Remote directory access tools.

[uberlad]

I'm looking for some ideas for some software for my girlfriend's laptop.

She's just started a big distance-learning course and needs to submit course work every few weeks. Her job allows her time to work on them during the working day and what she would like is some way of having a directory on her computer at home available from her work machine(s).

Ideally I'd like something like a webDAV tool which is self contained and doesn't require me to run IIS on the laptop, as it's a little elderly and not very memory-rich. (It also runs win2k as I expect that will be pertinent.)

I can let various ports through on the firewall but it needs to be secure and above all simple.

I have no idea, as I've never needed something like this (remote desktop is fine for everythgi I need to do on the home machine when I'm at work)

Any suggestions guys?

Ta,

Uberlad

[Dilitante1]

sounds like a candidate for VPN tunneling to me or a secure FTP server proggie at home to connect to

[uberlad]

Yeah, I'm increasingly thinking that as well.

I really wanted something that she could just access through a browser - if I could find a small stand-alone (but secure) webfolders server I'd be basically sorted but no-one seems to do them at anything less than an enterprise level.

If it comes to it I'll hve to install Serv-U or similar on the laptop and just be prepared for lots of tech support

Uberlad

[Wombat]

What if she just syncs up when she's home? The "My Briefcase" option should work for you. Or she can carry her work on a USB key...

[Byock]

I use IIS6 at home with WebDAV and it works well, just open IE check "Open as a Web Folder" and it works well.

[uberlad]

Hmmm....USB key, eh? There's a direction that I hadn't thought of going.

Of course these are NHS computers so the chance of them having both USB ports <i>and</i> a version of Windows that supports removable storage is pretty small.

I'll look into this possibility but I'm incresingly convinced I'm just going to have to install IIS 5.0 on the laptop and live with the massive secuirty holes that webDAV brings with it on 5.0.

Ah well. Ta for the ideas - keep them coming

Uberlad