Syncing Storage Solution

alphaOri

Honorable
Feb 9, 2013
3
0
10,510
Hi,

I'm looking for advice on creating a syncing solution for a specific setup. Please read carefully because there are details that make run-of-the-mill solutions impossible.

I have two devices: a company laptop, and a BYOD tablet. I use both for taking notes in OneNote and I'd like them to sync with each other. On the laptop I take typed notes, insert code, and insert screenshots; on the tablet I take handwritten notes.

Both devices have restrictions however:
On the laptop
- syncing to the standard SkyDrive has been disabled by policy in OneNote - however, I can sync to a network drive or a drive connected physically to the laptop.
- Bluetooth has been locked down to prevent creating a Personal Area Network.
- I need my laptop always connected to the WiFi company network so I can't connect to the syncing system via WiFi
- I'm also using my ethernet port already so any more ethernet connections would require a USB<->Ethernet adapter, which is fine with me
Thus, I think that only leaves a wired connection.

On the tablet
- I'm not allowed to connect to the company network - thus I can't access any company network drives.
- I want my tablet to be wire-free.
- Bluetooth does work, if that helps at all.

Requirements on the "syncing storage"
- I need to be able to mount the "syncing storage" as a drive in windows on both the tablet and laptop. There are several wireless media server type solutions out there but, from what I understand, they only serve data through a browser and the drive isn't mountable as a network drive.
- Being able to connect to the storage via wire (i.e. USB, ethernet) AND wireless at the same time. Many devices turn off wireless when you connect via USB.
- I don’t need very much storage (4GB minimum)
- I don’t need it to be fast - I’m transferring kilobytes of data at a time.
- I don't need syncing all the time, just when I'm at my desk near my tablet/"syncing storage"
- Bonus: if the syncing storage could be portable so I can carry it with my laptop when I go elsewhere to do work.
- Bonus: Being battery powered if I choose, AC powered when I'm at my desk

So here is a diagram of something I'm looking for:

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One obvious solution I've already though of was to get a wireless NAS drive which also has ethernet ports. Using a USB<->ethernet adapter, connect my laptop via ethernet to the wireless NAS drive and connect my tablet wirelessly to the NAS drive. However, I can't find any wireless NAS device that isn't 1TB+, super-fast, and therefore expensive. I'm open to suggestions for less powerful wireless NAS drives that have simultaneous ethernet and wireless connection capabilities as well as completely different solutions.

Thanks so much for your suggestions!
 

popatim

Titan
Moderator
How about something simpler. One of those SD cards with built in wifi.
When you need to sync connect to the table wifi and transfer the file.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=sd+card+with+wifi&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=15031208515&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12476970951063402547&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_6jijjbdnfg_e

But you probably really should get approval from your boss or IT director first. I would hate to see you terminated over such a thing plus I bet theres already something in place for the big wigs to do exactly what you want.
 

alphaOri

Honorable
Feb 9, 2013
3
0
10,510


Interesting idea, I've never heard of those SD eyefi cards. I'll look into them but would also appreciate more explanation - what is "table WiFi"? I'm not Su I understand how you are suggesting I set this up.

Also, I'm a pioneer at my company for BYOD and, sadly, few people are up-to-date enough here to use OneNote. But I'll keep asking around.
 

alphaOri

Honorable
Feb 9, 2013
3
0
10,510
Turns out that the Eye-Fi cards can't be mounted over WiFi so my tablet wouldn't be able to treat the card as a network drive.

I'm looking into just using a small/portable wifi router with file sharing capabilities. I can plug my laptop into it using a USB<->ethernet adapter and connect wirelessly to the router from my tablet. I can then mount the USB as a network drive on both my laptop and tablet.

If you have any other suggestions, or suggestions for a small/portable wifi router with filesharing capabilities, I'd appreciate it.