How to create an FTP connection to quickly share files between Android and PC. Mobile access to PC
An FTP server via an Asus router in the AiDisk application is the most optimal way to set up file distribution over a local network. In order to log into such a server, you must use the IP address 192.168.0.100 or 192.168.1.100, depending on the model. Here it should be especially emphasized that it is not used to log into the router, but rather to connect to a file storage device. You won't be able to access the router settings using it.
Which Asus router is suitable for creating an FTP file server?
The line of Asus routers is very large; you can find a model for every taste and budget. And about a third of them have a USB port. This means that having such a router, it is possible to run an FTP server on it for exchanging documents between computers.
It is easy to distinguish such models by the letter “U” at the end of the Asus names. It just means that this router has a USB port.
Setting up an FTP server on an Asus router via AiDisk in the old version of the admin panel
Since Asus devices are distinguished by fairly good reliability, today you can find completely working models produced five to ten years ago. Therefore, in this article I will show you how to run an FTP server on an Asus router in both the old and new versions of the software.
Login to 192.168.0.100 via AiDisk in the old version of the admin panel
So, in action we have our good old RT-N10U router. All firmware of this company of the same generation have a similar interface, so the manual will be useful to owners of any models. Those of them that have a USB connector have the AiDisk utility pre-installed, so it will be easy for you to navigate.
So, we connect the drive - it can be either a simple flash drive or a full-fledged external hard drive with autonomous power supply, which is preferable.
Go to the router control panel at “http://192.168.1.1” and select “AiDisk” from the menu. If the page below does not appear, you must wait and restart the setup wizard until the router recognizes the drive.
We press the only available button and select the access mode for the future FTP server.
I prefer the third option, and later you can set a separate password for those who just want to use file storage.
Of course, you will need to change your login and password to your own.
Access to Asus FTP server from the Internet
I have already explained that it allows you to replace your white dynamic external IP address with a domain name if you have a white external IP address (read more about the DDNS service). If you have a router from another manufacturer, for example Zyxel, then it will most likely support well-known DDNS services, for example no-ip.com, which I already talked about on this blog.
The Asus router does not support them in the standard firmware, since this manufacturer has its own service. And to support third-party DDNS you need to install non-original firmware. Therefore, we will register a new account in the asuscomm.com service here. If you do not want the ftp server to work on the Internet, but only around the apartment, then select the “Skip ASUS DDNS setup” option. Later, in another section - WAN > “DDNS” tab - you can configure this function separately.
- at the external address http://yourname.asuscomm.com
- or ftp://192.168.1.1 for internal network users, which can simply be entered in the browser.
On some models of Asus routers, for the ftp server to work, you need to set a specific port - by default it is “2121”, that is, the final address for internal use on the local network looks like “http://192.168.1.1:2121”. In some other models, the server IP may differ, for example, the form “192.168.0.100:2121” is also widespread.
Open this page, enter the specified login and password and get into the storage:
Now you can also go to the “USB Applications” section and see the users who are allowed to access files and a list of all documents on the USB flash drive, which is now a full-fledged ftp file server with wifi access.
Also, by selecting a specific user, you can set access rights for each individual folder. To do this, check the appropriate boxes next to these folders:
- R/W - write and read
- W - write only
- R - read only
- No - no access
Error when the address 192.168.l.l00 or 192.168.0.l00 cannot be accessed
What to do if you can’t log into the Asus ftp server? I won’t write about trivial operational errors or incorrect settings.
I noticed that very often people simply type the IP address of the file storage incorrectly. For example, instead of the number “1” they write the letter “L”, which is very similar in spelling. Type 192.168.L.L00 or 192.168.0.L00. There is no need to do this. The address contains only numbers!
Video on creating an FTP server via an Asus router
If you have a wireless router at home, an Android smartphone and a PC running Windows can form a successful tandem. After all, copying large multimedia files from a computer to a mobile device via Wi-Fi is much more convenient than connecting the gadget to a USB port every time. In addition, the smartphone can be turned into a remote control and remote access terminal, and the PC will act as a network storage and media server.
All this became possible thanks to the openness of the Android mobile platform and the widest capabilities of the Windows OS, as well as the abundance of applications - both paid and free - for both of them. As a result, the operating systems from Google and Microsoft, despite the initial differences (Android is based on the Linux kernel), turned out to be quite compatible and have become good friends over the past few years. In any case, they now have much more in common with each other than with the Apple iOS mobile platform with its closed architecture and bans on many seemingly mandatory functions.
