfer photos for sharing. I let them sync to a holding area where I sort the ones I want to share and copy them over the the Plex server share. There is also an app called Nextcloud that I'm going to have a play with that does the same.

What I don't like doing is exposing my storage devices directly to the internet - although easy enough to do, it is a bit of a security risk so although I could explain how to do that, I won't recommend it.

I think you are asking how to set up a "personal cloud" which is where you host the files on a device in your own property but can access them anywhere rather than just "cloud" which tends to mean it is hosted anywhere offsite - eg Google / Amazon.

Sebo027 said:

Network Attached Storage - "NAS" for short. There are a few models on the market. I think you are looking for something like this:

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/data-storage/external-hard-drives/wd-my-cloud-home-nas-drive-2-tb-white-10168821-pdt.html#

or this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Synology-DS220-Bay-NAS-Enclosure/dp/B08G8D819V?th=1

@ sebo027...

the links you showed me about NAS....OMG...thats a humongous price to pay dude.

alykhalil1 · 15 August 2021 at 6:38PM

prowla said:

I have a Western Digital MyCloud NAS drive attached to my broadband router so it's available over Wi-Fi; it's got ripped DVDs on it for ease of use.

@pbartlett

that is exactly what i want to do. i need to create a personal cloud, just like dropbox, etc. People are saying about WD MyCloud but thay are just not affordable for a jobless person.

alykhalil1 · 15 August 2021 at 6:42PM

[Deleted User] said:

alykhalil1 said:
sorry i wasn't clear.....i am talking about all or any files, word, PDF, JPG, music etc...i mean all the files....

alykhalil1 said:
yesss....just like dropbox or one drive, i wish to access my 1TG drive from anywhere possible.....

alykhalil1 said:

i am a computer dummy.
.....
I have seen several youtube videos but its highly advanced working and complicated. is there a simpler way to do this or Am i pushing my luck too war ?. I wish anyone could explain step by step to me. but i am positive there is a way to do this.

So there is a reason that services like Dropbox and OneDrive are so popular and with all due respect to you, it is because of what you have said in your original post. For a "computer dummy", online cloud services providers take away all the complicated setup and security work to do this safely and I would recommend using one of them given your circumstances. It will also provide an offsite backup for your data. (Do you backup your 1TB drive?)

As you say there are many guides all over the internet - but if you find them "highly advanced and complicated" then go back to the above option and use a ready made cloud provider.

The big risk with exposing your hard drive to the internet is keeping all that data secure so only you can access it. Your router and PC by default makes accessing your hard drive from the internet difficult for security reasons, so to make it accessible requires you to open up some of those security layers which isn't recommended for a "computer dummy".

Sebo027 and prowla have provided a couple of great options in the above comments - dedicated devices that are designed to do this out of the box such as a WDMyCloud, Synology or QNAP NAS drive. They have all the internet file sharing features available in the bundled software so you don't have to do any of the security reconfiguration of your network.

You can also buy routers such as Asus branded ones which have the same capabilities where you can plug your USB drive into the router and share the files on the internet using their built in apps - "AiCloud / AiDisk".

But..... and this is a big but.... all those providers compromise the security of your data and there are real and recent examples of users having their devices hacked or attacked by malware / ransomware and all the data destroyed:

https://www.itpro.co.uk/security/malware/360058/western-digital-to-provide-data-recovery-services-following-hack

https://www.synology.com/en-global/security/advisory/SynoLocker

https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/featured/qlocker-ransomware-gang-shuts-shop-extorting-qnap-nas-drives/

https://thehackernews.com/2016/02/asus-router-security-hack.html#:~:text=Asus AiCloud & AiDisk Vulnerable to Remote Hacking&text=The cloud service offered by,resulting in complete system compromise.

Doing it yourself with your PC and your 1TB USB drive is not for a "computer dummy" when as you can see above, even reputable service providers get hacked so I wouldn't recommend it.

If setting up the following is beyond your skillset, then my advice is to use a ready made solution:
Creating firewall rules on your router and PC
Setting up a VPN server on your internal network
Setting up VPN clients on your devices used to access the data on the internet
Creating secure CIFS/NFS file shares on your PC that only allow access to the data you want to share

Where do you backup your 1TB drive?

It is always sensible to have an offsite backup - and hence just syncing it with an online cloud provider will give you both a basic backup and access from the internet without the headache and risk of re-configuring all your security.

@Tallmansix

At the moment i am backing up my data and alll files onto my 1TB ex hard drive .....

[Deleted User] · 15 August 2021 at 7:35PM

alykhalil1 said:

i am a computer dummy.

alykhalil1 said:

that is exactly what i want to do. i need to create a personal cloud, just like dropbox, etc. People are saying about WD MyCloud but thay are just not affordable for a jobless person.

You can have free or easy but not both if you want to host your own private cloud service.

Your first post said you are a computer dummy which is why other people suggested great solutions such as WD Mycloud - at £119 you can't get much cheaper than that and it is easy for a "computer dummy" to set up.

If you want it for free, then you need to brush up on some technical skills because you will have to do all the work that the likes of WD, Dropbox, Onedrive get paid to do.

These are some solutions suggest by other people above for free - they provide instructions on their websites:
Owncloud
Seafile
Nextcloud

Although not as seamless as the above solutions, you could use Teamviewer for free this would allow you to access your PC remotely from another PC or phone as if you were sat in front of it, and you can initiate file transfers from your PC.

You haven't really explained much about how you will be using the files outside of your house or mentioned your upload speed of your internet (not download speed) as information like that would be really useful in coming up with solutions.

On one post you did mention accessing music to play - this can be done for free with something like Emby or Jellyfin as would videos.

Photos can be shared for free using Google photos.

