I'm new to networking and IT, so I apologize for any gaps of knowledge in my query.
I want to set up a file server for at least ten Windows 7 workstations so that these computers can download and upload files to a centralized location.
I also want to allow the public (those outside of the network) to access some of these files from the central location via a web browser. Browser-based FTP comes to mind here.
One option seems to be buying space in the cloud from a company like Rackspace. They also have a cloud hosting service for FTP.
Another option, if I don't want to put my files in the cloud, seems to be to use FTP client software like Filezilla or SmartFTP to either use on of the workstations as a server or purchase a computer for that sole purpose, and then pay some company to host the FTP website.
Is this correct? Are there similar and/or better alternatives to the solutions I mentioned?