FTP via webend

[lukenova]

This might be completely off the wall or it might help someone else as well. I also don't know if it can realistically be done.

I would like a way to control an FTP client on the WDTV box from the web interface. In other words, I would be able to tell it which server to connect to, then browse the folders on that server, and tell the box to download certain files to a USB hard drive that is attached to the box.

My end goal would be that I could access the webend from my WDTV when I'm away from home through my phone, tablet, etc. From there I could tell the WDTV to download certain files from the FTP server so that they would be ready when I got home.

My current solution for this is remoting into my home PC and downloading them that way then either copying them to the USB hard drive by plugging it in, or by FTPing the files over from PC to the WDTV box using the built in FTP server in WDLXTV firmware. What I'm proposing would cut out needing the home PC running all the time.

Again, this might be a completely fringe case and if so, feel free to tell me how crazy I am. However, if its something that other people might be interested in, perhaps we could get someone interested in developing it.

[mad_ady]

What you're proposing is quite doable. You're looking for a ftp downloader webned - something like this: http://www.net2ftp.com/homepage/screenshots.html?PHPSESSID=mt6l%2C8lO%2C-6E8i7m5hTABJvYCzc

It can be done, packaged as an app.bin (http://wiki.wdlxtv.com/Creating_an_app_bin), and have a button start the webend component.

[KAD]

an app.bin would be a perfect solution for something like this

although, I wonder if there might already be some functionality, as part of the Gen3 official webend
WD added p2p, http downloading, and I think it included ftp as well, but I haven't used it

and the few reports I've heard of users trying the p2p downloader, have not be very good

[lukenova]

If I get a chance in the next few days, I might try to put net2ftp into an app.bin structure and see if it will work. This gives me something new to play around with for a little bit.

[recliq]

I had a quick glance at the net2ftp site and I think it's not exactly what you are looking for...
It saves the files on the computer from which you connect to the net2ftp site (WDTV) not on the server running net2ftp.

Of course you can share the disk connected to WDTV and save to that share from your computer but it's kind of uneconomic, because the ftp traffic would be something like this:

Source -> WDTV (net2ftp) -> Your computer -> WDTV (shared disk)

[mad_ady]

Hmm, can't he connect to 127.0.0.1 and operate directly on the WDTV? This is how I pictured it would work...

[recliq]

My end goal would be that I could access the webend from my WDTV when I'm away from home through my phone, tablet, etc. From there I could tell the WDTV to download certain files from the FTP server so that they would be ready when I got home.

Doesn't sound like he wants to connect to the FTP server on WDTV but to a FTP server on the net from the WDTV (through a webinterface).