[nfbcs] Networking Solutions?

[Steve Jacobson]

Jim,

I use Dropbox to share a number of different kinds of files between my computers, a desktop and a laptop, because they are shared whether or not I am 
on the same network or not.  Still, if this approach does not sound good to you, then we probably need to understand better what you are trying to do.  
Actually sharing programs between two computers is very iffy.  However, it certainly is possible for two computers to access folders on each other's hard 
drive without needing to put files in a particular folder as one does with Dropbox.  You should be able to do what you want.

Sharing e-mails on two machines can be done, too, but there are alternate ways of doing that.  One approach is to you "IMAP" which is a way of storing 
e-mails in folders on the e-mail server instead of on your computer.  In that way, you can access messages and folders on either machine.  Not all e-mail 
providers have IMAP, though.  You can also set one of your computers up to read your e-mail but leaving it on the server.  Then the other computer would 
be used to delete e-mail, but you could read e-mail from both computers.  There are potential problems in setting up an e-mail program to use e-mail folders 
directly on the other computer.  Assuming you could share them and also configure your e-mail programs, having two separate programs maintaining one 
set of e-mails could cause problems.

Although networking is possible, exactly how it is done depends some upon which operating systems you use.  Also, if you share a broadband internet 
connection using a router, you already have a network and it is just a matter of setting up sharing and mapping drives and such.  Exactly how you do that 
depends upon which versions of Windows you are running.  

If you don't have a router and don't share an internet connection, you can connect two computers together, but I am not as familiar with how that is done.  
What would help us is to get a better idea of what you want to do, and whether the computers are always connected together.  For example, if you have 
a laptop and a desktop and want to share documents, the desktop documents won't be available on your laptop when you are disconnected.  That is 
where Dropbox and similar systems are nice because you share common folders, but there is a copy on each machine so they don't have to be 
connected to access the files in the common folder.  They have to be connected to Dropbox, of course, before changes made to the file on one 
computer can be propagated to the other.

Don't let some of the responses here put you off.  However, explaining your two computers and what connectivity they already have might help us give 
you better answers.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Sun, 7 Oct 2012 11:22:39 -0700, Jim Portillo wrote:

>OK, but I'm not really talking about Dropbox though.  I use it with friends
>and like what it does.

>I was hoping to share information like files or email or things along that
>line...way beyond dropbox's capabilities at this point.


>-----Original Message-----
>From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jim Barbour
>Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2012 11:12 AM
>To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Networking Solutions?

>The real downside of dropbox is that to share a file between two computers
>in your home, you have to send the file up your internet connection to the
>cloud, and then pull it down again.

>It trades speed and data usage for convenience.  If the tradeoff looks good,
>then go for it.  Just be aware of the tradeoff.

>Jim

>On Sun, Oct 07, 2012 at 10:55:10AM -0700, Jim Portillo wrote:
>> Right.  I love Dropbox.  
>> Yeah...the network idea sounds more complex at this time.  
>> Hmmm.
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mike 
>> Freeman
>> Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2012 9:12 AM
>> To: 'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Networking Solutions?
>> 
>> Dropbox works fine for files; you'd really have to set up a network to 
>> share programs.
>> 
>> Mike
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jim 
>> Portillo
>> Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 10:35 PM
>> To: Jim Portillo
>> Subject: [nfbcs] Networking Solutions?
>> 
>> Hi there,
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> I'm beginning to toy with a thought and wondered what kinds of 
>> solutions you guys might have.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> I have two computers, and I use both of them for different things; 
>> although, one is older and has a different system than the other.  
>> Nonetheless, they both have certain programs and files they share or
>should share.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> I wonder if there's a way to have both computers on some kind of small 
>> network to where they can share information with one another, or to 
>> where I can access information from either computer, no matter what.  
>> Does that make any sense, and is this a doable thing?  Of course, 
>> businesses have large networks that can do this, but what about small
>homes?
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> What are some thoughts?
>> 
>> Jim
>> 
>>  
>> 
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