The Google Play Market online store offers a large number of applications for remote control and access to a PC from a smartphone or tablet, but finding truly noteworthy solutions among them is by no means easy. Therefore, we will select for you the most convenient and at the same time absolutely free programs for interacting Android devices with Windows computers, and will also tell you in detail how to prepare them for work.
Windows shared folder
Perhaps the most frequently requested task is transferring files from a computer to an Android device via a wireless Wi-Fi network.
Files stored on a PC can not only be downloaded, but also viewed and even edited using an Android smartphone or tablet, which is much more convenient due to the larger screen diagonal.
So, in order to watch a movie of several gigabytes, you do not have to first download it from your PC to your smartphone. Many video players for Android - for example, MX Player - will be able to play it in streaming mode, as long as there is enough wireless bandwidth.
In order to connect to a shared folder on your computer, an administrator account will not work - you must create an additional Windows account. In addition, this must be done for security reasons. To do this, go to the Start | Control Panel | User Accounts | Manage another account | Create an account." Then specify the name of the new Windows user profile, and also select the “Typical Access” type.
A prerequisite for remote connection to a particular folder in the Windows operating system is to protect the account with a password. Therefore, click on the icon of the newly created user profile and select “Create a password”. Enter the password and hint for it twice, and then click on the “Create Password” button for the changes to take effect.
After setting up your PC running Windows, install the “ES Explorer” file manager on your Android device. In addition to working with local files, it can connect to FTP servers. In most cases, to work with this protocol it is more convenient to use the special AndFTP, which you can read about on the next page. But in this situation, we are interested in the ability to connect to Windows shared folders.
The first step is to prepare your PC by setting up shared folders. In addition, in Windows you need to create a new user account, as we described above. It is convenient to put files for exchange with a tablet or smartphone in a separate directory, which must be made visible on the Internet. How to implement this is described below.
After adding the address of the server, which is your desktop computer, as well as your Windows user account information, an icon for quickly connecting to your PC will appear in the main menu of ES Explorer. Once you click on it, the files of the remote computer will appear on the screen.
Transferring data via Wi-Fi: instructions
1 TO SHARE A FOLDER ON YOUR PC, right-click on it and select the “Properties” context menu item. In the window that appears, go to the “Access” tab and click on “Advanced settings”. Check the “Share this folder” checkbox and click the “Permissions” button.
2 CLICK ON THE “ADD” BUTTON, in the line that appears, enter the name of the previously created Windows account and click “OK” to give this user profile access to a folder or an entire local drive.
3 TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY not only download files from a PC to an Android device, but also download them in the opposite direction, select the name of the previously created account with the mouse, and then check the box in the first column opposite the “Full access” item.
4 IN THE “ES CONDUCTOR” PROGRAM Swipe the screen from right to left to go to the Local Network tab. On the toolbar, click on “New | Server". In the “Address” line, enter the PC’s IP address (for example, “192.168.0.100”), and in the “Login” and “Password” lines - the corresponding data for the previously created Windows account.
Transferring files via FTP
The most classic way of providing access to data appeared back in 1971, but has still not lost its relevance. Servers based on the FTP protocol are easy to set up and compatible with any device.
This protocol has a number of disadvantages. Thus, the maximum size of the transferred file should not exceed 2 GB, and Cyrillic names may not be displayed correctly. But you can easily access the FTP server even when you are outside your home computer network. However, to do this, you need to first configure the port mapping and find out the external IP address of the wireless router assigned by your Internet provider, or use the No-IP web service (no-ip.com).
To establish interaction between an Android device and a PC, we recommend starting with a desktop device. Launch the no-installation Baby FTP Server (pablosoftwaresolutions.com), which, as the name suggests, can be set up by even a baby. The program's interface is really simple, and the choice of settings is minimal - you can't even set a password. Therefore, if you plan to access your server not only from your home network, but also from outside, then for security reasons you should provide read-only rights. Select “Settings” in the main menu of Baby FTP Server and specify the folder to which access will be made via the FTP protocol. Then check the boxes next to “Allow Download” (this will allow you to download files from your PC to your smartphone) and “Allow Upload” (this is necessary to download data in the opposite direction). Optionally, give permission to remotely create folders, as well as rename and erase files.
