How To: Access media files stored in your home computer from any part of the world using existing devices without any additional costs.

How To: Access media files stored in your home computer from any part of the world using existing devices without any additional costs. What you need: -Your home computer with media files -Another computer or smartphone from which you want to access your home media files. Some background: The plan here is to setup your home computer as a media server and keep it on throughout the day so that you can access this server using a client from anywhere through internet. So, you need to install a software on your home computer to make it a media server. Procedure: To setup media server: -Download and install "Orb Caster" from the following link: http://www.orb.com/en/download.html -Run Orb Caster, goto "Libraries" tab and "Add" folders that you want to share through internet. -Select the option "Enable Orb Remote Access". Upon selecting, it pops up a wizard which will help you create an Orb account which will later be required for accessing this server. -Close it (It will actually minimize into the taskbar and the server will continue to run in background) Thats it. Your home computer has become a media server now. To access the server: -Visit http://mycast.orb.com/ using any internet browser on a smartphone or another computer. -Fill in the login details of the Orb account that you created while setting up the server. -All the media files you had shared through your home server will be accessible from this browser now. Extensions: -Not only audio files but also videos, images, documents etc can be accessed. -The media files can be streamed in real time or downloaded. -Even webcam can be accessed so that one can remotely monitor the webcam and hence can be used as home security system which can replace this: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4061386302265&set=a.4061385782252.287707.1510418566&type=1&permPage=1 (Advantage of using Orb setup over Skype is that you dont need to install anything on the 2nd computer because it can be accessed using browser itself) Use cases: -You can share your entire audio/video/photo collection and access them from office/college or friend's house or anywhere else. -You can listen to your huge collection of music (gigabytes/terabytes) without the need to copy/sync to your smartphone by streaming them live using GPRS/Wi-FI -Monitor your house by placing the computer webcam in such a way that it captures your home entrance. Acess the webcam through Orb for live monitoring. -Those who have a TV tuner card in the home PC can enable the option to watch live TV remotely from any other PC or smartphone. Tips: -To save power, switch off the home desktop/laptop screen and set the processor to low power mode. Ensure that it does not go into sleep mode after sometime. -Ensure that you have an unlimited home broadband plan because streaming the media from home PC to your smartphone/PC will consume bandwidth. -To avoid the home computer from being idle throughout the day, run uTorrent client to download media. Let me know if you face any issues and share this info with friends.