Looking for P2p file sharing for personal use

[kartal]

Kartal, I'd suggest the last freeware version of PowerFolder (PowerFolder Basic), but I just found out that it doesn't have the encryption features that one can only get from the commercial Pro version.

-Innuendo (June 15, 2009, 09:15 AM)

Which is what I use at the moment.

Thank you all for the suggestions. As usual I am looking for solutions that have been used and tested by DC members I appreciate that some of you were trying to find a solution but the thing is that suggesting application names does not cut it for me. I need a proven used method so that I can also bug you about how you set it up, like Eóin`s setup. The reason I do ask for opinion here is that I need proven methods. None of us has hundreds of free hours to jump from test to test, trial to trial.

Trust me I have exploited all the solutions everyone mentioned  here and more over the years except Eóin`s solution which I have not done due to central repository aspect as 4wd mentioned. But it looks like that is one of the viable methods that can be a good alternative to Powerfolder solution.

I actually wanted to try out the latest commercial version of Powerfolder yesterday  but I just saw that it is a crippled trialware which I hate personally, again I gave up on that one due to this silly desicion made by the developers. What is the frigging point of offering a crippled trialware that is not much diffferent than the last free version really? That is plain sillyness in my view.

So far solutions

-Install ftp servers on all computers and use ftp syncing. I use Syncback for my local network stuff and it does a superior job.

-Try Powerfolder and deal with retarded crippled trialware

-Go with svn-git server setup

-try hamachi one more time( It does not work in my network, it could not even assign ip to itself). I probably wont use this one mainly because their help files were no helpful and I already wasted over 4 hours on it

-I want to try WASTE again, but the documentation is sparse. I am not sure if the problem was my setup or it was WASTE-router issues. It sure did not work in my internal network. Maybe someone can give me a lead on this one

-Dc++, again it did not work on my local network, it sounds retarded that I need to open router ports use it on my local network. Tried, no success

-I did use Groove in the past(before MS bought it) as a small team management. Has anyone tested it. I think it is a good alternative since it lets you sync individual  folders unlike Collaber and Collanos.

[Innuendo]

kartal, the method I have always used was RemotelyAnywhere & that's the only advice I could impart, but it's commercial software & it'd be way overkill for what you want to do.

[kartal]

kartal, the method I have always used was RemotelyAnywhere & that's the only advice I could impart, but it's commercial software & it'd be way overkill for what you want to do.

-Innuendo (June 15, 2009, 07:54 PM)

Is it like charged up VNC? I have never used it really.

[4wd]

One other suggestion that I have used and that has been mentioned here on DC before: Yadis! Backup

All you'd need to do is set it up on the machine, (assuming it's Windows), housing the central repository and then create jobs for each machine it has to sync to.  You could assign all the tasks to one group so that they can be scheduled if necessary, or run manually.

It watches the directory and as soon as a file/folder appears it will try and send them to the other machines.  If a machine is not turned on, it will queue the transfer and as soon as the path exists it will start transferring.

I know it will handle LAN addressing using '\\client1\incoming' type addresses but I'm not sure about internet but you could always tunnel it through Hamachi which will give you encryption as well.

It monitors creation and change events by default but you can also set it to monitor deletions.

It's also absurdly simple to set up tasks and assign them to a group.

As a bonus, you could also use it for one half of the PDF printing thing.  It transfers any PDF to the physical print machine as soon as it's saved into a default directory by the PDF printer.  You only need a program on the other end to then watch the directory and print any new PDFs.

[Innuendo]

Is it like charged up VNC? I have never used it really.

-kartal

Yeah, it's like a super-charged VNC. It's jam-packed full of features and if you have a decent broadband connection it's like the remote PC is right in front of you. Again, way overkill for your needs.

[Ampa]

I wonder whether Opera Unite is a solution? If the file sharing module is too simplisitc at the moment, you may have to wait and see what other widgets are developed for it. But the basic idea would mean you could share your files through the browser.

[app103]

Even PowerFolder relies on online storage to achieve its functions. The only difference is you are using their servers instead of your own FTP server or a webDAV-type account.

-Innuendo (June 14, 2009, 06:27 PM)

If that is the case, then why not a Dropbox shared folder? Anything dropped in the folder is automatically sent to everyone the folder is shared with (you have full control over who you share with). And anything deleted from the folder is automatically deleted from the folder on all the PC's the folder is shared with. (a backup remains in dropbox account, just in case you need to restore it, and you can delete the backups from your account, from their website). And there is versioning for files, too.

And it's cross platform (win/mac/*nix)

You can set it up with a single account shared with multiple PC's you control (just add another pc to your profile) and you'd have full access to any data stored in any of your dropbox subfolders. (good for syncing files between multiple locations)

Or multiple accounts (friends/coworkers) in which case you'd invite them to share the folder and that would be the only folder they could access your files from. (good for sharing files with other people)

And they start you off with 2G of storage for free. But if some one gives you a referral link, you get an extra 250mb (and they do too)

If you want to go that route, you can use my referral link: https://www.getdropb...eferrals/NTY4NDg1Mzk

[kartal]

app103, I need to make sure most of my folders are in sync. They are quite big from 10gb to 100 gb. The second reason I would not use dropbox or similar solutions is that it is an overkill to use online services to sync some files. My last reason for not using them is because I do not like online services, just a personal taste problem.

