Inviting users via READYCloud

[PetGriffin]

I have set up various user accounts on my ReadyNAS and want to allow them to access their home folders remotely using ReadyCLOUD.  I logged onto ReadyCLOUD, clicked the home folder for user X and pressed SHARE as suggested here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/ReadyCLOUD/Where-is-the-invite-user-on-the-ReadyCLOUD-web-site/td-p...

However, I get this message "You cannot share without selecting a share folder".  I'm confused ... Is there another way to invite a user ?  I don't really want to create any extra shares

All suggestions gratefully received

[JohnRo]

Hello PetGriffin, 

Please check this article, you'll have to specify which share you want them to access and enable the access rights. See the descriptions here.

If you have more questions, I'll be happy to assist. 

Thanks, 

[PetGriffin]

Hi JohnRo

Thanks for sending the link.  I got as far as step 7 and that's where I run into problems.  This is what I see when I select "Manage"

http://imgur.com/YCgzgcU

There is no "Invite User" button on this screen, whereas there is at this stage of the article.  I notice that the ReadyNAS firmware in the article is 6.1.5 whereas I am using 6.2.5.  Any thoughts?

Best regards

Alun

[JennC]

Hello PetGriffin,

Please try using How do I add ReadyCLOUD users to my ReadyNAS OS 6 storage system? article instead.

Let us know if you have some questions.

Regards,

[PetGriffin]

Hi Jenn

I read that article but I'm afraid it doesn't help!  As I mentioned in my OP, I don't have any shared folders on my ReadyNAS.  I don't understand why I need to create a shared folder (that won't be used) in order to invite a user to join ReadyCLOUD so that they can access their home folders remotely.  It wasn't like that in 6.1.5!

best regards

Alun

[JennC]

Hello PetGriffin,

We apologize but the invite user option under Manage of ReadyCloud site has been removed long time ago.

To invite a ReadyCloud user, you really need to have a share created because the invite is done per share. That is how it is designed.

Did you create local users? These ReadyCloud users you want to invite, do they have ReadyNAS local home folders?

Regards,

[PetGriffin]

Hi Jenn

yes, - these are local users with local ReadyNAS folders.  The only Clud user is me (admin)

best regards

Alun

[JohnRo]

Hello PetGriffin, 

You'll also have to make sure that  there is no share name that is the same with any username, ReadyCloud and local user. Please create shared folders so you can configure the permissions and allow users to access the shares. 

If you have more questions, we'll be happy to assist.

Thanks, 

[JennC]

Hello PetGriffin,

The problem here is ReadyCloud user accounts are different from local users. Home shares are exclusive to the owner only. Local user will have his own home share, as well as ReadyCloud user. ReadyNAS treats ReadyCloud user as another user and not associated with any local user.

Here a sample scenario:

You shared Documents share to ReadyCloud user2, this ReadyCloud user2 is also the same person who is using local user2. This local local user2 has his own home share/folder local user2. When ReadyCloud user2 is able to see the ReadyNAS via ReadyCloud app or web browser, he will only be able to see the share he was invited to access, he will also see Home share but will not see what is inside it. If he uses ReadyCloud app and sync a folder from his local machine to the NAS, this folder from his computer will be copied as a new share to the NAS and this will only permit admin and ReadyCloud user2 to access. Home folder will contain the home share for ReadyCloud user too but other ReadyCloud users and local users will not be able will not see it the home share of ReadyCloud user2. Same with local user2, accessing the shares will give the local user2 his own home share but will not be able to see other local users' home share nor ReadyCloud users home share. Only local admin account and the main ReadyCloud account will be able to see all those home shares inside the Home share/folder.

Sorry if it's kind of confusing. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have questions.

Regards,

[PetGriffin]

Hi Jenn

sorry, I'm really, really confused now .......

