How to setup a shared photo folder for family.

[jfenwick]

So to summarize I want to set up a shared folder that friends and family can access to view and add photos to. Basically there are 6 of us across the country who all have kids now and we want to share the RAW photos we take. Most of the shared options out there like google docs etc... are too small for free and too costly just to share files.

So, how do I set something up on my network that allows them to login and add/download photos from everyone? Right now I have tons of hard drive space and a NAS. Can I use my NAS, D-Link DNS-325 to do this?

If not, what's an easy solution? We'd be looking at 2-4 TB of space to get going. Money is tight but I'm willing to pay if it means an easy solution for everyone. Keep in mind that some of the family (ie. grandma and grandpa) are not that tech savvy and so simple is better.

Thanks

 

[iParanormalx]

So to summarize I want to set up a shared folder that friends and family can access to view and add photos to. Basically there are 6 of us across the country who all have kids now and we want to share the RAW photos we take. Most of the shared options out there like google docs etc... are too small for free and too costly just to share files.

So, how do I set something up on my network that allows them to login and add/download photos from everyone? Right now I have tons of hard drive space and a NAS. Can I use my NAS, D-Link DNS-325 to do this?

If not, what's an easy solution? We'd be looking at 2-4 TB of space to get going. Money is tight but I'm willing to pay if it means an easy solution for everyone. Keep in mind that some of the family (ie. grandma and grandpa) are not that tech savvy and so simple is better.

Thanks

Simple would be better: I would recommend a subscription cloud service like Dropbox but would be more on the pricey end of the spectrum.

Price would be better: I would recommend a VPN. A VPN can be setup on a single computer but then each remote computer would need to be configured to connect to the VPN. You'd also have to manage user accounts for authentication for each remote user.

I have setup multiple VPNs for different purposes and I, somehow, enjoyed the process I found it very intriguing. So i would take that route but if you don't want to familiarize yourself with VPNs enough to take each non-savvy family member step-by-step on how to connect to the share folder then your best method may be Dropbox.

If you've not used Dropbox its really easy and convenient.

 

[jfenwick]

Yeah, I've used dropbox and was going to do it that way. Unfortunately with 5-6 of us adding photos, and many of us being photo enthusiasts, that space wont last long at all. Was hoping there was an easy way to set up my own sort of dropbox

 

[iParanormalx]

Yeah, I've used dropbox and was going to do it that way. Unfortunately with 5-6 of us adding photos, and many of us being photo enthusiasts, that space wont last long at all. Was hoping there was an easy way to set up my own sort of dropbox

A VPN would be the way to go. Heres a step-by-step on how to configure the host as well as connect each remote PC:
How to Set Up VPN in Windows 7 | PCWorld

Then theres permissions; heres a guide on NTFS permissions:
Share and NTFS Permissions on a File Server

I just checked Dropbox pricing and its 100$/yr for 1tb. Actually not bad if you can get your family to go in on it with you.

 

[carnageX]

VPN like iParanormal suggested would be good. Another option is an FTP server (but requires an FTP client for the users to access it), or a small webserver that has an interface for viewing/uploading pics.

There's also a personal "Dropbox" that you can setup called ownCloud. You can create user accounts and each person can have their own folders, as well as share between folders. Can sync files just like Dropbox as well with a desktop client.

 

[patonb]

Hey there.

Your NAS has everything you need:
D-Link Products - DNS-325 - ShareCenter® 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure, (2) 3.5" Bays, SATA, RAID 0/1, Gigabit Ethernet Port, USB Print Server, w/ Streaming Applications and Add-On Application support
It says it is a built in web server and ftp, so just set it up and blam you're good to go.