Like with many things in life, there is always more than one way to do a thing. The same is true for file transfers on the AKiTiO MyCloud network drive.
You can choose between several differen ways and network protocols to upload, download and manage your files on the network drive. Which method to choose depends on how and where you would like to access the files as well as your personal preferences.
There is no one "best" solution, so in this article, we would like to help you make the right decision yourself.
Comparison
To start with, please have a look at the comparison table below. This table includes the network protocols and transfer methods that you can use on your computer. For each, you can see a list of suggestions how and where to use or not to use a certain transfer method. For a complete list, please see our Wiki at http://wiki.myakitio.com/fm_overview#comparison.
If you access your files at home (LAN), all methods are available but if you would like to access your files remotely, from a hotel or at work as an example, please check to see that access from outside (WAN) is supported.
Protocol | LAN | WAN | Transfer | View | Pros | Cons | More Info |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Web interface | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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|
Browser |
SMB | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
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|
Windows Mac |
AFP | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
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|
Mac |
NFS | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
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|
Mac |
FTP | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
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|
Windows Mac |
WebDAV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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|
Windows Mac |
Additional Methods
In the following table, you can see a few more ways how you can access your files but these methods are a bit more specialized, so they might not apply to your situation. For a complete list, please see our Wiki at http://wiki.myakitio.com/fm_overview#additional_methods.
Protocol | LAN | WAN | Transfer | View | Pros | Cons | More Info |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mobile app | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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|
Android iOS |
UPnP media server | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
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UPnP |
iTunes music server | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
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iTunes |
Conclusion
Following recommendations are not based solely on the best transfer rates but on the best overall user experience. If you would like to learn more about the transfer rates, please refer to the benchmark on our Wiki at http://wiki.myakitio.com/fm_overview#benchmark.
Who/Where/When | What | Why |
---|---|---|
Beginners Anywhere |
Web interface | No explanations or software installation needed and it works with all browsers. |
Home network Large file backup |
Samba | Ease of use once the network drive is mounted and fast transfer rates. |
Home network Media playback |
UPnP media server iTunes music server |
Streaming does not require user login, easy and convenient for media playback. |
Remote access Quick uploads |
Web interface Mobile app |
MyAKiTiO web portal automatically redirects user to network drive at home, no further setup required. |
Advanced users Remote access Large file backup |
FTP | Best transfer rate for remote access and FTP client provides additional functions (e.g. pause, resume, error log). |