So in your example, user2 (who is the same person) has to have two user accounts on the ReadyNAS: one (let's call it user2A) for when he/she logs onto the ReadyNAS via the LAN to which it is attached (eg via Windows Explorer) and one (let's call it user2B) for when he/she logs onto the ReadyNAS remotely (eg via Internet Explorer).  Now, user2B (cloud user) can't see the files associated with user2A (local user) even though they are the same physical person?  As admin, I can give user2A access to the shared folder that user2B was invited from ... but there seems to be no way to set the access rights so that user2B can see what is in the home folder of user 2A.  So, this means that user2B cannot log onto ReadyCLOUD to access files that are in his/her home folder (the home folder belonging to user 2A). 

I hope I have mis-understood the situation and that someone will be able to put me right - but if this is how the system works then it has to be one of the dumbest things I have come across!!  It basically means that the user has to keep two sets of files on the NAS: one for access via directly via the LAN and one for access indirectly via the web.  Surely this can't be correct?!

Alun G

[JennC]

Hello PetGriffin,

Local admin user and main ReadyCloud account cannot set permissions on home folders of the users, there is no option to do that. They can only set permissions on shared ones created on the NAS.

You might want to try setting up FTP access instead. You just need to enable FTP on home folder via admin page then the remote users will not need ReadyCloud account, then just need to type ftp:// followed by the WAN IP address of the network where the NAS is on a Windows explorer of their computer. They will be able to see the Home folder and access it, once inside they will only see their own home share folder and not other's. This needs FTP port be forwarded to the LAN IP address of the NAS.

Regards,

[PetGriffin]

Hi Jenn

the problem with ftp access is that the NAS box is on a home network which does not have a static IP address.  I don't know what the WAN IP address of my router is (not displayed in the router set-up dialogue) - even if I did, I don't think there's any guarantee that it won't change, in which case ftp access won't work.

I have to say that I am finding this ReadyCLOUD business very frustrating, and it seems that I'm not the only one ...

https://community.netgear.com/t5/ReadyCLOUD/ReadyCloud-user-setup-is-ReadyConfusing/m-p/986155#U9861...

best regards

Alun

[JennC]

Hello PetGriffin,

Another way is WebDav, see this WebDav access to ReadyNAS OS6 article.

You will be able to find the WAN IP address of your home network simply typing "what's my IP" on Google, it automatically searches the WAN IP of network you are in.

There are some providers like DynDNS who will let you register your WAN IP address to them and they will give DNS address so you can use it for remotely accessing the files instead of WAN IP address.

Regards,

[PetGriffin]

Jenn

thanks for your continued support but I have a couple of comments:

(a) WebDAV is not ReadyCLOUD.  If I wanted to use WebDAV as my prime means of remote acess I would have installed it first,and not got frustrated trying to use ReadyCLOUD

(b) it is not possible to grant HTTP access to local user home folders, so even if I use WebDAV instead of ReadyCLOUD, then I still have the same problem the one physical user needs two accounts on the NAS: one for local acess and one for remote access.

I could live with the one user/two accounts business if users could actually access shares on the NAS.  But I am having trouble even getting this to work

https://community.netgear.com/t5/ReadyCLOUD/User-can-t-see-any-shares-on-ReadyCLOUD/m-p/986554#U9865...

best regards

Alun

[JennC]

Hello PetGriffin,

Yes WebDav is not ReadyCloud, just another way to remote access the files. Sorry I missed seeing that HTTP access is not available for Home share when setting protocols.

The invited user should be able to see the shared folder under Home. Make sure the username he/she logs in is exactly the same as what is registered, it is case sensitive. You may check at remote.readynas.com log in then click "View Profile" this will show the userID.

Also, make sure the local username and ReadyCloud username are not the same and not the same with share name too.

Regards,

[StephenB]

---

@PetGriffin wrote:

I hope I have mis-understood the situation and that someone will be able to put me right - but if this is how the system works then it has to be one of the dumbest things I have come across!! 

---

It really is that broken 

One work-around is not to use the home shares - instead create public shares (with restricted access if that is necessary).  Then the user still has two accounts, but only one copy of their data.

Or you can access files a different way (using ftps for instance, or OpenVPN)