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Exchanging huge files - easiest way?

R

rw120555

Golden Member
I want to be able to send some huge files (several 100MB, maybe even a few GB) with a person who is working with me in another state. What is the easiest way to do this over the internet? We both have high speed connections. I have a router on my home network, whereas she has one computer that is connected directly to her dsl or cable. I have winxp pro, I think she probably has win98. This will only be done occasionally. I could just mail her cds, but it would be nice if we could do it over the internet. Thanks for any help.
 
The first and most obvious question is..what file type are they? Graphics and Word docs compress very well (Winzip).

Ken
 
Monster data files for research we are doing. Even when compressed, they can take up several hundred megabytes.

I'm wondering, could we just fire up an ftp program on both ends when we need to make the exchanges?
 
Would emailing wreak havoc with mail servers or anything? I don't want to alienate 100s of other users!

How could I do it with FTP? I have whatever comes with windows. I also have wsftp pro on my side, not sure if she has it on hers. I've used ftp before with public sites, but I'm not sure how to do it between two home-based machines.

In the past, I've put files up on the www space I get through my university, but I suspect I don't have enough space for what I want to do.
 
i think that par files would be good, you'd get integrity checking, and plus if part of the transfer is corrupted, or missing, you can generate it from what you have..

a vpn would be nice, but not sure worth the time...

there are many file sharing IM programs out there, not sure what supports files that large.

an ftp server would be the easiest solution
 
1) There are free or not-so-free sites that let you upload/download and store files. Again not sure of security or impact on server while uploading.

2) If it occasional then I would make a CD and fed ex to the other user. Should not cost that much.

Just my thoughts.

Ken
 
Ok, first a few questions...
1) Are the systems you are tansfering the files to/from located near each other? (i.e. same room)
2) How many systems need to get access to the files?
3) What kind of network are the systems connected to (internal LAN?, internet (by modem?, broadband?))?
4) Do you have physical control over all the systems?

I ask these to get an idea as to what you can do. If the files are huge (as in greater then 700 megabytes) unless you are connected through a LAN or broadband it will take forever to transfer that data over a network. If you have physical control over the systems and there are only 1 or 2 that need copies of the data (and only need to recieve the copy once and not get updated 50 times in the next few weeks with more data) I would recommend removing the hard drive that currently has the data on it and placing it in the other computers and make a copy that way to their own hard drives. If all the systems are on a LAN and running windows you can look into file sharing through client for microsoft networks/file and print sharing. If all systems are not on a LAN, then you will need to setup an FTP server on one of the computers and then connect to that computer using ftp and transfer the data that way (only one will need to have the FTP server software, if that one is not the one with the data on it, use the one with the data to connect via ftp to the one running the server and change to "binary" mode and then "put datafile". Then the file will be on the server and all other systems could get the file via ftp "get datafile"....

Easiest would be setting up an ftp server if you have had experience doing that before. Otherwise the filesharing through the LAN is easiest, but all systems need to be on that LAN.

Note: the above was for exceedingly large files larger then 700 megs. If they are smaller then 700 megs, best would be burning to CD and physically give the data to everyone that needs it. CD burners are so cheap now that it is well worth the cost if you don't own one to just buy it. If you already own a CD burner (or *boggles* a DVD burner, and with this you can do files 4.1 gigs) this is probably the best way to go. You can verify the copy on the CD with just about all burner software, and you know that the data is physically given to the proper people, thus keeping the data protected from unwanted eyes.
 
Originally posted by: Fallen Kell
Ok, first a few questions...
1) Are the systems you are tansfering the files to/from located near each other? (i.e. same room)
2) How many systems need to get access to the files?
3) What kind of network are the systems connected to (internal LAN?, internet (by modem?, broadband?))?
4) Do you have physical control over all the systems?
Click to expand...

1 -- the computers are several hundred miles apart.
2 -- I just have to get a copy of the files from my machine to hers, and maybe vice-versa some times
3 -- We both have broadband connections. I have a home lan with a router whereas her computer is directly connected to her dsl or cable.
4 -- I have control over my own machine and can tell her what she needs to do on her end.

We may just wind up exchanging CDs, but it would be nice if we can come up with a simpler and faster process.

