How to Share Files Between Computers at Home (Australia)

If you've ever emailed a file to yourself just to open it on another computer, or carried a USB drive between rooms, there's a better way. A desktop, a laptop, a phone, maybe a tablet. And moving files between them shouldn't require workarounds. Here's what actually works, what the tradeoffs are, and how to pick the right approach for your home.

Why File Sharing at Home Is More Complicated Than It Should Be

Australian households are increasingly multi-device. , USB drives, email attachments, or hoping their cloud sync catches up in time.

There's also a distinctly Australian wrinkle: NBN upload speeds. NBN upload speed varies by access technology and retail plan; eligible FTTP and HFC Home Fast services were accelerated from 100/20Mbps to 500/50Mbps in September 2025. That's fine for syncing a document, but upload a 4GB video and you're waiting 30 minutes before it's available on another device via cloud. iCloud+ publishes Australian prices in AUD; Google generally charges in the customer's home-country currency when possible and shows the billing currency before purchase.

Your Four Options. Plain English

Option 1: Cloud Shared Folder (Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud)

Put a file in your Google Drive or OneDrive folder, and it appears on every other device signed into the same account. This works well for documents and photos, and if you already subscribe to Microsoft 365 or Google One, you probably have more cloud storage than you're using.

Works well when: Files are modest in size (documents, spreadsheets, PDFs), you're comfortable paying ongoing storage costs, and you need access from outside home regularly.

The catch: Storage costs in AUD after free tiers. Uploading large files (videos, raw photos) is slow on NBN upload speeds. You're dependent on internet connectivity. Without internet, cloud syncing stops, but files already stored locally or marked for offline use can remain accessible.

Option 2: USB Drive or External Hard Drive

An external drive plugged into one computer and carried to another. Simple, cheap (~AU$80-150 for 2TB), and works without internet.

Works well when: You only occasionally need to transfer files and they're large (video footage, game backups).

The catch: It's manual. There's no automatic sync. You need the physical drive in hand. An external drive is only a backup if it holds a separate copy of the files; relying on one copy or one backup drive still leaves a single point of failure.

Option 3: Built-in Windows or Mac File Sharing

Both Windows and macOS have built-in file sharing that lets one computer share a folder over your home network. No monthly cost, no cloud required.

Works well when: All your computers run the same operating system (all Windows or all Mac), the sharing computer is usually on, and you only need access from inside your home.

The catch: Cross-platform sharing (Windows sharing to a Mac, or vice versa) is fiddly to set up and occasionally breaks after system updates. The shared computer must be running. Shut it down and nothing is accessible. Not accessible from outside your home network without extra configuration.

Option 4: A NAS (Network Attached Storage)

A NAS is a small, always-on box that connects to your home router. It holds one or more hard drives and appears as a shared network drive on every computer and phone in your home. Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, all at once, without any of them needing to be on or logged in.

Unlike cloud storage, the primary copy can remain stored in your home unless you enable cloud backup, synchronization, or another external service. Unlike built-in file sharing, it doesn't depend on a specific computer being awake. Unlike a USB drive, a NAS can be accessed remotely through a supported app after remote access is configured, subject to internet availability and security settings. You can pull up a file on your phone while you're at work.

Works well when: You have multiple devices across different operating systems, you want files accessible from anywhere, you store large files (videos, photos, backups), or you're tired of paying monthly cloud fees.

The catch: It's a one-time hardware purchase (~AU$350-700 for the NAS unit, plus ~AU$80-150 per hard drive). There's a modest setup process. What a NAS actually is. And whether it suits your situation. Is explained in detail here.

Which Option Is Right for Your Home?

If you only share documents and you're already paying for Google One or Microsoft 365, you probably already have what you need. Use it. If you're trying to share large files (video, raw photos, game backups) across multiple devices without upload delays, or if you're paying monthly for cloud storage and want to stop, a NAS is worth looking at seriously. Whether a NAS pays for itself depends on its usable capacity, enclosure and drive prices, electricity and backup costs, and the specific cloud plan it replaces.

A middle ground many households settle on: free-tier cloud for easy sharing with others, and a NAS as primary home storage. That approach gives you the convenience of both without the ongoing cost of large cloud tiers.

For more on comparing cloud vs home storage costs, see NAS vs Cloud Storage Australia. If iCloud costs are the specific frustration, cheaper iCloud alternatives for Australians covers the options in detail.

How to Set Up Windows Built-In File Sharing (Step by Step)

Windows built-in file sharing (SMB) works well for two or three computers on the same network. On the computer that will host the shared folder: right-click the folder you want to share, select Properties, click the Sharing tab, then click Advanced Sharing. Check "Share this folder", click Permissions, and set the access level. Everyone with Read allows any network user to see the files; setting specific users gives you tighter control.

On other Windows computers, open File Explorer, click Network in the left panel, and the host computer should appear. If it does not, type the host computer name directly into the address bar in the format \\COMPUTERNAME\SHARENAME. The main limitation is that the host PC must be switched on for anyone else to access the files. If the host is a laptop that goes to sleep, the share disappears.

How to Map a NAS as a Network Drive on Windows and Mac

Once a NAS is on your network, mapping it as a network drive makes it appear in File Explorer or Finder just like a local drive. On Windows: open File Explorer, right-click "This PC", select "Map network drive", choose a drive letter, and enter the NAS share path in the format \\NAS-IP\ShareName. Tick "Reconnect at sign-in" so the mapping survives restarts.

On macOS: open Finder, press Cmd+K (Connect to Server), and enter the NAS address in the format smb://NAS-IP/ShareName. Click Connect and enter credentials. To open it automatically at login, go to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, click the Add button below Open at Login, and select the server connection or mounted volume. This mounts the NAS share automatically at each login.

Common Mistakes When Sharing Files at Home

The most common home file sharing mistake is relying on one of the four options exclusively without thinking about backup. Cancelling a cloud subscription reduces the storage allowance; access restrictions and possible deletion timelines vary by provider, so retain a separate copy before cancelling. A shared external drive with no second copy means a dropped drive ends everything. A NAS only survives a drive failure without data loss if it uses a redundant storage configuration that tolerates that failure; RAID is still not a backup and does not protect against fire or theft.

The second common mistake is using a shared folder on a laptop as the household file server. Laptops suspend WiFi and sleep unpredictably, interrupting transfers mid-stream. Anything acting as a household file server should be either a dedicated NAS or a desktop PC that stays on and connected via Ethernet, not WiFi.

Use our free NAS Sizing Wizard to get a personalised NAS recommendation.