Network sharing puzzle - brains needed

Faustus · 24 Jun 2007 at 14:09

I have got a real networking puzzle which I hope someone can shed some light on. I thought that instead of keep plugging my external HD into my Laptop to perform the weekly backup using Acronis 10 I would leave it where it is i.e. connected to my Desktop and instead backup wirelessly from the Laptop to the external drive. I added both my internal slave drive and the external drive to my shared files/folders and set all the permissions for full control e.g. read write etc. I then went to the Laptop and clicked the Network icon - sure enough the G and H drive were now visible along with all the files and folders. However, when I click on any of the files I get a message "access to the folder denied", not only that but if a right click against any of the folders in the H or G drives it states the folder is empty which they clearly aren't. Does anyone have any ideas what has gone wrong? I can see and access all the folders I have selected for sharing from my Desktop C drive so why can I not access the slave or external drives?

Am I trying to do what is technically impossible? :confused:

P.S. main PC is Vista Laptop XP

Faustus · 24 Jun 2007 at 15:10

Before anyone racks their brains I have finally managed to sort it out though not sure how. Went away for lunch and when I came back it had started working, I can now see and access all the files. However, the exercise has shown me one thing if nothing else i.e. not to bother buying a NAS drive. I started the weekly Backup wirelessly this time and instead of the usual twenty minutes to backup via USB the the backup will take a staggering 2 hours. I have a very good wireless connection and yet the best it can do is 2 hours. I'll continue with firewire or USB from now on

tolien · 24 Jun 2007 at 17:16

Shouldn't be that much of a shock - Firewire does 400/800Mbps, USB2 does 480Mbps, 802.11g does 54Mbps that's really nearer 20Mbps if you're lucky. You haven't said what wireless standard you're using, but 802.11n's only capable of ~100Mbps.

A twentieth of the transfer rate, twenty times the time to transfer. 2 hours instead of 20 minutes is nearer a sixth, which would imply there was another bottleneck (HD transfer rate I guess).

Sharing can be a PITA, but without more information it's hard to comment.

Faustus · 24 Jun 2007 at 19:53

tolien said:
Shouldn't be that much of a shock - Firewire does 400/800Mbps, USB2 does 480Mbps, 802.11g does 54Mbps that's really nearer 20Mbps if you're lucky. You haven't said what wireless standard you're using, but 802.11n's only capable of ~100Mbps.

A twentieth of the transfer rate, twenty times the time to transfer. 2 hours instead of 20 minutes is nearer a sixth, which would imply there was another bottleneck (HD transfer rate I guess).

Sharing can be a PITA, but without more information it's hard to comment.

Sorry - 802.11g using WPA. I had seriously considered purchasing a NAS drive but after my little experiment today I think I will simply stick with my bog standard external HD and take the Laptop to the external drive as part of my keep fit regime, after all a mans got to get his exercise any way he can

Actually it took 24 minutes to backup by USB not 20 as I said in my original post. Still, all in all a pretty poor result which is perhaps why you don't see a big push of NAS drives by the manufacturers. They are though more plentiful than they used to be which makes me pity anyone that has one.

tolien · 24 Jun 2007 at 20:11

Faustus said:
Actually it took 24 minutes to backup by USB not 20 as I said in my original post.

The point's still valid though.

Still, all in all a pretty poor result which is perhaps why you don't see a big push of NAS drives by the manufacturers.

Use cable and there isn't a problem - it isn't the NAS' fault that the network connection you use to get to it is slow.
I do my backups to another machine (and then to a box elsewhere via the internet) and it works fine, but don't expect miracles from wireless. Scheduling a lot of these things to run overnight is a godsend too.

Faustus · 24 Jun 2007 at 21:49

tolien said:
The point's still valid though.

Use cable and there isn't a problem - it isn't the NAS' fault that the network connection you use to get to it is slow.
I do my backups to another machine (and then to a box elsewhere via the internet) and it works fine, but don't expect miracles from wireless. Scheduling a lot of these things to run overnight is a godsend too.

Yes I accept the point you make as a fair one. I backup to a slave drive on my main PC plus to an external drive and the Laptop to the same external drive. On the subject of backups it never ceases to amaze me how many people don't do any form of backup whatsoever. I often wonder if they are the same people one sees on the news stood in the remains of their ruined property following some natural disaster or other that never have any form of house insurance either?