Why the file server

You are probably wondering why i have a file server set up when there are so many online options out in the wondours cloud of happiness!

In fact, there are tons of free options as well. The reason i have a file server is because sometimes it is easier to manage the files and control what is going on with them.

Here is a list of pros and cons of why I have a file server:

Pros

• Free
• Easy to setup
• You control which users log in
• Fun to do
• Do not have to upload to offsite servers

Cons

• Limited space
• Not guaranteed to keep data "alive" Harddrives do die
• If wanting to keep data alive, it can be expensive to backup and keep new drives on hand
• Your upload speed is everyone else's download speed.

It is a fun way to learn about how cloud servers work. The word cloud actually just means online. How it started was when Network Engineers drew topology diagrams, they drew a picture of a cloud to represent the internet as a whole. Check out the image below


Online storage and FTP(File Transfer Protocol) servers have been around for over 20 years.  They are now just calling them cloud servers or cloud storage rather than online storage. People have been on the cloud for longer than you think! haha

They re-invented the wheel sorta speak because of all the smart phones that came out in 2006. Smart phones are nothing but  a small computer. However, it is harder to run FTP client software on them so apps have had to be made that use the same rules and protocols but it is all graphical and simple to use.