Using Asus AiCloud and Smart Sync

Leading on from the review that I did on the Asus RT-AC66U wireless router, I wanted a bit more time to try out the new AiCloud features that Firmware 3.0.0.220 brings to the device.

The purpose of AiCloud is similar to Dropbox in terms of providing a Cloud storage facility for your documents, photos, media files etc. Like Dropbox this means that you can access your files from different devices wherever you are, as long as you have an Internet connection. You can also share files with others by means of a unique download link. AiCloud also allows you to sync files across devices using a SyncFolder feature, however this requires that you sign up for the free Asus WebStorage product, which can be accessed using a browser or using a specific application for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android devices. Again all very Dropbox.

Where AiCloud differs though is that it allows you to connect remotely to a USB disk connected to your RT-AC66U router at home and also allows you to remotely browse your network storage locations at home. You can browse files, download, upload, or even stream them over the Internet to the device you're using remotely. The streaming function works great with iOS, however is not perfect yet with OSX as Asus are still developing streaming software compatibility. The router also ties into the SyncFolder feature of Asus Webstorage, and by defining a sync location on the USB drive, it will remain synchronised with your cloud sync folder.

The Asus AiCloud website explains what it's all about in a bit more detail, probably better than I can !

So what's it like to use ?

I thought it would be useful to give an idea of what AiCloud & FileSync are like to use, and have put together a couple of short videos and some photos....

Asus WebStorage

The screenshot shows the layout of WebStorage - it's pretty clear and shows the folders available, along with file attributes shortcuts, shares and account info. The shot I've give is of the SyncFolder - these are the files that remain synchronised across all my devices via the cloud.

I thought a good way to show how this works would be to put together a short video. For this I've used a Windows 7 PC, iMac and iPhone to show how a file added to WebStorage on the PC automatically appears on the other devices. I've also shown how this all ties into the Asus RT-AC66U router, by using the Smart Sync function the USB drive connected to the router has a SyncFolder added to it. This makes the files available on your home network.

AiCloud
In order to use AiCloud, it first has to be enabled on the RT-AC66U router. This is done by navigating to the AiCloud page in the General section of the router's web admin.

If you haven't already set up an Asus DDNS address (see my earlier full review of the router), then you'll be prompted to do so here. There are 3 sections on the AiCloud screen - 1 or all of them can be enabled.

• Cloud Disc - This enables access to the USB drive connected to the router via the Internet. Access is gained by using the AiCloud App on a mobile device, or by typing the DDNS address into your browser (I've got a video later showing this in action).
• Smart Access - This allows you to remotely access your home network via the Internet. Again this is accessed through the AiCloud App or via a browser.
• Smart Sync - This works in conjunction with your Asus WebStorage account and allows you to define a folder location on your USB drive attached to the router which will be used as a SyncFolder. This is what you saw in action on the the video earlier in this post.

The second tabbed screen under AiCloud on the router is Smart Sync.

This shows the status of the SyncFolder on the router, and also allows you to change settings (such as Asus WebStorage user details, folder location etc).

The third tab allows you to set up password protection settings.

This guards against a 'Brute Force' attack, and can lock access to the AiCloud account if the password is entered incorrectly. In order to reset it, you need to access the router web-admin (so for most people this would mean logging into it at home).

OK, time for another video ! This time I'm showing you what it's like to connect remotely to the USB drive connected to the router at home (and my other LAN storage devices). I'm accessing the router using AiCloud via my web browser using a MacBook Pro and Safari web browser. The Internet connection was nothing special, and was the wireless access offered by a high street chain cafe in Aberdeen. Hopefully the video will explain what's going on, as I haven't voiced it over ;-)

As I said earlier, you can also access the AiCloud service using mobile devices. I've tried this on both an iPhone 4S and a 1st generation iPad. Seems to work well in both cases, and the video & audio streaming functions are pretty good. No video this time, but a few screen shots will give you the idea.

App splash screen when opened.

Home screen

From the home screen you can explore the USB drive connected to the router (RT-AC66U in this case) or you can explore your other home network locations. Not all the listed locations can be viewed in my set-up though (Samsung CLX3185 is a printer and Wendy-MacPro isn't sharing files). Also note that that it also shows PC's that are sleeping - these can be wakened if required remotely. Drobo and NAS-M25 are both storage drives on my home LAN, and can be explored remotely (the App asks you to login to the drives as appropriate).

USB drive connected to router

Folders on router USB drive

SyncFolder on router USB drive

The 3 screen shots explore the USB drive connected to the router. As you can see, the SyncFolder is the same one that I used in the demo video earlier in this post (the Dredd 3D image).

Network drive

Screen shot showing the folders available remotely on my NAS-M25 drive. As you can see from the folder titles there are loads of media files on here, and AiCloud allows me to either stream or download these remotely.

Summary

Hopefully this post has given folks a better idea of what AiCloud can & can't do. I think overall it's a good product, and a great free addition to anyone that has a suitable Asus network device (at the time of writing there are only 3 of these: RT-AC66U, RT-N66U and RT-N16, however I believe more are being enabled, such as the DSL-N55U). I really like being able to access my home network files remotely, and this is something that I'll get use out of when travelling away from home - especially important given the limited storage space available on an iPad or iPhone.

The FileSync feature of AiCloud is fine too, although this and the WebStorage product are pretty similar to the service offered by Dropbox. The main advantage I can see with the Asus offering is the integration of WebStorage with AiCloud. I've only just started using this storage product, so will see how it goes. At the end of the day, 2GB is free to use, so it's worth trying out.

An area where I think Asus can improve AiCloud is to add multiple user logins. The router already allows multiple user shares to be set up for the attached USB drive (Samba), so I don't think this will be difficult to accomplish. A use for this type of functionality could be to allow other members of a family to access the folders on the router connected USB drive and the home network drives. User access rights can be taken from the shares already configured in the router.