Syncing outside the internal network

[kartal]

Hi

Is it possible to sync my computers when I take my laptop to a cafe for example? Normally I would be using internally but how can I sync when I get out of my house? Is there an easy way?

Btw I do not want to use online storage option, I prefer peer to peer direct syncing.


thanks

[B.A.]

Dear kartal
Yes it is If you running PoweRfolder in combined lan/internet modus(default) there should be no problem with this. In some cases you need to configure your firewall(port forward 1337= default). To make sure that you are not using the online backup just uncheck the "create online copy " box on creation of the folder, this way only your computer will hold a copy of the data.

[kartal]

Hi

How do you do it then? I mean how can I add find my home comouter to my laptop(which Ic arry) when I am at a cafe or some another place?

thanks

[B.A.]

Dear kartal

The question is do you want to exchange data on a folder which you are already a member of? Or do you want to join a folder while you ar eon a remote location?

For the first case there should be no problem.
But if you want to join a new folder the problem is that you need to have send or accept an invitation so you need interaction on both sides(send/accept invitation).

An workarround would be, if you use the online storage for this folder.
Than you can login to the webinterface:
https://www.powerfolder.com/storage_login.html
download the invitation file from the folder and load it.

This will be much easier in one of the next versions (4.0)
Than you will be able to join all folders on your account without inviation.
The coding is done but this feature is not implemented in the current version.

[kartal]

Hi

I want to keep using an already available share.

For example I am sharing a folder called calendars. I have 2 more members joined to folder within my Lan. It works well it is all good. However I take my laptop and go to a coffee house. How can I keep the syncing alive? I mean how would PF keep track of where abouts of me and my syncing without me rejoining or using an invitation from the distance location? I just want to take the laptop withy me and not worry about synching regardless of where I am.

On the other hand , are you saying that as long as there is an invitation file(assuming that I will be joining first time) I can join a local or distance share(overe the internet), regardless of my where I am at that moment?



I have already forwarded the ports to one of my member`s ip number.

[B.A.]

PowerFolder is running an internal P2P network which enables it to find other computers while they are changing the location.

So if you nodes are running in LAn&Internet modus and the firewall is setup correctly PowerFolder will have no problem to etablish an connection between the nodes.

If you have an inviatation file you can join the folder to have optimal transfers rates the other members need to accept your puplic key but the online storage does not need this to exchange files with you.

[kartal]

Hi

Ok it sounds good, but how does it do it(without being too technical please)?
I mean how does PF keep track of nodes without a central server keeping track of what is going on? Are PF nodes aware of external ip at all times and try to connect to previous external Ip when I am outside? Just curious.




PowerFolder is running an internal P2P network which enables it to find other computers while they are changing the location.

So if you nodes are running in LAn&Internet modus and the firewall is setup correctly PowerFolder will have no problem to etablish an connection between the nodes.

If you have an inviatation file you can join the folder to have optimal transfers rates the other members need to accept your puplic key but the online storage does not need this to exchange files with you.

[B.A.]

Dear Kartal

Each PowerFolder client holds a list of known nodes and is exchanging it with other clients, because of performance reasons this list is incomplete, but if it tries to find a new client which is not in the existing it is asking other clients if they know this client.

This is working very well but as a backup we integrated a few servers in our network which are supernodes to improve the speed of the search.

Also even if there are other nodes which know your client they have no access to your data, since we added an unique user identification and of course the traffic is not routed over other clients and also encrypted.

IF you are using http-tunnel or relayed connection(when ports are closed) the traffic gets routed (this means they connect the nodes) over our servers but still is encrypted and not readable by us or any other third party.

[kartal]

Hi

Thanks for explaining. I am glad that everything is encrypted, really privacy will be one of the most importnat topics of upcoming times.

Is it possible to have pure ip to ip connection without even letting other nodes or supernodes know about existing of my own nodes? I might want to have a pure connection directly from one lan ip to another or from outside ip adresses.


thanks

[B.A.]

This is only possible if both computers have fixed ips in the current version:
http://www.powerfolder.com/wiki/Setup_a_network_with_connections_to_only_selected_ clients

but is about to change in one of the next versions (sorry but cannot give an eta)