What's the best SFTP Server software for windows?

evident

Lifer
Apr 5, 2005
12,082
689
126
What's the best SFTP server software for windows? I'm still a month or 2 out from starting a freenas file server, but in the meantime I want to be able to share some files with a friend who lives far away and am running windows 7. these are big files so i don't think dropbox is a good solution for me. I would only enable the SFTP server when they request to connect and then i would turn it off immediately after.

Alternatively, is there another file sharing solution that could be more secure that i could use to share big files? is SFTP the most secure way to do this anyways?

I havent done this in a long time, and I was just going to use filezilla server, but then i read how insecure standard FTP was. filezilla server doesn't support SFTP however.
 

ethebubbeth

Golden Member
May 2, 2003
1,740
5
91
Core FTP
http://www.coreftp.com/server/

Grabe the Free Mini SFTP server from that page (http://www.coreftp.com/server/download/msftpsrvr.exe)

That is one of the only free SFTP servers for windows that I know of. It worked well for me under light usage for testing an SFTP client component in a development environment

There's a lot of options for FTPS (FTP over an SSL connection), but not as many for SFTP. I'd recommend sticking with SFTP until you have FreeNAS up and running too, since then your friends can just login the same way once you get your NAS up and running.
 
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code65536

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2006
1,006
0
76
I use OpenSSH via Cygwin, which includes a SFTP server. It takes a bit more doing to set up, if it's the first time you've used such a thing, but it works well, makes use of Windows' user accounts for login and permissions, and it's also nice to be able to SSH into my system to do things from the command line. I've been doing this for many years, and I haven't bothered with trying other SFTP solutions.
 

evident

Lifer
Apr 5, 2005
12,082
689
126
Ok so I tried coreFTP miniSFTP server, Cygwin, and bitvise SSHD server. coreFTP was super duper simple, but too simple. couldn't even set up permissions so people can't modify files on my computer. cygwin worked eventually, but it was just a big pain in the butt when it didnt really have to be. i use linux all the time, but for some reason i find cygwin to be cumbersome when it comes to working hand and hand with windows.

I found that bitvise SSH server works the best. I used just the personal license version, was able to set up a virtual account and everything seems to be chugging along for now. the only tricky thing for this was that when using a virtual account, you need to allow your "bitvise ssh virtual users" account in windows permission to view the files in whatever directory you want to share.
 

accguy9009

Senior member
Oct 21, 2007
504
10
81
What's the best SFTP server software for windows? I'm still a month or 2 out from starting a freenas file server, but in the meantime I want to be able to share some files with a friend who lives far away and am running windows 7. these are big files so i don't think dropbox is a good solution for me. I would only enable the SFTP server when they request to connect and then i would turn it off immediately after.

Alternatively, is there another file sharing solution that could be more secure that i could use to share big files? is SFTP the most secure way to do this anyways?

I havent done this in a long time, and I was just going to use filezilla server, but then i read how insecure standard FTP was. filezilla server doesn't support SFTP however.

Not sure exactly what your needs are but BitTorrent Sync might do the trick

http://www.bittorrent.com/sync
 

ethebubbeth

Golden Member
May 2, 2003
1,740
5
91
Not sure exactly what your needs are but BitTorrent Sync might do the trick

http://www.bittorrent.com/sync

The benefit of setting up an SFTP server on his network now is that, once he builds his FreeNAS box down the road, he could just run the SFTP service on FreeNAS and allow his existing friends access without having to teach them anything new or give them new credentials.
 

Tomwg

Junior Member
Dec 6, 2016
6
0
1
Sysax FTP Server is the best solution, they even have a FTP client that work as a "set and forget" solution for both the server and the client machines. Works with all Windows from W2K up to Windows 10, even certified from Microsoft.
 

John Connor

Lifer
Nov 30, 2012
22,757
617
121
OP, there's another FTP client called CrossFTP that works with Amazon S3 as well as a whole host of other protocols. The only down fall is that it's propitiatory. So you have to pay for it. But if you work with the Amazon S3 cloud and store things there this could be a nice client.