Overview

WebDrive is a desktop package available for Windows and Mac computers, plus iOS and Android, that can make it easier to access various data storage, cloud storage and FTP servers from single desktop application.

This application can tie into FTP and STFP servers to access files on a web host. SharePoint Servers can be connected to and files stored there can be edited in real-time. Access and update files stored on other cloud services like Amazon S3, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, OneDrive and other cloud providers.

The data can be compressed using ZLIB compression for faster transfer across to SFTP servers which traditionally can be quite time-consuming especially with large transfers. FTP is also smarter with the ability to pause and resume transfers that were interrupted but start again only at the point in the file where the connection was lost rather than having to start with a large file right at the beginning again.

The S/KEY Password Encryption is also used. With supporting FTP servers, MD4 and MD5 checksums can be utilized with password encryption to ensure transfers are protected during transit and can be checked for data integrity upon data transfer completion.

Files and directories are cached within the WebDrive application to enable faster access. The amount of disk space used to enable the caching feature can be controlled by the user. A decision can also be made whether to cache just directory listings or files, or both.

With WebDAV servers, there is the additional ability to lock files which prevents overwriting by other users.

A basic backup utility is included with WebDrive to backup a Windows PC to a connected, off-site location. It is no substitute for a fully-featured backup utility but is still useful to have within the software.

Installation

Installation went as expected with no surprises. No extra software was installed.

The package requires Windows Server 2003, 2008, or 2012, Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7 or 8/8.1.

Interface

The WebDrive interface is easy to use and understand. For Windows Explorer users, a WebDrive is setup as its own drive letter and will display as a drive/partition within Windows Explorer and other apps that display available drives. This makes the WebDrive experience far more usable.

Good, clean interface that is simple to understand.

Pros

• Access several off-site and cloud storage accounts from a single interface
• Connect to FTP/STFP servers, SharePoint Servers, Amazon S3, Dropbox, GoogleDrive, OneDrive, and other cloud providers
• ZLIB compression can be used to speed up transfer to SFTP servers
• S/KEY Password Encryption with MD4 and MD5 password protection on FTP servers
• WebDAV supported file locking to prevent overwriting
• Basic backup utility
• Windows 32-bit and 64-bit apps, Mac OS X, plus iOS and Android mobile apps
• 20 day free trial

Cons

• Backup utility could be stronger considering package accesses backup storage solutions.

Conclusion

WebDrive offers a good solution to link up to a number of FTP, SharePoint, WebDAV and cloud storage solutions from a single interface. Strong corporate-focused solution provider.