Documents is the trickier one - what volume of documents are we talking about - I can't see the whole 1TB drive being full of documents? Google give you 15GB of drive space which is enough to store text documents that would take you years to read.

alykhalil1 · 31 August 2021 at 10:26PM

[Deleted User] said:

alykhalil1 said:

i am a computer dummy.

alykhalil1 said:

that is exactly what i want to do. i need to create a personal cloud, just like dropbox, etc. People are saying about WD MyCloud but thay are just not affordable for a jobless person.

You can have free or easy but not both if you want to host your own private cloud service.

Your first post said you are a computer dummy which is why other people suggested great solutions such as WD Mycloud - at £119 you can't get much cheaper than that and it is easy for a "computer dummy" to set up.

If you want it for free, then you need to brush up on some technical skills because you will have to do all the work that the likes of WD, Dropbox, Onedrive get paid to do.

These are some solutions suggest by other people above for free - they provide instructions on their websites:
Owncloud
Seafile
Nextcloud

Although not as seamless as the above solutions, you could use Teamviewer for free this would allow you to access your PC remotely from another PC or phone as if you were sat in front of it, and you can initiate file transfers from your PC.

You haven't really explained much about how you will be using the files outside of your house or mentioned your upload speed of your internet (not download speed) as information like that would be really useful in coming up with solutions.

On one post you did mention accessing music to play - this can be done for free with something like Emby or Jellyfin as would videos.

Photos can be shared for free using Google photos.

Documents is the trickier one - what volume of documents are we talking about - I can't see the whole 1TB drive being full of documents? Google give you 15GB of drive space which is enough to store text documents that would take you years to read.

i DO NOT REALLY HAVE such COMPLICATED OR unsensored photos or any MI5 files that i am worried if they get hacked. you know what i mean. ? I have NowTV, unlimited B/B router but only with 2 LAN ports.+ the main internet RJ11 (i think thats what its called). Now really...all i wish do more of is scan my legal documents, like DVLA paperwoprk, My illness reports, my doctors reports, photos, etc. and this is is just to avoid connecting my phone to my tablet, then my tablet to sync all of them. I just want my files to be able to viewed where ever i am. I have 2 google photos account but both are full. ....ref : documents : not really. I TB is there just for a rainy day. though i may use just 120-250 MB.

[Deleted User] · 31 August 2021 at 11:17PM

alykhalil1 said:

i DO NOT REALLY HAVE such COMPLICATED OR unsensored photos or any MI5 files that i am worried if they get hacked. you know what i mean. ? I have NowTV, unlimited B/B router but only with 2 LAN ports.+ the main internet RJ11 (i think thats what its called). Now really...all i wish do more of is scan my legal documents, like DVLA paperwoprk, My illness reports, my doctors reports, photos, etc. and this is is just to avoid connecting my phone to my tablet, then my tablet to sync all of them. I just want my files to be able to viewed where ever i am. I have 2 google photos account but both are full. ....ref : documents : not really. I TB is there just for a rainy day. though i may use just 120-250 MB.

You say you aren't worried if they "get hacked" but then mention it is legal documents, medical documents etc - I'm sure you want to keep them private and secure to avoid identity theft / fraud.

Free options:

1. One drive 5GB for free

2. Dropbox - 2GB for free - easily contain your 120-250 MB of docs.

3. Or setup Owncloud / Seafile / Next cloud and host the files from your PC

Cheap options

1. OneDrive 100GB for £2 a month

2. Dropbox £8 / month for 2TB

3. Buy a 2TB WD MyCloud for £119 which works out as £2 a month if it lasts for 5 years.

Other options

1. Buy a Raspberry PI for £20-£80, plug in your USB hard drive, install Diet Pi / OwnCloud for a low energy use private cloud.

I can't think of any other option, I know it should sound simple just to share between all these devices you have but the problem is they are have different operating systems so need something to make them all talk together nicely and that's where you need apps such as those mentioned above.

Also to share outside the house is another leap where you need a server application that is designed to securely share data from your internet connection only with users that you authorise. This isn't as easy as it sounds - when you are out of the house, how does your phone know which IP address your home internet is at so it can connect to it? You can find your external IP address but it changes regularly and you need to be at home to find out what it is if it changes. There are solutions for this but you need to work with the technology that is available to do this for you.

There isn't a magic 1 minute solution to this that makes it all work as you want unless you go with a cloud provider like Dropbox for example and spend some money if you want more than the free amount of storage.

If you want to do it for free with the equipment you already have then you need to put some time and effort into learning and installing one of the open source software solutions that allow you to do this.

TLDR:
If you want to do this easily, then use an existing cloud provider or a home NAS/Cloud device
If you want to do this for free, learn about the free opensource technology solutions
If you want free and easy - I can't help with that.

CoastingHatbox · 1 September 2021 at 11:20AM

Lots of alternative ideas in the open source space.

With one single external hard drive, I would suggest a file sync utility that can work over the Internet. This will synchronise your files to multiple devices, and make you less susceptible to a singe hard disk or device failing:

Seafile: https://manual.seafile.com/
Syncthing: https://docs.syncthing.net/intro/getting-started.html

If you want to go the NAS route, you could simply buy any NAS, put some disks in it, create Windows (SMB/Samba) shares. And then, the tricky part, setup a VPN into home allowing you to access your files when connected to the VPN.

A halfway house for you might be paying for something like NextCloud as a service. It means that your data is not stored with one of the larger data mining entities and, one day, when you have acquired the skills you need, you can host NextCloud yourself and transfer your data to your self-hosted NextCloud instance.

For more ideas/advice, have a look at: https://old.reddit.com/r/SelfHosting/

How to create my own Cloud with my external drive ??

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