As I’m learning more and more about self hosting, I’ve read repeatedly that the safest option for internally hosted services is to use a VPN from your mobile device (laptop, cell) and connect to your server(s) as needed when outside of your network. That brings me to a predicament of sorts.

Tools like Seafile, Nextcloud, Pydio, and CryptPad offer great collaborative features as well as easy sharing from these services. But if you’re not exposing any of these services to the web, how would you share documents or files easily with those outside your network? The share functions will generate a link with your IP:Port, or in my case, a domain name that is only internal. I know you can download a copy and email it separately, but that is a bit clunky. Is there a service or another FOSS app I’m overlooking that allow you to ‘publish’ items to an external friend or team member in a safe manner?

I’ve not yet decided on which solution I’m going with. But in the case of CryptPad it seems secure that I would be comfortable hosting externally making this question moot. But I’d likely host it on a VPS instead of my home server just for another layer of separation.

  • flatbield@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    The other thing is that you can favor end to end encyped stuff. Send for example which is the follow on to Firefox send. I actually use Bitwarden send to send files for example which comes with the Bitwarden paid plan.

    • Father_RedbeardOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I am on the Bitwarden paid plan and didn’t realize there was a send function. That’s awesome!

      • flatbield@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Actually send was why I joined. Loved Firefox send. There are still random people that host send instances but to be secure you have to trust the server delivering the upload and download page including the server not being cracked. I think I trust Bitwarden not to screw that up at least as much as anyone else. Probably more then I would trust the security of my own VPS.

        • Father_RedbeardOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          That’s fair. I signed up for the premium sub so I could have emergency contacts in the event I either forget my master password or something happens to me. So until you said something I was completely unaware that it was a service they offered!