Frequently Asked Questions

Why did you create the Host Yourself Network?

I used to have problems transferring files between computers. Windows file sharing makes transferring files within an internal network fairly straight forward, but when it comes to transferring files across the Internet, there are a number of obstacles to overcome. There are three approaches:

  1. Take the files with you on a disk or memory stick.
  2. Send the files to an email address or to a hosting service online.
  3. Install and configure your own FTP or web server.

The main problem with 1 and 2 is knowing which files you need copy to a portable memory device or send across the Internet. In my experience you always need a file that you leave behind. Another problem with 1 and 2 is that you forget where the latest version of a file is and end up not having it when you need it. Approach 3 does not suffer these problems, but unfortunately it's the most complicated solution.

Approach 3 requires an advanced understanding of networking and filing systems. Creating virtual mappings between locations on a hard disk and navigating between them can be a nightmare. Another problem is connecting to the server in the first place, especially if your ISP uses dynamic IP addresses.

The host yourself network is my solution to simplify approach 3. It combines a web server, remote IP address management and webstart technologies to create the easiest way to access your files from anywhere in the world.

Is it free to host yourself?

Yes! The files are sent from your personal computer and so there are no hosting fees and no adverts! Make use of your broadband connection when you are not at home!

Does MyDiskServer contain spyware?

No, MyDiskServer does not contain spyware, adware or any type of malware.

MyDiskServer does, however, periodically send information to the Host Yourself Network. The information sent to hostyourself.net is as follows:

  • Your identity key - required to confirm registration ownership.
  • Your IP address - required for connecting to your computer.
  • The network port MyDiskServer is running on - required to access MyDiskServer remotely.
  • Your computer name - used for connecting within a private network when a single Internet connection is shared.
  • The inbound connection status - whether MyDiskServer is accessible to the whole of the Internet.
  • The number of network accesses and bytes transferred - used to gather usage information.

This information is sent to a perl script http://hostyourself.net/cgi-bin/register.cgi where it is processed and stored. This occurs once every 5 minutes.

If you do not wish MyDiskServer to send this information you can enable isolation mode. However, when isolation mode is enabled you will not be able to easily connect to your computer remotely using the facilities provided by the Host Yourself Network.

You can monitor these communications by enabling the Java console (Java Control Panel, Advanced, Java console, Show console) and setting trace mode to 5. Alternatively you could use a packet monitoring program.

How can I fix a blocked inbound connection?

Follow the information on the opening ports page.

It has been brought to my attention that some ISPs block incoming ports. If you are using a router, have followed the instructions on the opening ports page and still have problems try the following:

From another computer on your private network try to connect to MyDiskServer. If this fails then there is still an issue with the firewall on the computer running MyDiskServer. If, however, this succeeds there are two possible causes; either your router is not configured correctly (try rebooting it) or your ISP blocks incoming ports.

I can't access my personal files from office/school, why might this be?

Some restricted networks block outgoing connections to non standard ports. 8088, the default port used for MyDiskServer, is a non standard port. You could try using port 80 and port 443 for SSL These are the default ports used by web servers and, assuming both inbound and outbound connections are online, you should be able to access your files from even the most restrictive networks.

To change the ports used by MyDiskServer, click Configure Ports , change the port to 80 and SSL port to 443 then click Apply .

Why can't I sign in?

If you attempt to sign in and your username or password is incorrect, you will receive the following error:

Username and password do not match

If you make several failed attempts, you will receive this error:

The host has been locked. Please try again later.

You must wait for a minute before trying again as no more attempts will be verified.

If you do not receive an error and you are not successfully signed in, then it is likely that you have cookies and javascript disabled. MyDiskServer requires cookies to maintain state information about signed in users. Ensure that your privacy level is not set to high, as this will prevent cookies from being used by your Internet browser.

How does MyDiskServer work?

MyDiskServer is essentially a web server. To best explain how it works I recommend reading How Web Servers Work by HowStuffWorks.com. For more detailed information, try the Wikipedia. If you are thinking of writing your own, the HTTP RFC explains the HTTP protocol used for communication.

How do I create shortcut icons for launching MyDiskServer?

You should have been asked if you wanted to install shortcut items upon launching MyDiskServer. If you were not or choose not to, Launch the Java WebStart Application Manager, right click MyDiskServer and choose Install shortcuts.

How can I setup MyDiskServer to launch when I start my computer?

First create shortcuts as detailed above, then drag a shortcut onto the start button, through the list of programs onto the item labeled Startup.

How can I provide a link so others can access my files?

Provide a link in the following format:

http://hostyourself.net/hubs/hub/identity/path

Where hub is the hub you are registered on, identity is your online identity and path is the path to the file. For example, the following link will directly access d:\photos\me.jpg on a computer called mypc on the mydisk.co.uk hub.

http://hostyourself.net/hubs/mydisk.co.uk/mypc/d/photos/me.jpg

Why have I lost my configuration?

MyDiskServer keeps all the settings in a sub folder named config located where the executable JAR is stored. If webstart was used to launch MyDiskServer (you clicked the launch link on the home page) then this will be in the following location:

%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\javaws\http\Dhostyourself.net\P80\DMmydiskserver\config

As you can see, the path contains a folder named cache. Some applications, for example CCleaner, falsely assumes that the folder can be removed. This causes the settings to be lost.

To prevent the configuration disappearing again I recommend you configure cleanup software not to delete files in the location above.

Why don't I have access to additional features?

You must make a donation.

If you have donated money but the plugins and other extra features have not been revealed please click here.

How does the transfer rate limiter divide up my bandwidth?

Each simultaneous transfer using the same username will share the bandwidth specified for that user.

For example, assume you have configured a user and specified they may download at 50KB/s. If there are 5 connections made logged in as that user, each connection should receive approximately 10KB/s.

Remember, the actual transfer rate will be limited by your connection speed. The measurements listed in MyDiskServer are in bytes.  A typical ADSL connection has 288KBits/s upload which equates to roughly 30KB/s.

How can I customise the look and feel of MyDiskServer listings?

By modifying the template and style sheet.

Assuming you are using Microsoft Windows. Click Start, Run and then type:

%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\javaws\http\Dhostyourself.net\P80\DMmydiskserver\config

Now modify page.template and main.css to change the appearance and position of elements.

Can I remove the security alert from secure connections?

Not easily. A valid SSL connection requires a certificate which matches the host to be issued by a trusted publisher. In addition to these requirements, the certificate must be packaged in a Java keystore.

How do I remove/uninstall MyDiskServer?

Launch the Java WebStart Application Manager, right click MyDiskServer and choose Remove Application.

To ensure MyDiskServer is totally removed. Click Start, Run and then type:

%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\javaws\http\

Press OK and then delete the folder Dhostyourself.net.

If you have used any plugins you will have to remove these manually from where you chose to save them.

Is there somewhere I can talk about MyDiskServer?

Yes, the MyDiskServer forum.

How do I get further support?

Contact support@hostyourself.net


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