We are constantly being invited to use cloud services such as Dropbox, Mozy and SugarSync to store our documents, music, photos and more. It's the future, we're told.
Tonido turns your PC into a cloud server for free
The obvious benefits of storing files online is that it releases space on our PCs, smartphones and tablets, and files can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. Another advantage of cloud storage is that the responsibility of looking after your files (including backing them up) and maintaining the hardware is someone else’s.
There are privacy and security concerns, though, and you might well wonder whether someone could access your files. Services also have worrying phrases in their terms and conditions, such as "You hereby grant Mozy a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use any such content."
Also, for anything more than a few gigabytes, which tend to be offered free to get you to try a service, you must pay for online storage with recurring monthly fees.
An option you may not have considered is to run your own cloud service. It's easier than you might think: all you need is a PC, internet access and some free software. A dedicated PC is best, but the desktop PC you use for everything is also fine. Just leave it running when you go out. Fibre optic internet, such as BT Infinity or Virgin Media, is best but any broadband will work.
An advantage of turning your PC into a cloud server is that storage is limited only by the size of its hard disk and not the size of your bank balance. You can store any type and any size of files, there are no monthly fees, and it is private.
Only you have access to your cloud server, but it's also possible to grant permission to others, such as family or friends. Imagine being at work and you want to listen to music. With just a web browser you can log on to your home PC cloud server and access your whole music library. If you are out and need a file from home or work, you can access it with a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
There are some disadvantages, too. Your computer is running when you are out, using electricity. Plus, you're responsible for maintaining the hardware, making backups, and that Windows is running smoothly.
Also, bear in mind that broadband upload speeds are slower than download speeds. This means it can be very slow to download big files from your cloud PC, but fast to upload them, which is opposite to normal internet usage.
There are several programs which you can use such as ownCloud (owncloud.org) and Oxygen (oxygencloud.com), but here we’ll show you how to set up the free Tonido (tonido.com).
How to make a personal cloud server with Tonido
1. Browse to www.tonido.com and click the Downloads link. The software you need to turn a PC into a cloud server is Tonido Desktop Software for Windows. There are two versions and if you choose the portable edition it doesn’t need installing.
2. Open the zip file and drag the Tonido folder out and drop it on the desktop. When you want to start Tonido, just double click tonido.exe. The first time, a Windows Firewall alert appears. Click Allow access.
3. Another housekeeping task is to sign up for a free Tonido account. Enter the account name you want to use and a password. Your account name becomes part of the URL used to access your cloud server.
4. After clicking through welcome messages you’ll see this screen indicating that Tonido is active. It runs in the background and the browser can be closed and you can use the PC for other purposes, just don’t shut it down.
5. Make your PC energy efficient by opening Power Options in the Control Panel. Select High performance and click Change plan settings, Change advanced power settings. Set the display and disk to sleep when the PC is idle.
6. You can log in to your computer, which is now acting as a cloud server, from any computer or device with a web browser. Here we’re using a laptop in Starbucks. Just enter your personal URL, yourname.tonidoid.com.
7. The same screen as in step 4 is displayed and you have full access to the PC’s internal disk drive and any other drives that are attached. There’s an Upload button, and the Actions column enables you to download files as well.
8. Navigate to the Pictures folder on the disk and select the Gallery tab at the top. The images are shown as thumbnails. Click a photo to view a larger version or click the slideshow button and sit back and watch.
9. Use the panel on the left to find the Music folder on the PC and select a folder containing music, such as MP3 files. Switch to the Music tab at the top and music controls are displayed. Pick a track and play it.
