Sharing drive over network to non-local users

Hi everyone! First post, let's go!

I am trying to find a solution to transferring large files (100+GB) between myself and a client of mine at a different location through the internet. The easiest one I have found was through a Private Network through Logmein's Hamachi, as you can browse other connected computers' files through this network.

Of course, to show the shared drives by the host computer, you need to input a username and password through the UAC. Obviously, if I insert my own username and password, I can see the folders I've shared. However, how do I configure a username/password for my client? Are these users the same as local users? I would like to avoid having to make a local user for him on my own computer.

Just for reference, I have no control over my network I am connected to, so no FTP, no port forwarding etc.
OS: Windows 8.1

Thanks for any help in advance!
-ZannaXi

In the access settings allow Read access by Everyone

You can make a password for the Guest account according to this article:
How To Set A Password For The Guest Account

That is the current setup I have right now; I only have one local user (Me) and I share all of my drives with the "Everyone" group. However, I would like to ultimately give my client limited access with his own set of credentials.

Through this technique, I am providing my client with a local account (In this case, the guest account) on my computer. So is my initial impression correct, that you can't simply create an account to view my drives without creating a local user? Or, in other words, can only local users (or knowing the credentials of a local user) access shared folders?

Thanks!
-ZannaXi

I'm not a networking guru. But my understanding is either the user logging in has an account on the machine, or you run a server. For example, you could (if the IT guy permits it) run web server or ftp server.

The only other way would be put the stuff in Public folder, which is already shared, but encrypt it.
If there's a more sophisticated network person reading maybe they will chime in.

ZannaXi said:

Hi everyone! First post, let's go!

I am trying to find a solution to transferring large files (100+GB) between myself and a client of mine at a different location through the internet. The easiest one I have found was through a Private Network through Logmein's Hamachi, as you can browse other connected computers' files through this network.

Of course, to show the shared drives by the host computer, you need to input a username and password through the UAC. Obviously, if I insert my own username and password, I can see the folders I've shared. However, how do I configure a username/password for my client? Are these users the same as local users? I would like to avoid having to make a local user for him on my own computer.

Just for reference, I have no control over my network I am connected to, so no FTP, no port forwarding etc.
OS: Windows 8.1

Thanks for any help in advance!
-ZannaXi

Click to expand...

For direct drive access without having to add the user click the link.

http://www.eightforums.com/network-sharing/36363-windows-8-1-map-network.html#post313645

Hmm putting the stuff in Users has the disadvantage that all user data has to be unshared by an action. Putting the stuff in Public makes it plain that it's public. Still no password access. I don't see an advantage to this method over just dropping the file with or without encryption, into Public.

Edit: Also since the OP is not SysAdmin on the network, he cannot unshare user folders to protect them as advised in the linked thread.

MilesAhead said:

Hmm putting the stuff in Users has the disadvantage that all user data has to be unshared by an action. Putting the stuff in Public makes it plain that it's public. Still no password access. I don't see an advantage to this method over just dropping the file with or without encryption, into Public.

Edit: Also since the OP is not SysAdmin on the network, he cannot unshare user folders to protect them as advised in the linked thread.

Click to expand...

I agree that using the Public folders is safer but that isn't what the OP was asking about in the first post.

I was really only answering the Ops first post about sharing drives with users without having to type in user name and password, but I'm not trying to answer the subsequent questions. I'll leave that to you lol.

By the way, the Public folders sometimes aren't shared by default, you must go into the C:/Users/Public folder >Sharing tab, Advanced button, to set the public folders to share. Then you also have to enable the public and guest sharing in the Advanced Sharing settings.

This is standard procedure for sharing drives and there is an easy way to un-share specific User folders if required.

chev65 said:

MilesAhead said:

Hmm putting the stuff in Users has the disadvantage that all user data has to be unshared by an action. Putting the stuff in Public makes it plain that it's public. Still no password access. I don't see an advantage to this method over just dropping the file with or without encryption, into Public.

Edit: Also since the OP is not SysAdmin on the network, he cannot unshare user folders to protect them as advised in the linked thread.

Click to expand...

I agree that using the Public folders is safer but that isn't what the OP was asking about in the first post. I was really only answering the Ops first post but I'm not trying to answer the subsequent questions. I'll leave that to you lol.

By the way, the Public folders sometimes aren't shared by default, you must go into the C:/Users/Public folder >Sharing tab, Advanced button, to set the public folders to share. Then you also have to enable the public and guest sharing in the Advanced Sharing settings.

This is standard procedure for sharing drives and there is an easy way to un-share specific User folders if required.

Click to expand...

I don't understand your response. It's a solution he can't implement. So I don't see how "easy" comes into play.

I would like to avoid having to make a local user for him on my own computer.

The part in bold is what I am responding to because Drive access isn't possible unless he creates an account or eases up the security on the Users folder. I never saw the Op asking about the Public folders, I believe you brought that up.

The Op also said this > So is my initial impression correct, that you can't simply create an account to view my drives without creating a local user? Or, in other words, can only local users (or knowing the credentials of a local user) access shared folders?

His impression is not correct however because of my first post which explains how to share drives without having to add a local user account. If he can create local users then he most certainly can make adjustments to the local drives on his own machine.

And I still agree that sharing through Public folders is much safer. I was only responding to the questions about drive sharing without having to add a local user account.

I never saw the Op asking about the Public folders, I believe you brought that up.

Click to expand...

That's right. I brought it up because

His impression is not correct

Click to expand...

Anyway, it doesn't matter as essentially sharing Users is the same as sharing Public only with more hassles and pitfalls and therefore less benefits.

MilesAhead said:

I never saw the Op asking about the Public folders, I believe you brought that up.

Click to expand...

That's right. I brought it up because

His impression is not correct

Click to expand...

Anyway, it doesn't matter as essentially sharing Users is the same as sharing Public only with more hassles and pitfalls and therefore less benefits.

Click to expand...

Yes it's much safer because the clients will only have access to the folders which are placed into the Public folders.

I try to get people to use the Public folders but they never seem to understand what I'm saying or they just don't want to because they aren't familiar with using them.

All they have to do is enable sharing for the Public folder>sharing tab>advanced and go to the advanced sharing settings and turn on network discovery and file and printer sharing for the Guest and Public folders.

Yeah. It doesn't help that MS keeps changing the names of stuff for no good reason I can think of. Mshome to Workgroup, users all users blah blah. Then again, if I was working for some housecall PC repair outfit and getting paid to drive out and fix people up then....