Small Business File Sharing ,Backup and Remote Access Solution

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Tiernanism93

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Jun 5, 2013
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Hi Guys ,

I work with a small business , the requirements for the solution are listed above ,

File Sharing between 3 or 4 laptops , the types of files will vary from word documents to auto cad files.
Backup - self explanatory , just backing up some important files , like the files they are sharing.
Remote Access - the guys work away from the office too , so if necessary it would be a bonus to be able to access the files away from the office.

So what I need to know is what the best solution is here , excluding the likes of Dropbox,Google Drive etc.(personal choice of the staff here) . I have looked at NAS solutions, windows servers etc but cant make up my mind.

I will be setting this up myself, I have built PCs lately , I have a lot of experience in troubleshooting windows also. But the best solution would be the least complicated.

What we mainly use are laptops running a blend of windows 7 and windows 8.
Our router is a technicolor tg582n pro.

If you need more info just ask. I really appreciate any help or advice you can give guys! Thanks
 
Solution
casper1973
DIY / Cheaper option could be using something like
OwnCloud - https://owncloud.org/
BTSync - https://www.btsync.com/en/

To the end user it's very similar to dropbox. Difference is your files are stored on local server(s) in your office rather than on DropBox servers. This means you can have huge amounts of storage for very little cost. Also gives you a lot more control and extra features such as encryption.


Easier but more expensive - many NAS drives provide their own "Cloud" file sharing apps for access outside the office.

Alternatively install a NAS drive and setup a VPN server for remote users to connect in - some nas drives even have a VPN server included to facilitate this. I've used this feature in the past with a Synology...
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christinebcw

christinebcw

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Sep 8, 2012
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Starting a business should be considered trial enough for starters. Managing remote-access web servers might be considered Phase II. I hate to recommend "merely the easiest", but DropBox concepts aren't too bad.

By the way, I use Google Calendar for my office, setting up a private one, then shared ones that staffers can interact with to invite me to meetings, travels, and know where I'm at. Very handy like that.

But I'd get the business running first, and let services and equipment come around after revenues are firmed.
 
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Tiernanism93

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Jun 5, 2013
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Hi , thanks for your reply.

The business has been up and running for quite a while now and the staff are very experienced in what they do.
I have just started with them. Im a web developer by trade and pc builder / repairs by hobby, so my job now is build up the corporate websites for the company , and introduce a file sharing solution. But nothing like Dropbox(which was my first suggestion,but they want something local).
 
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casper1973

casper1973

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Dec 30, 2012
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DIY / Cheaper option could be using something like
OwnCloud - https://owncloud.org/
BTSync - https://www.btsync.com/en/

To the end user it's very similar to dropbox. Difference is your files are stored on local server(s) in your office rather than on DropBox servers. This means you can have huge amounts of storage for very little cost. Also gives you a lot more control and extra features such as encryption.


Easier but more expensive - many NAS drives provide their own "Cloud" file sharing apps for access outside the office.

Alternatively install a NAS drive and setup a VPN server for remote users to connect in - some nas drives even have a VPN server included to facilitate this. I've used this feature in the past with a Synology NAS - I believe this was the model https://www.synology.com/en-global/products/DS214
 
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christinebcw

christinebcw

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If you have security issues with your files - like a competitor or some anonymous internet wench-advisor getting into your files and selling them to the gypsies for kajillions - then NAS systems can offer system-level security that may not be well-known except to those with comparable systems. Ahem. And I'd probably examine a non-Windows file-sharing system IF best-est security is a truly a valid concern (and I'd certainly question that as well).

For example, I have competitors but their theft of my files would be relatively meaningless. A random hacker who just wanted to screw things up - well, now, that's much more of a concern. And personal enemies? Well, we all have fangs and claws - a personal enemy that attacked like that would probably be found-out and judged accordingly. They too have enemies! For me, it's the random "Let's vandalize these files!" that concerns me more.

That's why God invented data-backups. And case-top SATA ports for easy cloning of boot drives. He's so intelligent!

The best security advice I've heard is "Rotate. Don't stick with one. Change 'em. Change whole systems, then go back after a few times. Rotate." Along with my thankfulness in God's inventiveness, I also believe those moving targets are most difficult.
 
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Tiernanism93

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Please excuse my lack of knowledge here , but it is something I want to do ,so im adamant to understand this.
My understanding -

Basically I install a pc here in the office, operating system is windows 7 , 2tb(or more) storage , etc .
Then I install Own Cloud software on the PC , which is a program that acts like drop box. Then everybody on the network can access the "server pc" .
Do they need Own Cloud installed on their laptop also?

Also I have considered a NAS option and I think this may just be the most stress free way to do things, but I am worried about the lack of version control. Can you advise further?
 
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Tiernanism93

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No offence to you christinebcw, but I selected your comment as best solution accidentally even though I havent really got a solution yet , awkward mistake I know .. how do I deselect your comment as the solution?
 
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christinebcw

christinebcw

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(I think I just did. Yes, mine isn't a solution offer - it's a consideration for strategies.)

And what do you mean by Version Control? (As a programmer, this phrase means something very distinct, and I don't quite know how "version control" and NAS/Cloud systems would use this unless I was writing my own.)

Or is this Own Cloud software's version level a concern to you?

Only if the company goes belly up and you can't access the files on your system. If theirs is a subscriber service and they require some constant always-on access 'key encryption', then their "belly up" status might indeed deprive me of accessing my files on my computer using their software! Yikes! Chances are, though, they would only shut down Communication Status - the sharing - not the file-access on the central computer - your hardware storing your files.
 
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Tiernanism93

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Perfect ,that seems to have sorted it , solution or not , the advice is still greatly appreciated!
 
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Tiernanism93

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For example if on my laptop using "own cloud" I have a file "test.txt". If I edit it and then save it, Will all connected devices get the updated version of the file. OR will it work like DropBox, where you can subsequently login to the site, view that file and see a list of all the revisions that have been made in the past and download a previous version if you wish?
 
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casper1973

casper1973

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Yes OwnCloud does have versioning and I believe it's customisable so you can choose how many versions to keep and for how long.


Setup is not as simple as installing the program on a Windows PC - far from it!.

It runs as a website so you have to configure that PC as a webserver which means installing IIS/Apache, having a static IP or DDNS, setup port forwarding on your router, possibly buying a domain name for ease of access. It's also recommended to run on Linux rather than Windows.

I see you are web dev so perhaps your company already has its own hosting server or VPS which could be used?


Also for whatever solution you choose bear in mind that hosting your files locally relies heavily on the upload speed of your broadband. If you are like me and have 0.4Kbps upload it's not even worth trying.
 
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