Sherlybox Wants to Be Your Private Cloud Drive

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SherlyboxSherlybox is a Kickstarter project that works with the file sharing service Sher.ly.  The device aims to give you an easy way to share files, without file size limitations or privacy concerns associated with traditional cloud storage services.  Instead of storing your files in the public cloud, they’re stored on Sherlybox – a device that works privately behind your own network.

How Sherlybox Works

Sherlybox users don’t communicate with a central server like Dropbox.  They connect directly to each other.

You select files you want to share and invite friends via email.  Your friends (who must also have a Sher.ly account) are able to download, sync, and upload their own files to your Sherlybox with a direct connection.  Your data is never sent to an outside cloud storage service – it remains under your control the entire time.

There are no file size limits, no bandwidth limitations, and it’s as fast as your internet connection allows.

Sherlybox encrypts all your connections for security.  And as the owner of all your files, you can revoke access at any time.

Since Sherlybox is a separate device from your computer, it’s always on and always accessible.  It’s being marketed in two versions: with and without an internal hard drive.  You can also connect external hard drives via USB to expand your storage.

Sherlybox connects to your network via WiFi, or you can connect it to your router’s ethernet port.

Private Sharing for Your Existing Cloud Files

Most existing cloud storage services don’t offer a way to privately share files.  All the links are public and can be viewed by anybody.  This is convenient, but not so good for privacy.

Sherlybox wants to change that.  You can share files stored on Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and Box without sacrificing privacy.

One of the main benefits of Sherlybox is that it doesn’t replace your existing cloud storage services – it works with them.  Your files stored on Dropbox can remain on Dropbox, but can be privately shared through Sher.ly.

Faster Speeds

Sherlybox claims to be 20x faster at transferring files than the CIFS/SMB protocols.  Using the Sher.ly software protocol, it claims to be able to utilize up to 94% of network bandwidth, even at gigabit speeds.

Limitations

There is no geo-redundancy for stored data.  Since Sherlybox is a single device – it presents a single point of failure.  This is in contrast to cloud storage services which store your data in the cloud in addition to on your computer.

Also, any friends you share files with must also have a Sher.ly account, for security reasons.

Learn more about Sherlybox at Kickstarter.com.

Geoff Akerlund

Geoff Akerlund

Geoff Akerlund is the founder and editor-in-chief of BackupReview.com. He enjoys attending music festivals, whitewater kayaking on the American River, and board game nights in his free time.

Geoff Akerlund

@backupsoftware