I have a desktop and a laptop, and normally do the whole Windows Sharing to share files etc. However, I find it very picky and temperamental, working sometimes and sometimes not, some files accessible sometimes and not other times, and the copy speed is super slow sometimes.

Just wondering what other people use and whether there is an easy way to connect both wireless to transfer files between them and so on that I'm unaware of?

 

FTP is an option.

 

isn't it easiest and quickest just to use a USB drive?

 

Maybe some sync tools, such as https://www.goodsync.com/

 

I use a cloud service.

 

How about a WIFI 6e router with USB3+SATA drive? Unless direct USB connection but most laptops’ USB interfaces don’t support two-way data transfer.

 

SMB/CIFS protocol directly between two computers remains best option, maybe not fastest but relatively safe,
actual copy speed depends on your wireless network, and is mostly much slower than casual USB3 external drive or even flash stick,

I recommend using FreeFileSync app - https://freefilesync.org/ - to reliably and quickly transfer/sync files between chosen folders, it also does checksums and is even able to pause transfers automatically if network drops completely during operations

 

I use a program called Winpinator for the Windows machines. It is designed after the program Warpinator that I use for my Linux machines. Fast to set up and easy to use, you can transfer between Windows and Linux machines on the same network.

 

There are different issues. One is how Windows manages your file transfers and sharings. The other is the stability of the local network and, as you asked specifically, the wireless communication. Supposing that those pcs want to have internet connection while being able to connect each other.
So, regarding to local network, you should set up a specific vlan in the router or switch with priority bandwidth usage. It can avoid internet traffic sucking up the bandwidth of the local network.

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2023

Just to clarify, my main use would be that my desktop has big mechanical drives in it that are used for large files and secure storage/backups. The desktop actually uses 3 NVMe drives and 2 SSD drives for it's own DAW work and such.

I have a laptop with an NVMe and an SSD in it. Therefore, it is mainly to transfer files from laptop to the mechnaical drives in the desktop for storage/backup, and transfer things from the desktop to the laptop (due to limited laptop storage) as needed, i.e. sample libraries, Kontakt libraries, and such.

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2023

piles of small files tend to copy much slower, I don't even fully sustain wired 1Gbe LAN (~110MB/s) from SSD to SSD because that's just how things are

 

A small server would suit your needs. I have a two drive WD server and can put/pull files to/from it from any wireless or connected device, also away from home.

 

I do the standard sharing way (i.e. CIFS), usually, but as mentioned, it can be kind of slow. For bigger jobs (not necessarily bigger files), maybe a USB drive might be a faster way to do it, but of course that is 2 copies being made, one to put it on the drive, one to pull it off (unless one of the machines uses that as permanent storage). That still might be a lot faster though, depending on the drive.

Running something to sync specific folders up might be a good idea, that way it just runs without you thinking about it. If it makes sense for you, could even have it sync over night or at a point where you aren't normally using the machines.

For a bit I used a NAS, but those aren't cheap. I don't do a lot of transferring between PCs anymore, that's why I took that out of the equation.

And agree with @tzzsmk ... many files, even small files, always seems to take way longer.

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2023

Wireless is always unreliable. You should expect it to work exactly as it works now. If you want to just share files, though, it's OK, but if you want to connect computers to work with your DAW and share plugins, I would definitely recommend a good Switch like TP-Link SG105 or SG108 and simple and reliable Cat5e cables. Nothing beats a cable, ever.

I have it set up like this:
1) Router connected to the internet, for Internet, TV I don't watch at all, and land line phone, has a wireless connection I only use occasionally for guests and wifi devices
2) Network Switch connected to Internet Router with a Cat5e cable
3) main computer (linux desktop), secondary computer (windows laptop), third computer (mac laptop), and NAS computer, each connected to the 1Mb Network Switch with Cat5e

Everything is shared through Samba network which is "OS agnostic", same as I. QoS set up for low latency and high priority between computers, Internet port set up as low priority.

I do have FTP and NoIP DNS service set up on the Router so I can access it from anywhere, with a big USB stick for media file sharing so that wireless devices can have access to the files on the network I decide to share. I think this is obvious why I have that. (for guests...) I like to keep wireless separate from cable for security and network performance.

Cheers!

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2023

I got it from the beginning. That's why I gave you an example of how I did it, to inspire you, sort of. Your problem is wireless which impedes transfer speeds. The only way to make this work faster is with wired transfer. Maybe connect the laptop with a cable to a Router (if you have a 1Gbit router), Switcher, or directly to the desktop only when you need to transfer big files.

Still, with a 1 Gbit connection you can only expect transfer speeds up to about 100MB/s which can appear slow for stuff like multi GB Kontakt libraries.

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2023

Wirelessly and simply, you can use a home network based on computers and a router with Wifi 6e for the highest speed nowadays.

 

Sad but true. Even wired connections on Windows are slow. EDITED: well, it's only 1Gbps anyway.
Although it's a pain I would go with the fast USB3 flashdrive.

 

Last edited: Jul 7, 2023

Hard drives is already a bottleneck. But for backup it can serve. A NAS would be the best option.
Or
if it's about storing Kontakt libraries, it may be cheaper option to buy an external hard drive and keep those libraries duplicated and thus connect the new drive to the laptop, if the data is permanent and you don't save new snapshots or modified .nki files.