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I suspect ftp is the way to go, but I'm still not quite sure on how to set it up on a home to home basis.
 
Originally posted by: Oaf357
FTP
Click to expand...
Install the server on the XP machine. Forward the port in the home router and everything. Transfer will be limited by upload speed (384k for Roadrunner, as low as 128kbit/s for some DSL's) Edit: as far as free win servers go, I recommend Cesar or cerberus

At best (384k) 1GB will take 6 hours. Best option might be CDR's and Fedex if your volume gets much larger than 1GB. Or a T1.
 
IMHO, you asking for a lot of pain trying to do this over a consumer grade line. Even if the hours long file tarnsfer goes through, your ISP is going to be watching you and possibly contacting you.

Fedex the cd's. Or break up the data into smaller segments so that if/when the transfer dies you only have to resend that segment instead of the whole thing.
 
Well... I have had experience with FTP, and with extensive breaks/resumes/retries, the data tends to be corrupted. There are some softwares out there that are [virtually] error free during transfer, and are pretty fast, as well as bypassing any caps that your ISP may have placed on any protocols [FTP mainly].

I would reccomend something like mIrc, as even if the receiver is behind a router, it works fairly well. Only concern is if the sender is behind one as well.

CheetahMk2
 
while i myself would set up ftp servers on both ends, another alternative is using aim. you can set it up so that people on your list can browse a shared folder and download from it as they please. you could share the data file on both pc's and only allow that one person access to your aim shares.
 
Some thoughts I have for rw after reading the thread: FTP requires two components, server and client. WS_FTP is a client. The options with FTP would be to either a) host a server on your computer and have her connect to it to upload or download, b) have her host the server and you connect to upload/download, or c) each of you connect to a third party that runs the server. Each of these has benefits. If you or she run the FTP server, then you only have the transfer time of a one way transfer but you also need to set up an FTP server which can be tedious and insecure. If you use one that is already established (say, at a university), you will have transfer time * 2 because you have to upload it there then she has to download it from there but you do not have to worry about setting up the server or worrying about the security.

Regarding some of the other internet transfer options, many of them try to cache a file before sending directly and as such will lock your system up as it attempts to cache the entire file. I have a fairly quick system and I have frozen my computer for substantial periods of time when trying to use AIM to send gigabyte sized files.

For my recommendation, I'd say post a new thread here asking what the easiest and most secure free FTP server is for Windows XP and you install the FTP server locally on your computer. You will also need to configure your router to work with it as well as teach her to use the WS_FTP if she is not already familiar with it. To increase security, you can also shut down the FTP server when she does not need to retrieve or send a file.

In my experience, research data over a few hundred megs has most frequently been transferred on a physical media rather than the internet just because of the unreliability and likeliness to corrupt the data as mentioned above.
 
Some thoughts I have for rw after reading the thread: FTP requires two components, server and client. WS_FTP is a client. The options with FTP would be to either a) host a server on your computer and have her connect to it to upload or download, b) have her host the server and you connect to upload/download, or c) each of you connect to a third party that runs the server. Each of these has benefits. If you or she run the FTP server, then you only have the transfer time of a one way transfer but you also need to set up an FTP server which can be tedious and insecure. If you use one that is already established (say, at a university), you will have transfer time * 2 because you have to upload it there then she has to download it from there but you do not have to worry about setting up the server or worrying about the security.
Click to expand...
Thanks again to everybody for all their suggestions. This is quite helpful. In terms of what ReelCool says, it turns out that having a 3rd party site as the intermediary is more viable than I thought; I didn't think i had enough space at the University I work at but it turns out I have 4 Gigabytes. (I think they gave me a temporary bump several years ago and forgot to take it back!) Even so, there is that times*2 transfer time. It took me 100 minutes to upload a 100Mb file last night, and I don't know what it will be like from her end. I think I'll tell her to download this file and see how it goes, and re-evaluate from there.
 
Turns out there is no justice in the world -- the person I am working with can download about 4 or 5 times as fast as I can upload. I guess that isn't so unusual with uploads versus downloads though? The 3rd party server option, as opposed to a direct hookup between us, is looking more and more attractive. Thanks again. RW
 
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