Your Webspace - How To Access?

[pbar]

I'm with Pipex who have recently merged again (yet again), and are now with tiscali/talktalk/opal, I think. Their webspace security has now been changed, previously I could log into my free webspace from any computer, anywhere. But now, that's changed so you can only log in from your home connection.

Nice of them to keep the changes to themselves (again), and force me to contact tech support to see what the problem was.

This is a pain as using webspace is a great way to transfer files around. Anyway, I have two questions -

Is anyone aware of a way around this?

Does your ISP work the same way, or can you log in from anywhere?

[Aaron]

My thoughts of getting around that would be to make a simple, password protected file uploader page hosted on your site. I would guess that its only FTP connections that they are blocking from external connections, so that should allow you do upload files.

You will still be able to access files that you have uploaded to your site from any connection tho

[andyn]

Yeah that would work well. Make sure you do protect it with a decent password though, or you'll be leaving yourself wide open.

Generally I don't use web hosting packages, I rent a whole server (at one time physical or more likely virtual nowadays) so I've not run into this issue. I've been a sysadmin for too long, not having root access makes me feel physically unwell .

[DoubleTop]

snap, I have my own dedicated server.

I wrote a little secure file dropper for work some time ago, it might still work !

DT.

[Mr. Grapes]

pipex are the biggest bunch of c**ts going. (they used to be good and well respected, but all the mergers and takeovers, they are now nothing more than a PITA)

after nearly 3 hours (over a few different calls) I'm finally shot of them. honestly, the worst customer (dis)service from any comany i have ever dealt with. EVER and that's saying something, being a ~10 year ntl/virgin media customer.

btw, I can access my(admittedly pretty useless) ISP webspace from anywhere (virgin media/ntlworld) but i have my PHP capable webspace hosted elsewehere.

another solution is if you have/get/build a NAS on your home network with an ftp server. then allow it access from the outside world. then use a dynamic IP dns service like DynDns so you always have a memorable URL even when you're on a dynamic IP service.

Bazinga!

[scottmac]

That's crazy only being able to login from home, what possible benefits does that have for anyone

[DoubleTop]

it's not that crazy, the only reason you have the 'free' webspace is because you have a pipex connection, so why not only allow access to that connection from pipex lines. Makes a kind of sense to me, annoyingly.

Best bet, start using this, free up to 2Gb and if you get others to sign up using your link you get extra space. I could dig out my referral link but 2Gb is enough for what I use it for.
https://www.dropbox.com/

DT.

[andyn]

If you have a google account (for gmail or whatever) you have 1GB of free space in 'google documents' already; there are a lot of these 'disk space on the interweb' offerings cropping up, they can be quite handy.

[IanS]

As DT said Dropbox is great for this type of thing.

Regards
IanS.

[Mr. Grapes]

ubuntu one as well. you don't even need to use ubuntu to use it...

[pbar]

My thoughts of getting around that would be to make a simple, password protected file uploader page hosted on your site.

Great idea. I shall look into doing that, thanks.

it's not that crazy, the only reason you have the 'free' webspace is because you have a pipex connection, so why not only allow access to that connection from pipex lines.
DT.

Yes, it does make sense that they'd do that. It's not been like that for years though, they've just changed it.

As DT said Dropbox is great for this type of thing.

Regards
IanS.

You have to install software with that though. If you're 'jumping' on a pc quickly to look at something or working on a clients pc and wanting to copy files over, better to not to have to install anything.

[InvaderGIR]

This is why I love my QiQ hosted site that cost me 11p for a years hosting.

[andyn]

You have to install software with that though. If you're 'jumping' on a pc quickly to look at something or working on a clients pc and wanting to copy files over, better to not to have to install anything.

Yeah that's the nice thing about google documents; the interface is a bit clunky but as long as you have a web browser, you can use it.

[pbar]

So, if I open a gmail account, I instantly get 1GB of webspace, which files can be added to, and deleted from, using just an internet browser?

[Col]

Google Docs would be much more useful if you could map your space as a network drive.