For our latest products, please visit the OWC website at www.macsales.com
File Upload Benchmark

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.

ProtocolLANWANTransferViewProsConsMore Info
Web interface
  • Browser is easy to use for anyone
  • No setup or software installation required
  • Works on home network and for remote access
  • Not suitable for large files transfers
  • Upload size for single files limited to 1.86GB
  • Slow transfer rates compared to other methods
  • Cannot upload/download directories and folders
Browser
SMB
  • Good transfer rates
  • File management like local HDD
  • Supported on both Mac and Windows
  • Can only be used on home network
  • User needs to know how to mount the drive
Windows
Mac
AFP
  • Good transfer rates
  • Native protocol for Mac OS
  • File management like local HDD
  • Only supported on Mac OS
  • Can only be used on home network
Mac
NFS
  • Native protocol for Linux
  • Good transfer rates
  • Access control doesn't require user login
  • Requires additional configuration for access control
  • Designed for Unix and Linux systems, not for Windows
Mac
FTP
  • Good transfer rates, even for remote access
  • FTP client can pause/resume tasks and data log shows record of transfers
  • Site manager in FTP client makes managing different accounts easy
  • Requires installation of 3rd party FTP client
  • Requires port forwarding for remote access
  • Have to download files before opening
  • More suitable for advanced users than beginners
Windows
Mac
WebDAV
  • Can mount drive like local HDD even remotely
  • Slow transfer rates
  • Unreliable feedback for upload/download progress
  • File size limitations
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.

ProtocolLANWANTransferViewProsConsMore Info
Mobile app
  • Ease of use
  • Works on home network and for remote access
  • Limited functionality
  • Except for photo uploads, files are transferred one at a time
Android
iOS
UPnP media server
  • Streams images, music and video on home network
  • UPnP client doesn't need to login
  • Media playback is quick and easy
  • Can only be used on home network
  • Can only be used to stream files, not to upload or delete files
  • File support depends on both server and client
UPnP
iTunes music server
  • Streams music to iTunes player
  • iTunes player doesn't need to login
  • Music playback is quick and easy
  • Can only be used on home network
  • Can only be used to stream files, not upload or delete files
  • Only supports music files
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/WhenWhatWhy
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).