Routing file transfers on home network

[popechild]

I have a computer in my office, a NAT server in the basement, and a computer in the living room. I'm trying to move files between the living room and the NAT, both of which are on a gigE switch. If I do this directly using either of these computers, file X takes about 5 minutes to transfer.

If I sit at the computer in the office, which is only 10/100 speed, and I pull up shared folders from the computers in the living room and NAT, and move the exact same file X from the living room to the NAT, it takes about 12 minutes.

I'd like to be able to use the computer in the office to move files directly between the living room and the NAT using the gigE switch without losing out on the gigE speed. Is there a way short of using a virtual desktop type program to do this?

[bcjenkins]

When you copy from one computer to another using a third, using windows explorer it uses the third as a caching point, I think. I think I have seen some FTP software which will allow you to do what you want. It has been a long time though. Any reason you don't just RDP into the server and copy to/from there?

B

[popechild]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

When you copy from one computer to another using a third, using windows explorer it uses the third as a caching point, I think. I think I have seen some FTP software which will allow you to do what you want. It has been a long time though. Any reason you don't just RDP into the server and copy to/from there?

B

No, just simplicity. I was hoping there would be a way to not have to go through the rdp step each time - just have it setup and configured in such a way that I could just pull up the two drives as network shares and quickly cut and paste from one to the other.

[ben_95sl1]

If you're constantly moving files, then wouldn't it make more sense to have whatever software, etc is creating files on the living room pc to write directly to the NAT instead...With Gigabit between them, I don't see it being slow. If you're doing backups, then simply make it automated as a scheduled task, etc on the living room pc.

If you move files rarely, then remote desktop is simple and easy, and with the multiple user hack, it does not disturb the living room pc.

[popechild]

Originally Posted by ben_95sl1

If you're constantly moving files, then wouldn't it make more sense to have whatever software, etc is creating files on the living room pc to write directly to the NAT instead...With Gigabit between them, I don't see it being slow. If you're doing backups, then simply make it automated as a scheduled task, etc on the living room pc.

If you move files rarely, then remote desktop is simple and easy, and with the multiple user hack, it does not disturb the living room pc.

I've been doing alot of re-organizing files on the NAT. (It's not an array, just separate disks.) So at times I need to offload stuff from one drive on the NAT to make room to swap files around. The place I've been doing that to/from is the htpc, but obviously I don't want to disrupt the tv viewing by having to use that computer, and I can't perform the transfers directly from the NAT.

I can just use RD, I was just surprised to find that everything got routed through the "third" computer in the first place, expecting it would be smart enough to go from point A to B directly. I guess not.

[bcjenkins]

google "server-to-server FTP transfers"

if you go with rdp check out xpunlimited.com

B

[ChePazzo]

try some sort of remote desktop or freenx or something to connect to the living room computer and then you will have the GUI as if you had a monitor plugged directly into it.

From there, do what you need to do and the file won't have to come through your 100Mbps pipe.

[stevech]

I have a UltraVNC server running on the Sage Server. From some other PC on the LAN, I use a web browser to do remote access from some other PC on the LAN or even the Internet. The latter requires a port-forward on 5800 in your router.

You may wish to use the UltraVNC client instead of a web browser. The advantage is that you can setup a desktop icon with the username and password for the VNC server and just click on the icon. No typing needed.

[mattdcknsn]

Another solution is to enable telnet on your HTPC and log in via telnet. Then you can use robocopy to push the files to where you want. Telnet should be disabled by default and you'll need to install the windows 2003 resource kit to get robocopy. Thats what I use to copy large files and it works great as a way to find bottlenecks. This is assuming that you are using XP.