To check if your newly configured FTP server is functioning normally, enter ftp://192.168.0.100 in the address bar of any browser (your computer's IP address may differ). If all the settings have been made correctly, on the web page you should see a list of files that are contained in the folder allocated for the needs of the FTP server.
After the FTP server for Windows OS is installed and configured, you can begin preparing your smartphone or tablet. Perhaps the best free FTP client for the Android mobile platform today is the AndFTP application. In addition to a well-thought-out interface, as well as high speed and, no less important, connection stability, this package also boasts integration with the file transfer system menu on a smartphone. Now the button for quickly transferring files from a mobile gadget to a PC via FTP will be located next to the icons of Gmail, Bluetooth, cloud storage and social networks.
Transferring files via FTP: instructions
1 BE SURE TO ACTIVATE in the Baby FTP Server settings, select “Automatically activate server on startup” so that the application starts every time Windows OS boots.
2 CONTACT THE FTP SERVER it is possible not only from a specialized program, but also from a browser. However, in the latter case, the Cyrillic names of the inode files are displayed incorrectly.
3. CLICK ON THE “ADD” BUTTON to create a new connection in AndFTP. In the appropriate lines, enter the server IP address (for example “192.168.0.100”), port “21” and user name “Anonymous”. Leave the “Password” line blank. Check the box next to “Allow resuming support” to be able to continue downloading files after a connection failure. Finally, click “Save” for the changes to take effect.
4 SELECT SEVERAL FILES IN THE ANDFTP PROGRAM on your PC by holding your finger on them for about a second, and then click on the “Download” button to copy to your smartphone’s memory. If you need to transfer files in the opposite direction, click on “Local files” and repeat the above procedure.
Remote Desktop
Wirelessly transferring files between a PC and an Android device is, of course, good, but from time to time there is a need to access the Windows desktop. You can do this using an Android application called PocketCloud Remote Desktop.
To allow remote connection to a PC, it must first be configured. To do this, click “Start | Control Panel | System | Setting up remote access" and then select the "Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (more dangerous)" checkbox. By the way, the additional Windows account discussed above will be used to connect (see the “Windows Shared Folder” section).
In general, the PocketCloud Remote Desktop application does not cause any complaints: the on-screen keyboard and mouse emulation function correctly, and, as a result, working with Windows programs is almost as convenient as on a PC.
When connecting to a Windows remote desktop using the PocketCloud Remote Desktop application, do not overdo the screen resolution and color scheme
TeamViewer - PC control via the Internet
The RDP protocol discussed above is undoubtedly convenient and does not require installation of an additional server application on the PC. But, if there is a need to connect to
remote desktop via the Internet, you will have to make a number of network settings. The TeamViewer application, which is well known to Windows users, will help you avoid unnecessary actions, a special version of which also exists for the Android mobile platform.
Connecting to a remote desktop in TeamViewer is based on a login and password, which are automatically generated by the program server, which is very convenient. Another advantage of TeamViewer is that it automatically adjusts the quality of the broadcast image depending on the connection speed.
After installing the TeamViewer application, users of Android devices have access to the entire range of Windows applications
Remote control
Among other things, a smartphone running Android is well suited to serve as a remote control for Windows media players. In the Google Play Market catalog you can find corresponding programs for almost all popular audio and video players. So, you can switch to the next music track or turn up the volume a little in the standard Microsoft player - Windows Media Player - using the WMP Remote LITE application.
The Aimp Control program is suitable for remote control of the popular AIMP audio player. Similar applications exist for the Media Player Classic and VideoLAN video players - Remote MPC and Remote for VLC, respectively.
μTorrent Remote
The μTorrent Remote remote access client allows you not only to find out the percentage of downloads completed, but also to pause or, conversely, start individual of them. To use the μTorrent Remote application for Android devices, you must first specify your login and access password in the settings of the μTorrent program for Windows. To do this, in the main menu, select “Settings | Program settings | Remote access" and check the box next to "Access to remote μTorrent".
As a result, you will be able to manage the process of downloading files via the BitTorrent protocol using a smartphone or tablet, both within a local network and over the Internet.
Smartphones play an important role in the modern world. In addition to the fact that these devices allow you to communicate at a distance and exchange instant messages, smart phones also perform a number of other functions. Firstly, a smartphone significantly expands the communication capabilities of the device, allowing you to communicate in instant messengers and make video calls. And secondly, the smartphone provides its owner with wide multimedia capabilities, which include: playing music, videos, launching video games, using the device as a GPS navigator and much more.
