InDesign running slow over VPN

[marcg69605176]

Hello everyone,

We are a team of 12 graphic designers that all have the same problem. We are using InDesign to build files and we have links on a server reached using a VPN. We get major slowdowns when the VPN is connected and none when it isn't. The problem is that we have to use it, no choice there. 

Anyone else have the same problem? Any workaround?

Thanks!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Yes, I work off of our server.  We connect to VPN with CiscoAnyConnect 4.10.  
If I try to open InDesign locally, it does not give the same issue

By @Neil5FB2

So you use VPN as an extension to your local network. 

If it's a big deal - any chance you can switch to v18? 

Otherwise - there is not much that can be done - unless your company can invest in a faster Internet connection and faster server / drives in the server. 

[Neil5FB2]

I'm afraid that will create a version issue since the rest of the team is using v19

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I'm afraid that will create a version issue since the rest of the team is using v19

By @Neil5FB2

Then only upgrade to your infrastructure - or switching to a solution that will synchronise your remote assets with your local drive...

Like iCloud or Google Drive or DropBox - you can have local copies automatically synchronised with a shared / remote location. 

Or you can just do something like this semi-automatically - people will have to remember, that at the end of the day, they need to synchronise their local copies with the server.

I'm pretty sure there are tools to do something like this for Mac? 

Or some kind of management system - to keep track who is working on what. 

If you go for some cloud service - you'll have to make sure that no one else is working on the same INDD file - lock files are not synchronised. 

[Neil5FB2]

This is really not an option... the connectivity to the server should work faster... not sure if there's any other options but we can't move the files or chage our workflow... 

[webm8077887]

Hello,

Same issue here, and it's not so much an internet issue as it is an actual physical location issue. I have high speed internet, use an ethernet cable and it still takes very long to open and save Indesign documents. Illustrator and Photoshop seem to be handling this better, but not always. I think it's because Indesign is always looking to update its links, so you're constantly sending and receiving data though your internet connection. Sometimes even copying a text block causes Indesign to start spinning... Hopefully something is in the making to be able to work faster. This problem must be global.

The only thing that works for our team is to work locally and copy all our files back on the server once when we're done. I'm basically manually syncing files. It requires some rigor, but even I will forget to upload things... Just make sure you have the same file structure both locally and on the server. That way it should update the links normally if/when you do return to the office where you can physically connect to the server again. 

Good luck!

Greg

[Randy Hagan]

Your strategy is a proven one, for a number of good reasons. You're making a good call.

I strongly recommend anyone considering this kind of production workflow should build a universal file and folder naming convention which includes versioning and date/time hacks. That way everyone on the team can tell at a glance what they're working with.

Like

[filename]-v3a-10Mar21-1900.indd or [folder/job name]-v2c-10Mar21

Not only does this let the team tell what they're working with at a glance, it also precludes overwriting an old version of the job with a newer one. It results in some file bloat, but that can be cleaned up when the job is done before archiving.

Randy

[AKS666]

Same problem here. And apparently still no solution...

Working with InDesign using a VPN is nearly impossible.

Opening documents takes sometimes over an hour... copying the file on the local HD and it takes seconds or maybe some minutes. But when opened the document still can not be used because beachball is spinning. The more linked files in the doc, the longer the beachball appears. And copying all files I may need to the local disc is absolutely no solution. I don't have terrabytes of local storage and I do not know in the beginning Which files I'm going to need.

[zuzu_kuc1]

well internet, internet is the problem. here is why:
We work on leaflets about 28-40 pages, splited by 2 pages.
Every document contains 200+ links from small AI, EPS files to bigger one like 60-800 mb PSD files
If you connect to VPN, and you will try open this file from server, ID have to check every single file so it takes time.
if you are on local PC this speed is 30-110 MB/s  (HDD speed) and 300-2500 mb/s on SSD drive.
BUT indesign is not able to use SSD drive speed so maximum can be something about 50-80 MB/s 
even if you have TOP gigabit internet connection it will be always slower then local drive (i dont know why, but I tested it).
So you have basicaly two options:
1. buy big HDD to every computer which need work with this ID files and buy NAS station with doubled HDD size what you have inside your PC. then set Synchronize  PC to NAS and NAS to PC. 
you have to set this on all PCs. With this you have all "live data" on your PC and also on NAS ..an every other user have the same data as You. (but be carefull, here is some issues about "who have open this file" it easy to overide files to someone else because its hard to synchronize indlk files and ID is not abble to find if this file is open to somewhere else or not. 

2. and better option is:
take all the PC and connect them to server somewhere in one office, garage, basement... (if its possible) 
then buy very cheap PC or laptop...and connect remotely on these PC what are in basement 🙂
you dont need super fast PCs because you just need them for connection to the Super PC in your basement 🙂 

i work through remote connection over 3 years, and its absolutelly Perfect, 
all user can see if the ID file is open, no need to buy another big HDD, and you can work from everywhere. 
Right now i am on Sri Lanka, and i am connected to PC in Czech Republic (7500 KM)
and it is works from 80-90 % (depends on weather:) ) almost same like if i am on that PC in Czech Republic.