FTP Management

[.chad]

I'm not sure exactly where to put this, I apologize if it is in the wrong place.

We have FTP space & a barely mediocre management system through our web host that until recently was enough for our needs. However, as we use it more and more management is becoming an issue - keeping track of passwords, accounts, projects and so on. Can anyone recommend or point me in the direction of some good ways to manage the whole mess? I can find my way around an FTP client with no real issues, but setting permissions and re-organizing everything through the web host webUI is tedious at best. I SERIOUSLY doubt I can convince my boss to spring for additional software or hosting options.

Our in-office network is very basic. Modem, Router/Firewall, Switch - everything is hooked into the switch and then out to the world through the router. Our "server" is one Win-XP machine. No domains or Windows Server software or anything like that (again - cheap boss is cheap.) I am as close to an IT department as we get, and I am not comfortable trying to convert our server to Linux / Unix, mostly due to lack of knowledge on how it works. I am not opposed however to running some sort of FTP server package off our network - but I don't know how to set it up so clients can connect in and still have everything secured internally (don't want lookey-loos.)

Anything that could help is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Glenn Pope]

Depending on how much storage you may need, services like Dropbox may be a solution. Get get 2GB for free, and with sending out invites can max out at 8GB.

Couple pros to using a service like this is you don't have to worry about user/password/account management. The client just signs up for a free account and let the service provider worry about that. Allowing access to a folder is as easy as sending an email to the person you want to share with. Only they have access to that folder, and they don't get access to other folders.

[.chad]

I use Dropbox for my own stuff and love it, but I don't think its the right solution for this We need subs & clients to be able to upload as well as download and a lot of the clients will want their own 'private' sections. I.E. client A doesn't want client B or sub 3 to be able to see their stuff. I'll keep on diggin!