How to make NAS that can also be accessed anywhere?

[Xeliath]

Hi, I want to make a NAS, as both my desktop and laptop are starting to fill up... but if I get a NAS, I want to be able to access it from ANYWHERE that has internet. Can any of you help me? Thanks!

 

[WereCatf]

Install Nextcloud on it.

[corrado33]

Easy. You just have to open the right ports in your router. The easiest way would simply be to put an extra drive in your desktop and share it via windows sharing and via ftp. 

 

Or, set up a vpn at home so that you can just connect back to home and mount the drive as usual using windows sharing. 

[Xeliath]

2 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

Easy. You just have to open the right ports in your router. The easiest way would simply be to put an extra drive in your desktop and share it via windows sharing and via ftp. 

 

Or, set up a vpn at home so that you can just connect back to home and mount the drive as usual using windows sharing. 

I need it to be accessible to a mac as well

I also am not using ethernet, because i can't drill a hole in the wall/floor/ceiling

[Xeliath]

3 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

Easy. You just have to open the right ports in your router. The easiest way would simply be to put an extra drive in your desktop and share it via windows sharing and via ftp. 

 

Or, set up a vpn at home so that you can just connect back to home and mount the drive as usual using windows sharing. 

Also, how do I do that? - "share it via windows sharing and via ftp" and also the "Or, set up a vpn at home so that you can just connect back to home and mount the drive as usual using windows sharing. "

I'm clueless

 

[corrado33]

1 minute ago, Xeliath said:

I need it to be accessible to a mac as well

I also am not using ethernet, because i can't drill a hole in the wall/floor/ceiling

Windows file shares are accessible via a macintosh.

 

I know... that's how I have my fileserver setup and I can connect to the drives just fine on my mac.

[Xeliath]

1 minute ago, corrado33 said:

Windows file shares are accessible via a macintosh.

 

I know... that's how I have my fileserver setup and I can connect to the drives just fine on my mac.

BTW, I have a spare (though garbage) pc

[corrado33]

8 minutes ago, Xeliath said:

Also, how do I do that? - "share it via windows sharing and via ftp" and also the "Or, set up a vpn at home so that you can just connect back to home and mount the drive as usual using windows sharing. "

I'm clueless

 

Purchase extra hard drive. Put in computer. Connect sata power, connect sata data. In windows go to the start menu and type "create and format hard disk partitions". Then scroll down and you'll see a drive that says something like "unformatted space" (with NOTHING else, no other partitions) Right click, then format either using NTFS or exFat (your choice, google.)

 

Then it'll show up in windows. If it doesn't, then right click again on that space and click "assign drive letter." Then right click on the drive in "my computer" and click "Properties". Go to the "Sharing" tab and click "Advanced sharing Properties." Check the box that says "Share this folder" and give it a name. Then connect to it (either on pc) by going to \\ComputerIP\ShareName with "computerIP" being the ip address of the computer you installed it in, and "ShareName" being the name you gave it in the last dialog. I highly suggest you setup a static IP address for this computer. 

 

In mac just go to Finder and hit "command K" and type in "smb://ComputerIP/ShareName"

 

On windows right click on "my computer" and click "mount network drive" then type in what I wrote above .

 

As for setting up an FTP server or VPN server, I'm not going to type that out. Plenty of youtube and general internet tutorials. 

[Xeliath]

6 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

Purchase extra hard drive. Put in computer. Connect sata power, connect sata data. In windows go to the start menu and type "create and format hard disk partitions". Then scroll down and you'll see a drive that says something like "unformatted space" (with NOTHING else, no other partitions) Right click, then format either using NTFS or exFat (your choice, google.)

 

Then it'll show up in windows. If it doesn't, then right click again on that space and click "assign drive letter." Then right click on the drive in "my computer" and click "Properties". Go to the "Sharing" tab and click "Advanced sharing Properties." Check the box that says "Share this folder" and give it a name. Then connect to it (either on pc) by going to \\ComputerIP\ShareName with "computerIP" being the ip address of the computer you installed it in, and "ShareName" being the name you gave it in the last dialog. I highly suggest you setup a static IP address for this computer. 

 

In mac just go to Finder and hit "command K" and type in "smb://ComputerIP/ShareName"

 

On windows right click on "my computer" and click "mount network drive" then type in what I wrote above .

 

As for setting up an FTP server or VPN server, I'm not going to type that out. Plenty of youtube and general internet tutorials. 

Thanks!

Have a good day/night!

[corrado33]

7 minutes ago, Xeliath said:

Thanks!

Have a good day/night!

You too. Windows sharing is pretty simple usually.