Connecting several computers wirelessly without internet.

[Tamim Zaki]

So my father is trying to connect his laptop and office pcs to each other, however he does not want to do this through LAN or the office's WLAN OR the internet whatsoever.

What he is asking for is to be able to be working on his laptop, and have any files saved or edited to be immediately synced to the other computers. However as I mentioned this earlier, he does not want it to be done through the LAN, WLAN or using the internet.

I suggested to him using OneDrive, and having folders synced, but he doesn't want that either as he said that since he travels so much, he doesn't want to rely on the internet as not every place has access to it, and using the phone as a hotspot is very inefficient, and expensive.

Most methods I have found online required manually moving the files, or having you choose between connecting one machine to another through a direct wireless connection, which however makes you lose your internet connection as you have to disconnect from the router.

I've searched online for hours but haven't been successful in finding anything of that sort, mainly because I don't even know what terms to use.

Any sort of information would be much appreciated.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Tell him to buy some cans of coffee or baked beans, and some string...

But seriously, why would you want to network two computers together, but NOT using a network. Kind of defies logic.

The only other suggestion, would be to use a USB external HDD, which would have to be manually connected to each machine in turn, to move data around.

 

[Tamim Zaki]

Tell him to buy some cans of coffee or baked beans, and some string...

But seriously, why would you want to network two computers together, but NOT using a network. Kind of defies logic.

The only other suggestion, would be to use a USB external HDD, which would have to be manually connected to each machine in turn, to move data around.

Its not that he doesn't want to use a network, but rather that he wants an immediate real time update. I myself understand that you need a network, but I'm not sure I exactly understand what he wants, so I'm trying to find some sort of alternative where I could somehow connect those PCs. I was thinking about maybe setting up some sort of server for him where he can access anything on either computer at anytime. But my knowledge in this field is very limited which is why I hopped on here. I think what he may want is some sort of remote access, so I'm wondering if it is possible to do that so that you could connect those computers, and remote access them through the internet the way IT support does it, however without confirming it from the other end manually, but rather as soon as I activate it from either PC. I was also wondering how high the data usage would be (for mobile hotspot purposes).

I'm sorry if I'm explaining the situation in a confusing matter, as I myself am confused....

 

[sdifox]

Get a wifi router with usb ports, stick a usb HDD on it, save all files to local HDD and there.

And the router doesn't have to be connected to internet.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Its not that he doesn't want to use a network, but rather that he wants an immediate real time update.

Then get a QNAP NAS unit, with Gigabit or better LAN, and use their built-in "Q-Sync" feature.
https://www.qnap.com/en-us/utilities#f8_09

 

[JackMDS]

256GB only $44
.
And tell him that it is Really Cool as seen in Spies Movies.

 

[sdifox]

256GB only $44
.
And tell him that it is Really Cool as seen in Spies Movies.

Sneaker net ftw!

 

[Ketchup]

Yeah, sounds like he needs a flash drive. If he wants, as suggested, he can use a router with usb access. However, I have a folder for data I take with me when I travel. Right before I leave I make a fresh copy from the server to the laptop. Copy process runs while getting ready to leave. Works for me.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

Sometimes thinking you know what someone wants to implement and understanding WHY they think they need that something implemented, turns out to lead to very different paths taken in helping them. I also find that often times people think they know or understand how something works, and really, they don't.

So you gotta back them up and get down to the basics:

Why does he need it synced across all machines "immediately"?

Is the intention that he expects that if one machine dies, he can use another as a backup? (There's all sorts of ways to approach backups)
Is his intention that "I should be able to log onto whatever machine I want and access all the same stuff"? The USB drive on a router could work for that purpose (router needs to support that functionality - and there's no real reason that he shouldn't be able to take the router and the USB drive plugged into it anywhere he wants). Just shortcut to it on each machine's desktop. Alternatively, setup a shared folder on one of the machines and have a short cut to it on all the machine's desktop. If he travels, then ideally, that shared drive should be on the machine that travels with him (the laptop? - make backups) so that when he's home, the other machines are just connecting to the updated data from his travels. In small business, the shared drive is usually on some kind of server operating system, and all the desktop machines access that data over the network, but you don't *have* to use a server OS for the same functionality in the home.​

He doesn't want it done through LAN, WLAN, internet... does he know what those are? Is he going to wave a magic wand?

 

[mv2devnull]

+1
What is the actual functionality that needs to be implemented?

Note:
* "Immediate sync", done "perfectly", means that every mistake, every accidental delete must be propagated to every sync-copy. Backup that is not.
* Remote locations that "lack internet" cannot possibly immediately sync to other home PC's.


PS. A topic that has "nothing via LAN/WAN", and "everything" about saving files. Is that "Networking" or "Storage"?

 

[ylin0811]

Your dad can do this by creating an ad-hoc network that allows sharing of information with several wifi capable devices. Windows 10 doesn't support ad-hoc "natively", so you would need to configure using windows command shell. Search around microsoft database and you will find it.

 

[Mike64]

As HutchinsonJC implies, your father, and/or you, seem to be confusing "LANs" and/or "WLANs" with "WANS" and/or "the Internet". A LAN in and of itself doesn't necessarily have anything to do with "the Internet", but connecting two or more computers in a way that lets them communicate freely between/among each other more or less by definition creates some sort of "LAN", whether you do it with a wired router, wifi of one sort or another, direct Ethernet cable connections, or even VirtualLarry's metaphoric tin cans and string. If he understands this and still doesn't want any sort of "network" (for whatever his reasons), his only option would be manual transfer via one sort of physical data storage device or another - USB drive, external hard drive, or- PC gods forbid - possibly CDs or DVDs . Though obviously that won't "immediately update" anything on any other computer, let alone all of them more or less at once.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Is there a logic behind his reason? You can still have a network without it relying on the internet - a proper network should indeed be setup this way. If you rely too heavily on external services you lose control of your infrastructure. Why does he want a network, but without an actual network? Seems to me a LAN would be his best bet. Whether or not it has internet connectivity should not affect access to data if it's setup properly.

As for immediate update something like Windows DFS might be worth looking into. Downside of that is you are relying on a proprietary technology. I would just do some automated synced backups myself, have them run once a day or something.

 

[Bardock]

Look into mesh networks.