Transfer files on a LAN?

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Gweilo
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Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by Gweilo » Sat Feb 09, 2013 4:45 pm

So I have a wifi router connecting a PC on Win2k, laptops on XP and Ubuntu, and phones on Android.
Of course, the purpose of a LAN is to communicate between devices. But these days by default it's just a way of sharing Internet access.

What is the best way to send files between these?
Using cloud services like Dropbox works, but it's pretty silly, and takes 100 times longer, to transfer files cross the world and back to get them from one device to another in the same room.

All for instance have BitTorent clients, so can that be used just on a LAN?
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by thechief » Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:09 pm

Share your drives/folders, and they will all show up in the network using the Windows and Linux file explorers.

On an Android phone, use "File Manager", by Rhythm Software. It has a "Network" icon that lets you set up a network connection (you just have to supply the relevant IP addresses or network names).
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by Gweilo » Sat Feb 09, 2013 7:22 pm

thechief wrote:Share your drives/folders, and they will all show up in the network using the Windows and Linux file explorers.
If I "share" a folder, who can access it? Anyone who knows my IP?
How do I restrict it to local devices, say specific IPs on my LAN? (192.168.....)?
If I look at the "share permissions" I can choose "Everyone" which seems a bad idea, or various "users". But how do I define these "users"?
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by thechief » Sat Feb 09, 2013 7:35 pm

Gweilo wrote:or various "users". But how do I define these "users"?
It depends on the OS - but it will all be available under "Permissions". You will normally only be able to select existing users of the system.
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by Gweilo » Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:12 pm

thechief wrote:
Gweilo wrote:or various "users". But how do I define these "users"?
It depends on the OS - but it will all be available under "Permissions". You will normally only be able to select existing users of the system.
So that doesn't seem to be be useful to share with users on other devices then, unless I just open it up to "Everyone", which I'm not about to do.
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by thechief » Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:30 pm

Gweilo wrote:So that doesn't seem to be be useful to share with users on other devices then, unless I just open it up to "Everyone", which I'm not about to do.
You've lost me there. You want to share with other users, and you don't want "Everyone" to have access, and you don't want to create users that can have access so as to be able to restrict access to those users? So how exactly did you think you were going to restrict access to a shared resource?
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by Gweilo » Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:13 am

thechief wrote:
Gweilo wrote:So that doesn't seem to be be useful to share with users on other devices then, unless I just open it up to "Everyone", which I'm not about to do.
You've lost me there. You want to share with other users, and you don't want "Everyone" to have access, and you don't want to create users that can have access so as to be able to restrict access to those users?
I want to give access to say my daughter using her Android, while connected to my router via wifi with a known local IP. She isn't a "user" on my PC. Or do I somehow make her one? How does she authenticate herself?
But not some guy in Russia who sniffed my IP. Or if he isn't included in "Everyone", what does "Everyone" mean?

thechief wrote:So how exactly did you think you were going to restrict access to a shared resource?
I thought by IP. 192.168.11.* Or passwords. I've only ever set up up individual PCs. But I have no idea how things like workgroups work, if that's what this is.
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by thechief » Sun Feb 10, 2013 2:58 pm

I think there is some confusion going on here. If a guy in can Russia get into your router, and, thereby into your network, you can't realistically stop him from doing many other things. He can simply change anything on the router to suit his purposes (including locking you out).

If you are concerned about people hacking into your LAN, then make sure that your router is secure and is not leaking any information (go to grc.com and run the tests, and it will show you whether any of your ports is accessible from outside your LAN). Make sure also that you use WPA encryption for wireless, and that the password is complicated enough.

If you are concerned about people who already have access to your LAN being able to access certain files/folders your PC, then you can simply protect those files/folders.
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by Gweilo » Sun Feb 10, 2013 3:24 pm

thechief wrote:I think there is some confusion going on here. If a guy in can Russia get into your router, and, thereby into your network, you can't realistically stop him from doing many other things. He can simply change anything on the router to suit his purposes (including locking you out).
My router is secure.
That isn't what I'm talking about.

If I set up an FTP or web server on my PC, (and allow it in my firewall) then my files become accessible to anyone, anywhere, who knows my IP. But with FTP I can set up a passwords and accounts for users. I don't know how to do that for Windows sharing.
thechief wrote:If you are concerned about people who already have access to your LAN being able to access certain files/folders your PC, then you can simply protect those files/folders.
No, I want to GIVE access to people on my LAN, and no one else. How do I do that ? How do I "protect" my other files?

As must be obvious by now, I don't know how Windows file/folder sharing works and I am afraid I could create a gaping hole for anyone to access my PC if I just click "Share this folder".
How do I control who has access? That's what I do not understand.
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by thechief » Sun Feb 10, 2013 4:27 pm

Gweilo wrote:No, I want to GIVE access to people on my LAN, and no one else. How do I do that ?
Sorry, but I don't understand what the issue is. The only people with access to your LAN are those who can access it via your router. Other people can only have access if you give it to them (i.e., if you open your network to the whole universe by running a server, open up ports on the router, so that it can be accessed from the WAN, etc ...). If your router is secure from unauthorised external accesses and you don't open up any ports or run any servers that opens it up, then there is absolutely no issue.
Gweilo wrote:As must be obvious by now, I don't know how Windows file/folder sharing works and I am afraid I could create a gaping hole for anyone to access my PC if I just click "Share this folder".
Who do you think this gives access to? It only gives access to those within your LAN. If you are not running a web server or ftp server or whatever other server, how would anyone outside your LAN access the LAN? I think you are going on a wild goose chase here.
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by Gweilo » Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:19 pm

thechief wrote:Other people can only have access if you give it to them
Which is how file sharing works, isn't it?

The only kind of file transfer I've done till now has been FTP, web, torrents. All these are to anyone on the Internet, not limited to the LAN. And all can give anonymous access. by default.

How is Windows filesharing different? You're implying that this only works on the LAN. Is that correct? That's what I want, but I need to be sure. So if I give access to "Everyone" that actually means "Everyone on my LAN"?
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Re: Transfer files on a LAN?

Post by thechief » Sun Feb 10, 2013 6:19 pm

Gweilo wrote:How is Windows filesharing different? You're implying that this only works on the LAN. Is that correct?
Yes.
Gweilo wrote:That's what I want, but I need to be sure. So if I give access to "Everyone" that actually means "Everyone on my LAN"?
Yes.
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