Question pls recommend an easy solution for online storage for 5 users

[luv2liv]

is there a solution that i can easily buy, set up to get online, and just start sharing with other others? no need to set up vpn, no monthly fees please.
this drive will act as a local drive, that way anyone can save and access from anywhere in the world.

OR subscribe to something like OneDrive? or is OD only works as a backup drive?
suppose my machine1 has file1.txt. OD has the latest version. user2 grabbed file1 from OD and updated it while my machine1 is offline. when i turn on machine1, would i see the updated version of file1 or would i see the same file1 before i turned off machine1?

 

[myindjon]

Create a free storage in OneDrive or Google cloud and share the password.

Otherwise, create a file sharing platform with Google storage.

 

[luv2liv]

Create a free storage in OneDrive or Google cloud and share the password.

Otherwise, create a file sharing platform with Google storage.

can you confirm if files are up to date on OD, even though the my main machine is offline?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

In your scenario, there would be a delay between the time you powered up your computer, and the time it synced files from the cloud. This is usually not a long delay (on the order of a couple dozen seconds.) and both GD and OD have a little widget that will tell you if your files are synced, as well as let you manually trigger a sync.

As long as you ensure that a file is synced before you start to work on it, you're fine.

As an aside, if you're anticipating having multiple people actively working on files at the same time, you probably want to stick with the native file formats of the cloud services (not .txt) - OneDrive supports it via Office365, and Google Drive supports Google Docs.

 

[aigomorla]

I think the problem in your scenario is when user 1 and 2 try to access the same file at the same time.

If User1 is doing the direct edits on One Drive, the moment it saves and user 1 exits the program or PC shuts off, it will be accessible to user 2.

However there might be a problem if both users are trying to access it, like lets say User 1, opened the file, and then left the PC on while getting coffee.

I am not sure if User 2 will be able to make open/edit/save that file, as it maybe locked out depending on software.

 

[luv2liv]

I think the problem in your scenario is when user 1 and 2 try to access the same file at the same time.

If User1 is doing the direct edits on One Drive, the moment it saves and user 1 exits the program or PC shuts off, it will be accessible to user 2.

However there might be a problem if both users are trying to access it, like lets say User 1, opened the file, and then left the PC on while getting coffee.

I am not sure if User 2 will be able to make open/edit/save that file, as it maybe locked out depending on software.

correct. they will never collide with same file. this is QuickBook Files btw

 

[aigomorla]

i don't know if qbw files can even be worked on while on a one drive.
They are locked and saved each time you put an entry.
I don't know if one drive will allow that, not to mention the amount of bandwidth unless your on fiber, required to update those files as qbw files can get pretty big.

 

[mxnerd]

As @aigomorla has suggested, quickbooks file probably only works on local machine or in a LAN environment.

Don't try to run QuickBooks Pro, Premier or Enterprise via Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or similar services

Anytime, anywhere access for QuickBooks Pro, Premier or Enterprise is a goal that many businesses are trying to accomplish these days. Sharing your QuickBooks company file for access from anywhere can’t be any more difficult than sharing a Word document via Dropbox, Google Drive or others...

betterbottomline.com

 

[mxnerd]

Your best bet is to set up a PC or VM and let users login remotely into the machine if you don't want to pay any money,

but different users also can not login at the same time.

 

[aigomorla]

Yeah.. or a machine dedicated to that application, and have users RDP (remote desktop protocol) to it each time they need to work on QB.
This way if someone forgets to log out, and a new user RDP's into the machine it will boot the last session user.

 

[luv2liv]

how about buying a Synology? on sale now https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8814GKB
then get it onto something like TaleScale for anyone to access the files remotely

 

[kennaob]

A solution that doesn't require a VPN or monthly fees is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. Set it up, connect it to your network, and use it from anywhere. Sharing files is super easy because it can operate as a local drive, like you are describing. On the other hand, you can try cloud storage services like OneDrive, which sync files so that no matter what condition your computer is in, you can always access the most recent version as long as you are connected to the network. Both options are great.