Drobo has launched DroboAccess, an app that’s part of the myDrobo applications available on its networked attached storage (NAS) devices. The 5 drive bay Drobo 5N and its big brother the 8 bay Drobo B810n using DroboAccess allows users to share files and folders by means of links. They can be read only or read / write and have password protection. Best of all it’s a browser based solution that lets users get their files from anywhere on desktops, laptops, smartphones and tablets. It is available now.

Getting to DroboAccess

Check for updates to DroboDashboard on Drobo.com. Update if needed. Next choose your Drobo NAS in DroboDashboard. Click on the Drobo Settings button. Select Admin Settings and click the Enable Drobo Apps checkbox.Click OK.

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Turn on DroboApps then click OK.

Click the DroboApps button in the left sidebar. All available apps appear in the main window. Next click the myDrobo section. Click Install. Click DroboAccess and install it. There are no downloads to get the installers. They are built in the the Drobo NAS device. Follow the prompts to set up DroboAccess. Once setup, DroboAccess is used to get to folders and files on the Drobo NAS using a web browser.

Security

DroboAccess automatically gets a free 4K SSL certificate that it uses for end-to-end encryption of all files. SSL certs usually cost between $20.00 & $50.00. DroboAccess encrypts data as it is sent then decrypts it as it is received.

Remote access with mobile devices

DroboAccess works with desktop computer. It also works with smartphones and tablets. Currently it is available for Android and iOS devices for $0.99.

My experience

I will be setting up DroboAccess on my B810n in the next week or so. Once I have spent some quality time getting to my files while I am away from the studio, I’ll let you know how it works from personal experience. I have really high expectations. Imagine being able to get a file to a client from an iPhone or iPad during intermission at a Broadway show. Just don’t open a phone or tablet in the theatre. That will usually get you a harsh reprimand if not being thrown out completely.