iOS app to browse network folders?

[feather]

Can someone recommend a preferably free app that does that?

Trying to figure out the best way to read comics on my iPad.

Rather than transfer the files physically to my iPad via iTunes, I'd prefer to browse to the files over my WIFI network, select what I want, and open it with a 3rd party reader app.

[Kamal]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

I tried to access my shared folders (mkvs) on windows network using VLC but I couldn't see the drives.

[dusk]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

Feather... don't you have the nifty Asus rt n66u router? If you download AiCloud app on your iPad.. thats all you need to browse files on your shared network... video streaming as well works like a charm for me. The interface is not pretty but it does the trick. Though on second though, I haven't tried reading a pdf file yet... hmmm

[Kamal]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

Does the Asus really do that? Awesome timing that you mention it Dusk, I have here sitting on my desk, the spanking new RT-AC68U that's just waiting to be taken home and installed .

[dusk]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

Do it K... I absolutely love my router... really is best thing since slice bread.... mind you I was upgrading from the famed Linksys WRT54G. Plus the one you have= RT-AC68U is the newest model out there. I know I should have waited a bit but I got mine at bargain price so total bang for buck.

[Kamal]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

I had the WRT54GS since 2004, upgraded to WRT 610N back in 2007, went back to the 54GS until a few months back, but with the new baby at home and the baby monitor constantly disrupting wifi, decided to invest in the Asus after its glorious reviews. Will let you know how it works.

[feather]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

Feather... don't you have the nifty Asus rt n66u router? If you download AiCloud app on your iPad.. thats all you need to browse files on your shared network... video streaming as well works like a charm for me. The interface is not pretty but it does the trick. Though on second though, I haven't tried reading a pdf file yet... hmmm

Oh that sounds sweet, exactly what I need. If the app can't open a file, but has an option to 'open with' a 3rd party app, that would work too. I'll look into it. Thanks so much for the tip!

I did find some network browsing apps in the App Store. Tried some free ones but they didn't work.

[feather]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

AiCloud can access SAMBA shares over LAN, that ought to do what I want. I'll have to test it at home.

[feather]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

Tried AiCloud. It kinda works but doesn't do what I need it to.

I can see my NAS and my Macbook Air. I can access the files on my NAS. I keep getting login failures on my Macbook Air despite double checking my password and creating a test account for this.

The app is only good for popular media like videos. It can't open my comic files.

[dusk]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

I don't have any comic book files, so can't test this out for sure, but Tonido might work for you. Much nicer interface as well. So you will need the desktop client for your Mac to share files and then your set.

Tonido | Run your own Personal Cloud

[feather]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

Thanks for the tip. The drawback with the AiCloud app is that it'll either play iOS native formats, or you can play other formats by installing Gplayer or Aceplayer. Unfortunately the app itself doesn't have an 'open with' function that lets you use external apps.

Eg. with the Google Drive app, it doesn't open comic files but I can select the file if it's in my Google Drive, and then use the 'open with' option to view it in another app.

But the AiCloud app is good enough to browse music and video files on the network. VLC for iOS will can also browse media files if your NAS is DLNA enabled.

I bought a comic reader for iOS that will soon have FTP function and might have shared folder function in future so those will hopefully do what I want!

[Kamal]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

Thanks for the tip. The drawback with the AiCloud app is that it'll either play iOS native formats, or you can play other formats by installing Gplayer or Aceplayer. Unfortunately the app itself doesn't have an 'open with' function that lets you use external apps.

This is what is killing me, GPlayer isn't free and AcePlayer apparently has some security issue so AiCloud won't allow it to load. I hunted like mad to add VLC as an option but you can only use it to stream files available on your shared drive through Asus's website once you create an account. I hope they add VLC as an option cause the internal WiFi speeds are pretty darn fast. I'm loving the stability of this router / firmware.

My WRT-610N w/ dd-wrt had major stability / connectivity issues when trying to enable 2.4 ghz for B/G Networks and 5. GHZ for Wireless N. So I had to keep 5 ghz off and keep N/G mixed for 2.4 Ghz. Thankfully those days are behind me and 5ghz has been rocking it on all my wifi devices.

Money so well spent.

[feather]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

I have not tried this myself but an external hdd can be plugged into my Asus router's USB socket, and the router firmware has DLNA function. So if you enabled that, the DLNA server ought to catalog the media files you have on your external hdd.

VLC for iOS will automatically browse DLNA servers on your network so your media files on the external hdd plugged into the Asus router ought to show up.

The media files on my DLNA-enabled Buffalo NAS (DLNA comes with the NAS firmware, I'm not using Asus') shows up on VLC.

[Kamal]

Re: iOS app to browse network folders?

Yea I already googled how to enable DLNA on Windows 7, seems I have a new project at home this weekend