User Document Remote File Access

[petben]

Hello, can anyone recommend a system that would allow our users to access their network files from home. signing in with their AD credentials. we used to use our VLE but we don's have a VLE anymore.

 

Thanks

[bossman]

Gsuite for education.....everything in the cloud so access is easy for everyone.....

 

Simple solution and free.....

 

Seems many people are moving to this.....

 

Just a suggestion.....

[derf]

nextcloud can also do this, local install on your network and SMB access for users as well as shared folders if you don't fancy going down the Google/Cloud route.

[FN-GM]

Sonicwall SSL VPN will do this. You can do it in a web interface without a client installed.

 

Someone will come up and suggest Home Access Pus. However you have to consider it hasn't had any kind of penetration testing etc (unless it recently changed). I personally want something proven doing a job like this.

[chazzy2501]

is this for staff and students? if it was staff only you could use Direct Access on their laptops. We're using SharePoint a lot now, which whilst wont give pupil access to school drives we are in the process of putting our resources into O365. (better meta search, ocr, transcribing etc.)

 

You probably just want a solution for now but maybe you should invest in the idea of moving the resources rather than supporting an old method.

[thimon]

We currently use Foldr, very simple to use. However we're in the process of moving all homedrives and file shares over to OneDrive and Sharepoint.

[petben]

Thanks, foldr seems like something worth looking at. It obviously has a whole load of features, can it just be used to access files via a browser? I don't really want users sharing folders.

 

Moving to the cloud is a whole thing, I will start a new Edugeek Q but how do you plan on pointing non Office applications at OneDrive, what about video editing? backup?..

[thimon]

Foldr has the capability to include homedrives, shares and cloud providers. However if you just want homedrives configured then you can do that, accessible all through a web browser.

 

I'm trialing IAM Cloud which maps onedrive and sharepoint libraries to File Explorer, then any Apps can easily access the files, so far very promising. The main downside when comparing File Servers to cloud storage is speed, so video editing wouldn't be great...

[petben]

thanks, have you found any OneDrive backup solutions?

also what is your internet connection? all users sharing our 100M internet connection as opposed to everyone currently working locally having their own 1G connection seems a bit of a backwards step too..

[thimon]

We use Redstor, they have a Sharepoint and Onedrive backup solution https://support.redstor.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360009676734-1160-How-to-back-up-Microsoft-SharePoint

 

Out internet connection is of similar speed, currently running at 130Mbps

[mikkydoos]

Are you on an LA connection?

 

If so, see if your LA will set you up with a VPN.

[petben]

we use smoothwall, it really needs to be simple setup, drag and drop etc. I have looked at Serv-U, seems OK but not sold on anything really.

[rfakes]

We currently use Foldr, very simple to use. However we're in the process of moving all homedrives and file shares over to OneDrive and Sharepoint.

 

Are you using "Folder protection" in OneDrive? I.e automatically redirect documents, desktop etc to OneDrive or do you just treat the one drive folder as their new "networkfolder"?

[thimon]

Are you using "Folder protection" in OneDrive? I.e automatically redirect documents, desktop etc to OneDrive or do you just treat the one drive folder as their new "networkfolder"?

Undecided. Getting mixed messages about redirecting document folders to OneDrive.