The first thing we should know about this application is that no need to install it on the computer as it is a portable application, which will allow us to create web servers independently on storage units to, for example, create a server to share the movies that we have stored on the hard drive or create another server to share all the music stored on another hard drive, to name a few examples of use. We can also use HFS to share a web page stored on an external storage drive.
Set the port we are going to use
The first thing we must do as soon as we run the application, remember that it is a portable application, so it is not necessary to install, is to specify the port we want to use to make the connections. The port is the gateway to our computer (not our home network) through the IP of our internet connection.
When someone enters our IP in the browser, they need to add the port that we have established so that all the content is forwarded to the team that we have established to share. The port generally used via the web (HTTP) is 80, however, most operators have closed this and other ports (FTP, Telnet, SMTP, POP3 and others) to avoid putting the security of their users at risk.
If we want to use that port, the first thing we have to do is ccheck that it is open. To do it quickly, we can visit the following web page, input the port number in Port to Check and click on check-port. If the web returns the result Successit means that we can use it without problems, since the router has that port open, so we can go to the next step.
Open the port on the router
If not, we can use, for example, port 8081, which is the one we are going to use in this tutorial. This port will not be open through the router either, so the first thing we must do is allow access from the internet to that port, a port that will be associated with our equipment from where we are going to share the content.
Router in Spanish
The access data to the router, together with the username and password, are found in the bottom of device. The address will start with 192.168 and be followed by two more numbers separated by periods. If the router is in Spanish, we will not have any problem finding the configuration section that allows us to open ports, a section found in IPv4 / IPv6 in the Local Network, Advanced Options, Features or any other similar section.
Next, we introduce a name with which we want to know quickly the rule that we are creating. Next, we must enter the local IP of the device (we can obtain it with the command ipconfig from CMD) from which we are going to share the files in the local IP / IPvX Address (X can be 4 or 6) global section of the device, select the TDP+UDP protocols and enter the port number that we want to use, which, following with the example is port 8081.
Finally we save the changes in the router.
router in english
But, if it is in English, we must look for the section Forward Rules and then, IPv4 Port Mapping either IPv6 Port Mapping (if the former is not available) within the advanced security options. If both options are available, we select the first IPv4 Port Mapping and click on New.
Next, we must enter the IP of the computer from which we are going to share the content. Next, in Protocolwe select TCP/UDP. In External port number we enter 8081 (the port we want to use) and in Internal port number, we enter the same port number. Finally we click on Apply so that the changes are saved to the router and we can now use it with HFS. Although it is not usually necessary, depending on the type of router, it never hurts to restart it, although I repeat, it is not usually necessary.
If we have not just found the option that allows us to open ports on our router, we can search for a guide on Google by entering the exact model of the router to find out the exact steps to follow, but, basically, they are the same as those that we have explained in this article. .
Add HFS to Windows Firewall
As it is an application with an internet connection, it is necessary that the Windows firewall permission to be able to connect to the internet to offer its functionality. We can create the exception manually or do it through the function self test available through the only available menu. By clicking on this option, the application will inform us that it will add an exception to the Windows firewall and, incidentally, it will check if we have correctly opened the port and everything is configured correctly to work.
If not, we will have to review all the points that we have explained above to check which one we have missed along the way or have not done correctly.
Add the content we want to share
Once we have correctly configured our server to share files, it is time to add the content we want to share. To do so, we go to the top menu and click on Add files to share files individually or in Add folder from system if what we want is to share all the contents of a folder. All the content that we add to the application will be displayed in the Virtual File System column.
If we add folders, the application will ask us if we want to add the real folder, ideal for sharing large files, or if, on the contrary, we want to create a virtual folder, the best option for sharing folders that take up less space. Depending on our needs, we can select one or another option, since, in the end, the operation is the same.
Share web address
If we have a fixed IP, we will not have any problem knowing which one we will always use associated with the application. However, if we have a dynamic IP (in most cases), we need to know what the IP is at the time we want to share the data. This information can be found through the application menu in the IP address – Find external address section.
Once we know the IP of our internet connection, we must add port 8081 that we have opened separated by a colon. For example, if our IP is 168.45.222.55, the IP address that our friends must enter in the browser to access the content we have shared is 168.45.222.55:8081
When any user connects, the application will show the IP of the user in the Log panel, along with the date and time the connection was made.
Configuration possibilities
HFS also allows us to create a User Registration, users to whom we can give access permissions to a certain content, not to everything, so it is extremely useful in small companies where it is necessary to restrict access to documents to which certain employees should not have access. Also, if we want to add an extra layer of security if we use it as a web server, we can establish the SSL protocol so that the connections are secure from end to end and that no one other than the recipient of the files can access them.
The first time we open the application, it will invite us to add an option to the Windows context menu to share the content of the files that we select directly with the server created with HFS. It also allows us to set speed limits to prevent all the bandwidth from being used by the application when someone is connected to the server. If we have any questions about how to implement the additional measures that this application makes available to us, we can visit the forum available through its website. where it is generally the creator of the application who usually answers the questions.
Where to download HFS
To download HFS, we must access its website, clicking on the following link. Windows Defender likely detects the app as unsafe. This is because the app is not signed, so Microsoft can’t really identify who is behind the app, so we’ll need to create an exception in Defender to allow us to use it.
If we pass the application through Virus Total, we see how most of the best-known antiviruses take this application for granted, although not all of them, so we can be almost sure that the application does not include any type of malicious software. In fact, some antiviruses identify it this way because it allows the creation of servers, a functionality used by friends of others to steal data from computers, hence it is sometimes identified as a Trojan, malicious software, but not as a virus.
Also, for us to stay calmeryou should know that all the screenshots that we have included in this article are our own, so we have installed and configured the application correctly to be able to make this manual and we have not had any problems with malicious software.
The application is portable, so it is not necessary to install it and we can run it from any device, be it a pen drive, external hard drive or any other device, as long as the ports of the router that we are going to use are open, as we we have explained above.
Worth?
Obviously we will never enjoy the same connection or download speed offered by cloud storage platforms, but a speed similar to that offered by most NAS devices. This application is ideal for temporarily creating clouds to share large files, it is very easy to configure and we can activate and deactivate it very easily, once we have opened the router ports, which is probably the most complicated process because each model includes management software totally different from other manufacturers, not to mention that some models are only in English and cannot be translated into Spanish.
Alternatives to HFS
HFS is one of the best applications and simpler to create web servers or storage platforms to share large files, however, there are also other alternatives such as the ones we show you below.
- terashare. This application, available for Windows and macOS, allows us to share large files without any limits through a link. We can download this application through its website, which we can access by clicking on the following link.
- feel. Another interesting option to HFS if we only want to share large files is Feem, an application that is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android completely free of charge. Of course, it does not allow us to share directories as if we can do with HFS. We can download the application from its website.
There are other alternatives that offer us the same functions, even many more than HFS, but most are related to server databases through MySQL, so they are not easy to use at all, much less for novice users. .
