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[shakaru]

Recently I have been trying to get a few boxes at diffrent locations networked together so that media can be downloaded or streamed across.
I thought maybe setting up a ftp server at one location and then adding the share information to XBMC would allow user to be able to log in and copy and files that are needed. But to my suprise I found that ftp support in xbmc to be to buggy to let me login, let alone tranfer files.
My next step was to try to use NSV to stream nsv files simular to the "OnDemand" services that cable providers have been providing, except that the Nullsoft software is to buggy to even allow me to encode files without the system crashing.

Ive considered creating a VPN (never done that before but I should be able to figure it out) so that one can use the smb support to copy files from shared folders. Or to try using a web server with just an index listing to allow files to be manually added to a python script and downloaded via that script (this is an option that I feel wont work and even if it does, that it will be to difficult for some of the users I wish to equip with this)

If anyone knows of any solid and reliable solutions to transfering files via the net, please let me know. Also, a majority of the files are less that 2kb in size. I do wish to at a later date add larger files, but an imeadiate solution for the small files will also do.

Thankyou.

Shakaru Out...

[sloopeh]

vpn is probably the best way forward. however, you may have some difficulties depending on how you do it.

my recommendation would be to use hardware vpn devices and create what are known as site to site vpns.

the other way to do it would be to just use windows xp machines to initiate and host the vpn connections - simply a case of setting up and incoming and outgoing connections on each machine. you would then have to have some kind of routing scenario (you could probably bodge this using internet connection sharing on the vpn dial up entry)

there are also probably some 3rd party freeware apps for setting up vpn servers.

the problem you will likely encounter is getting the traffic from one xbox to another.

each site must be on a different network id - ie you cant have 192.168.0.x/255.255.255.0 at each site. then comes the problem that you will now unlikely be able to browse across the networks and will have to be dependant on being able to enter IP addresses in the software with which you plan to access the xbox. the  reason i say this as i once tried to get an xbox running xbmc to read media from a pc on a different subnet and had a mare before giving up (may have been an off day (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif))

if you only plan to get pc to xbox access then you shouldnt have any major issues using a vpn. if you want help with the nitty gritty then let me know if you want to invest or do it on the cheap and what you need to have access to and from and across what type of networks

[imamafackinhokie]

to be honest I think the ftp would be the easiest route, and just foward the port 21 of the xbox's ip you want to connect to on that router and then connect to it.  

Setting up a VPN would also work, and some newer routers have this function on it (its easier to set it up on a router than a dedicated machine).

i also have a program at home that makes your computer connect to another network and makes it look like its on the same LAN, I'll send you the name (i forget it now).  

And streaming from xbox to xbox wouldnt be possible (i believe)

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[shakaru]

Thanks for all the help so far. Just to clear this up, im not trying to stream from xbox to xbox, but from pc to xbox. Also, imamafackinhokie, please let me know about that program because it sounds perfect for my needs. Thanks guys. If I get this network up, I plan to open it to the pubic.