Next page: using Tonido with mobile devices
Comments
kemorr said: Firewall Enough Said
kemorr said: Im sorry to say bt this does not give easy steps to tun your old computer into a server cloud or otherwise All you are doing here is allowing a service to track your dynamic IP address issued by your internet service provider which effectively maps the more friendly and readable url to the IP address No different to typing 17319466147 or wwwgooglecom into a web browser both get you to the same address The next step of this service just allows remote access to your hard drive the entire hard drive and anything you may have attached externally a true cloud server does NOT allow you access to th system files so again just glossed up remote desktop connecting Finally they add some bling by proviing a user interface that interacts with your hard drive this give the look and feel of cloud but as I said above is still jus remote access Now if all you want is remote access to files from anylocation setup remote desktop via windows unblock the ports via your router normally 3389 and track your IP address via a free service like MyDNS or if yu are lucky enough to have a fixed IP then just connect traight to it your can get free apps for Andriod Iphone iPad etc that will work wih remote accessThere my 2 pence worth
Matt Egan said: And um its not an ad
Yeah_but said: While this does seem a bit like an ad It does give all the basic steps for the easiest way to turn your old computer into a server
moffolo said: We cannot exchange opinions in commentsThe article is just an advertising for Tolido that I tried for a few minutes and then uninstalled Tolido offers file sharing and cloud but if ur hard drive fails ur data is lost What new level of backups you meanId really like a free open source cloud server with all the functionalities and apps for mobile and pc that a cloud service needs including its own backup of course not a backup on the same HDD but another one or FTP network drive cloud versioning sharing folder capabilities and so on and Im sure Im missing some Then maybe it would really be a personal cloud server
Vin_s said: All above comments are not looking at the new functionality of creating the Personal cloud at HomeThis technology will take file sharing and backups to a new level
moffolo said: You may not need it but send a video to your friends maybe of 200-300MB or the pics that you took on your last holidaysvia emailLook the pictures that you have at home from your tablet at your family home with DLNA Connect an USB flash drive to a phone or tablet that doesnt have USB OTG Can u doAfter last holidays my friend told me to send her the pics I took of her 300MB with email I uploaded them on Dropbox shared the folder with her and she downloaded themIMHO USB stick and sharing pictures with email is old I use USB just to store programs and some moviesU dont need a 1MBps upload speed at home to stream your pictures or some videos I guess 500KBps should be ok And if u upload them on the cloud they download really fastCloud is really really handy I have some text files that I edit and look from home workplace phone No need to USB stick or anything else than Dropbox or any other cloud service to do it My ex wife is doing her university thesis and saving backup copies of it on Dropbox in case she looses it And Dropbox allows you to restore old versions of itThat said Im looking for a way to have my own cloud and streaming server at home as soon as my upload speed will increase
Albert said: You dont really need cloud service for anything You can send photos to your friends via email you can watch your photos on your tablet via DLNA or WiFi Direct or a bunch of other technologies and of course you are going to back up on an external HDD And if you need to have a lot of your files handy you can always simply carry a usb flash drive which can store nowadays up to 64GB and cost you less than 70 That being said if I had an internet connection that allowed me to upload AND download files at a speed of 1MB per second then I would love to have a cloud service sure
Stilman said: You can create a much more advanced personal cloud server by using a 35 Raspberry Pi and BarracudaDrivehttpwwwraspberrypiorghttpbarracudadrivecom
moffolo said: If you just need a place to do a backup you dont need a cloud serviceWith a cloud service I can for example take pictures with my phone put them on the cloud watch them on my tabled computer and so on share them with my friends How u do that with an external hard drive you send it to your friends Connect it to your phoneAgain if you need only backup do it manually with an external hard drive If you need to access your data from everywhere home work holidays from every device computer notebook tablet phone and share it with anyone you want then you need cloud or something else that has to be invented But I agree with the other comment that this article is only an ad for Tolido
Sada said: How many fools can I kill today
Matt Egan said: Um no Because a PC left permanently on and permanently connected is more vulnerable than one that is switched off
arealhacker said: I stopped reading at leave your PC on when you go out a security risk a hacker can then try and get into your PCYea because we all know hackers break into houses all the time to get into your PC No need for all those exploits and backdoors they are known for using
guestxxx said: loooooooooooooool I imagine anonymous watching your computer waiting for a door to open
M98custom12 said: LOL your not using a third party ITS YOUR Computer
Nosmada54 said: excuse my typo nor should read not relying on some third party
Nosmada54 said: I stopped reading at leave your PC on when you go out a security risk a hacker can then try and get into your PCThe best idea is not to use any form of cloud service at all Get yourself an external hard drive and back up everything to it That way you keep your files and your nor relying on some third party