In addition, the phone itself is capable of shooting high-quality videos and taking high-resolution photos. In other words, there is a need.
Synchronization methods
Due to the large volumes of data, the process of exchanging files can be quite lengthy. Even a USB cable cannot fully ensure fast data exchange, not to mention the inconvenience of using this method. Regularly connecting and disconnecting the cable can lead to accelerated wear of the device connector.
Other data transfer methods, such as bluetooth, are not fast enough, which is why synchronization can take several hours.
It can be considered the fastest and most convenient way to transfer data. Unfortunately, standard Android tools do not provide for data exchange between a mobile device and a computer.
To establish synchronization, the user will have to install third-party software, an FTP server or a file manager. One of the most convenient applications can be considered ES conductor. This program provides several ways to connect a smartphone to a computer, via the FTP protocol and directly to shared files on the local network. For both the first and second methods, you must have a Wi-Fi router.
To connect to your home LAN network, you need to set certain computer settings.
First, you should open the control panel and go to the network management section, and then change additional settings.
In the window that appears, you must select “ current profile" and enable network access in all items, then select " All networks" and at the very bottom put a tick on the item " Disable general …».
Now, you need to select any folder on the local disk of your computer, right-click on it and go to the “ Access».
Next, you need to click on the “ Sharing» and in the window that appears, specify the users who have access to the selected directory. To have access to a network folder on a mobile device, as a user, you should select " All", as well as specify read and write rights.
You can copy or move any files to the shared directory, which will now be available for downloading from your smartphone.
To gain access to network directories in ES Explorer, you don’t need to configure anything, just enter the application, swipe to the right to expand the toolbar and go to the “ Net».
In this section, you should select the subsection " LAN", and start scanning available directories.
The names of computers connected to the home network will appear in the window; by clicking on one of them, you can see the same shared folder.
The shared directory can be used both to download files from it and to download materials from the smartphone itself. Unlike other methods of data transfer, using a LAN connection, you can move dozens of directories with files and subfolders inside at once.
To make sure the connection speed, you can place video files in a shared folder, and then open them on your smartphone. The data transfer speed is so high that the files will not open as a streaming video, but as a full-fledged video file that can be “scrolled” to the middle or end of the timeline.
In ES Explorer, you can configure access to a full-fledged FTP server; moreover, if desired, you can make an FTP server from the smartphone itself.
In fact, this method is suitable for those who, for some reason, were unable to access shared folders on the local network. To start the FTP server, you need to go to the same section “ Net", but this time select the subsection " Remote access».
A new window displays the status of the available network and the “ Turn on" After turning on, the screen displays the address where you can access the device files.
What's interesting is that in the settings, you can select the root directory, so it can be either the phone's memory or microSD.
To access smartphone directories, you can use both a browser and a computer explorer. Although Explorer is much more convenient, because you can use it to drag and drop any files from other sections.
As with LAN, this method allows you to move files both from your computer to your smartphone and back.
To quickly access your smartphone’s memory, you can go to the “ This computer" and using the right mouse button add a new element, indicating in the field " address", the same ftp address from the smartphone screen. Thus, after running the FTP server on the phone, a person can access it as easily as a local drive.
There are many other tools for transferring data, take at least the file manager for Android total comander or cloud services, but unlike other applications, ES File Explorer does not need to install additional modules, and you do not need to perform tedious registrations for it to work.
How to transfer files between Android devices over Wi-Fi? If both Android devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, transferring files between them is a piece of cake. For the proposed scenario to work, both devices (or at least one) must have ES Explorer installed.
The sequence of actions is as follows:
1. Connect to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On the device from which you want to copy files, launch ES Explorer and go to the section Net, Remote access.
3. Press the button Turn on. You will receive options to access the FTP server that will be running on this device, for example ftp://192.168.0.101:3721.
FTP server started
4. On the second device, launch any FTP client and connect to the first device using the received parameters.
Protocol selection
5. If ES Explorer is installed on the second device, then go to the section Net, FTP and press the button Create. Select ftp protocol. Enter the access parameters you received earlier and be sure to turn on the switch Anonymous.
Connection settings
Added FTP server
6. The added FTP will appear in the list, select it. You will see a list of files on the first device.