[Innuendo]

Just thinking outside the box here, since we can't seem to find something new for you to use what if we fixed what was lacking in your current solution? If the only thing missing from the PowerFolder version you are using now is encryption would it be possible to run the internet connections between your syncing PCs through a VPN tunnel? That'd eliminate anyone being able to 'eavesdrop' on your data streams.

[kartal]

Innuendo, actually encryption and big brother is no my main problems. the free version of Powerfolder has 3 folders-10 gb limit.

Althou your suggestion sounds interesting if it is something doable I would definetely use it. I use Vpn(client side) with my client but I never setup any vpn server-tunneling stuff myself.Is it hard to do?

[Innuendo]

kartal, I've never had to set up a VPN myself. I've never had to use one, either, so your information on this topic far surpasses my own.

Looks like you are either going to have to buy something or program your own. No wonder the PowerFolder guys started charging for their app. There's evidently nothing else like it.

[kartal]

kartal, I've never had to set up a VPN myself. I've never had to use one, either, so your information on this topic far surpasses my own.

Looks like you are either going to have to buy something or program your own. No wonder the PowerFolder guys started charging for their app. There's evidently nothing else like it.

-Innuendo (June 16, 2009, 08:35 PM)

Yes Powerfolder is very nice, I have been using it for long time(since it was opensource).

I do not have any problem with people charging for their efforts, good for them. But I have this distaste for crippled trialware. It is waste of time, what is the frigging point of offering someone to try a version that is crippled? I mean if their code is so precious they should keep it for themselves, it should not be even on the market. I just hate it when developers offer trial version that lacks the most important features, I wonder that is the real genius behind such hesitant behaviour.

That is the main reason I do not want to go PF commercial version, I am not going to buy something without trying it fully. The cash amount is not the problem but the thing is that I am trying to build a real, flexible pipeline. I would hate to see if it breaks apart after buying it.

[4wd]

Of the 5 or so times that I tried to get VPN working over the years I found that, (for XP anyway), using MS's VPN was an absolute PITA to get working and in the end I gave up trying to use it, (this was over both internet and even LAN where I had total control over the machines).

OTOH, OpenVPN was rather easier and I had a connection working in under an hour with a friend over the internet even though I'd never used it before.

I haven't had a VPN running for a while, no longer had a need and Hamachi is quicker although it unfortunately relies on you having a internet connection and the arbitration servers being accessible.

But, while I was typing this reply I decided to try and setup OpenVPN again from my XP Pro-SP3 PC to a Win7 x86 PC I just built for someone and it still took under an hour to get the two machines connected in a server->multiple client configuration, (as opposed to ad-hoc type).

10 minutes to download and install on both machines, (I had to make a cuppa too).
15 minutes reading the HOW-TO and generating the server/client certificates/keys, editing the config to use them and copying them to the respective places.
30-40 minutes trying to work out why they couldn't ping each other.....damn firewall, Outpost can be too protective sometimes  

For Vista or Win7 use the latest 2.1rc, setting privileges as mentioned here.
For XP I just used the current 2.09 release build.

The XP machine was to be the server, the Win7 a client - follow the instructions here for generating certificates/keys for the server and each client using the example names for the server/clients they give, (it makes it simple to start with - you can always get more creative later when you've initially got it working).
Stop reading when you reach the section "Creating configuration files for server and clients" which is the one following.

On the server:
Copy the sample config for server, (server.ovpn), from the "sample-config" directory to "config" directory, copy the certs/keys for the server into the "config" directory.

On the client, (I'll call it 'client1' in this case to match the HOW-TO):
Copy the sample config for client, (client.ovpn), from the "sample-config" directory to "config" directory, copy the certs/keys for the client into the "config" directory.
Edit the config file and change the line:
remote my-server-1 1194       to      remote <server IP> 1194
Change the following lines to point to the generated cert/key, (client1, client2, etc, etc if you followed the HOW-TO):
cert client.crt                         to       cert client1.crt
key client.key                         to       cert client1.key

If OpenVPN GUI isn't running, run it.  Right-click on the tray icon and select Connect.

Assuming you've properly configured your firewall to allow port 1194, (default OpenVPN assigned port), free access, you should be able to ping each machine from the other.

That's it - VPN is up and running.

After having sorted out the firewall problem on the server I had OpenVPN installed and working on my XP Pro+SP3 Acer Aspire One within 5 minutes using 'client2' cert/keys I had generated.

The config files are well commented if you want to do things like: limit clients, change default port, VPN subnet, etc, and the online documentation is extremely thorough.

EDIT: PortableApps even have a portable version of OpenVPN here.  Although you'll need Admin privileges to use it.

[kartal]

4wd, very tight stuff man, thank you I will definetely go through this. You had done the hard work!!!

[4wd]

4wd, very tight stuff man, thank you I will definetely go through this. You had done the hard work!!!

