Sharing folders with External users
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Current solution: We're using SharePoint online and have certain files/folders shared with external users (as well as use for internal users of course)
We hate this solution as SharePoint mapped as a drive causes problems occasionally and we've massively exceeded our file limitations and have to keep creating new document libraries and so forth.
New proposed plan: Spin up a Virtual File server (and DC) and have all SharePoint folders stored on the server with permissions on specific folders.
I was thinking of (using CradlePoint VPN (formerly Pertino) to give the external users access but explaining how to download/install it to random external people could be problematic...Therefore what do others use as an external file sharing facility from a Windows server?
We dont want to use Dropbox as this is unreliable and if the sync tool stops working and we dont know about it, we could leave ourselves exposed to problems. -
Take a look at NextCloud, see if that will meet your needs.
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Also checkout ZeroTier if you want to go the VPN route.
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Im a fan of pydio for this. pydio isnt on Windows i dont think, but setting it up is easy.
Using it to share files is even easier. Just upload the file to the share, right click and click Share. It generates an https link which you then just email to the people you want to share it with(outside the office obvs, as smb shares are easier in the office). When you dont want to share it anymore, just right click and unshare it. Now nobody can get it.Our techsupport people use this to email links for firmware update, user guides, product documentation for our customers. Our inventory people use it to give BOMs to people since those end up being too big for an attachment usually.
I am just trying out nextcloud and it also does this, but is slightly different.
