Samba vs FTP on AL-ARM Pogoplug

[guiyoforward]

Dear all,

I never quite grasped the advantages-disadvantages of Samba vs FTP. I know I can read about the generalities elsewhere, I'm just wondering that that the pogoplugs are relatively limited in processing power, is there any obvious choice between the two? I just want to be able to access my media files from anywhere within my network.

Thanks!

[moonman]

Samba allows random access, FTP does not. If you want to watch a movie on your PC and the movie is located on the storage device attached to pogoplug

With ftp, you have to download the whole movie locally, then watch it (there are workarounds like FTPFS)
With samba you just "stream" it from the plug.

You decided to edit the same file, and you only need to change 1 bit from 700MB

With ftp you have to download the whole file, edit it, and upload the whole thing back
With samba you just change that 1 single bit remotely.

Plugs are not THAT slow and they get along well with samba.

[guiyoforward]

Great reply, thanks moonman. Will try SMB then!