vnc vs nas

[rob2k]

hi,
i'm in one of those curious positions where i'm not exactly sure how to phrase the question?

i'll have to go the long way round.

i can use Android, or many other clients, to login to a VNC session on a remote PC and access all the features of that OS, as though i were physically there.

in fact, browsing the web remotely was faster than browsing locally on the Android phone!

my questions:
is this possible on any NAS platform eg.Samba?
Can I remotely browse the web and download files via http/ftp directly to the remote storage (local to the NAS).
is remote desktop/remote web browsing possible on any NAS platform?

given VNC features, this is obviously possible with the remote machine running Mac, Windows and most versions of Linux.

Do any versions of Linux, running on a NAS, allow remote desktop, VNC or web browsing functions?

Assuming Samba is a version of Linux, does Samba have these features?

I've seen some low cost Samba-based NAS with usb storage, print server, bit torrent client, etc. they seem quite capable, but will they allow remote http browsing and downloads?

i suppose i can build a low spec linux PC which would do the job but a NAS would be a neater solution.

thanks again. i owe you one. i've lots of useful info i can share if anyone is interested in money, law or politics?
come on that must be nearly everyone ;>

 

[stevech]

we don't see VNC used with NASes because NASes have a web server and other access servers (secure telnet, etc) built in. Those accesses can be done on the LAN, or security permitting, via the Internet.

I use VNC - but as a means to access other PCs on the LAN.

Samba is a way to use SMB which is a standard for file sharing among dissimilar operating systems on computers, NASes, and other devices using a common network. MS Windows and SMB can interoperate for shares.

Many NASes utilize Linux internally - though good NASes add a lot of utilities and user-friendly displays, e.g., those from Synology, QNAP, Thecus and less so, IMO, the mass-market NAS brands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samba_(software)

 

[rob2k]

clarification

thanks for that and things are a little clearer now.

so, how do i run a remote web browsing session on NAS/Samba?
will this let me download files via http directly to the local NAS storage device?

all i want is to download files at a remote location. it shouldn't be too difficult as i know it's possible with VNC or similar.

will VNC run on Samba? does it have a desktop and web browser or can they be installed?

thanks again