-kartal (June 16, 2009, 11:21 PM)

No problem, make sure you're forwarding the port, (default 1194), you use through any routers and firewalls otherwise you'll be going like I was.

Attached is the server/client configs/certs/keys in the directory structure they should appear in, in case I wasn't clear - I think the certs/keys are machine specific and are in a database on the key signing PC, (my XP machine in this case), so they might or might not work as is.

You can compare the configs to the original samples using WinMerge, Beyond Compare, etc to see what changes were necessary.

[40hz]

Based on what you're saying regarding file sizes and number of machines,you might consider setting up a secure FTP server. I'm a big fan of the CoreFTP product line ( www.coreftp.com ). It's a fast SFTP solution that works transparently behind most firewalls. I like that because I'm way too impatient to be screwing around with the port-forward settings on a router at this stage of my life. A free client is available for both personal and business use. (Note: the CoreFTP server software isn't free. But it only costs $50 US so it's still affordable.)

But if you really are serious about going with a P2P sharing solution, the only one I would recommend is Freenet. Freenet allows you to set up your own private web-of-trust for file sharing and other web services. It was designed from the ground up for security, so if you run it in what is called the "private" mode (i.e. as a darknet), only the machines you designate can access what amounts to your own private internet.

My company participates in one such file sharing darknet. It was set up by a group of us who do IT consulting work. We use Freenet in conjunction with the Frost client add-on.

Frost works much like a Usenet group. It allows us to securely create message threads, and transfer files without worrying about authentication or file integrity. This is important since most of what we transfer back and forth are custom server patches, GPOs, and scripts that get installed on client machines.

In addition to classic filesharing, Freenet can also provide private torrents via an add-on called FreeMulET. Can't vouch for how well FreeMulET works however, since we don't use it.

Freenet is a bit on the technical side since it's yet another ongoing FOSS project. But it's not especially hard to set up or use provided you have at least some technical background. (IMHO: TightVNC is a lot harder to set up if you want something to compare it to.)

Clients are available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux, which is always a plus in our book!

We've been happy with it.

Info and links:

Freenet homepage: www.freenetproject.org

Frost homepage: www.jtcfrost.sourceforge.net

 

[Innuendo]

That Freenet looks like some cool stuff. I have no need for it, but makes me want to invent a reason to use it.

[40hz]

That Freenet looks like some cool stuff. I have no need for it, but makes me want to invent a reason to use it.

-Innuendo (June 17, 2009, 09:18 AM)

Yeah. We felt the same way about it. So we did. 

[kartal]

40hz, why do you need to use a seperate client for Freenet? I do not know much about them yet. But I will definetely give a try

[40hz]

40hz, why do you need to use a seperate client for Freenet?

-kartal (June 17, 2009, 04:30 PM)

Primarily because they designed Freenet to provide a high degree of anonymity and privacy. The only way they could accomplish that was by making Freenet "its own thing" as the saying goes. It's a private P2P app that communicates with other Freenet nodes - and absolutely nothing else!

You can set your Freenet up to use the insecure mode, whereby it will look for other insecure (i.e. Strangers) Freenet nodes to P2P with. Alternatively, you can set it up as a secure darknet, in which case you will need to manually enter your private node identifiers (i.e. Friends) on every client machine in your Freenet. It's a bit of a pain, but you'll only need to do it once - unless you add additional nodes.

My group could care less about the anonymity feature. But we greatly appreciate the degree of privacy the restricted node settings provide. I like to think of Freenet as a server-less VPN.

Now how cool is that?

[kartal]

Sorry man, I think my question was not clear enough. I meant the "frost" client. Do I need to use Frost to use Freenet? Is Freenet client safe  as it is, or is Frost more secure than Freenet?

[40hz]

Sorry man, I think my question was not clear enough. I meant the "frost" client. Do I need to use Frost to use Freenet? Is Freenet client safe  as it is, or is Frost more secure than Freenet?

-kartal (June 17, 2009, 08:15 PM)

Sorry. I misunderstood.

You don't need to use Frost per sce. But Frost is what gives us all the additional features you usually get with newsgroups (messaging, discussion threads, easy file upload/download, etc.)

I probably should have mentioned that Frost now comes bundled into the current Freenet installer.

I like to read as much possible about something before I install it. If you're like me, take a look at their wiki: 

http://wiki.freenetproject.org/HomePage

Especially good is their First Timer's Handbook:

http://wiki.freenetp.../FirstTimersHandBook

You'll want to look at that since it has very clear instructions on how to add friendly nodes to your network.

Hope all this was helpful.

[kartal]

40hz, thanks again, you have given the most exclusive help ever

[40hz]

40hz, thanks again, you have given the most exclusive help ever

-kartal (June 18, 2009, 11:52 AM)

My pleasure. I'm always happy to point someone to a useful resource.

I also learn a lot by reading the other replies*, so it's an even trade.

*@4wd! Great posts about VPNs. You da man!!!  

[kartal]

Ohh yeah 4wd and you were racing head to toe here! Thanks guy