« June 2008 | Main | August 2008 »

July 31, 2008

I found this step-by-step tutorial on this blog of how to easily setup WS_FTP with an FTP Server.

Hope this is helpful:

http://hubbard-mt349.blogspot.com/2008/07/file-transfer-protocol.html

Posted by Erik Small at 08:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

July 30, 2008

FCC says Comcast Illegally Interfered With Web File-Sharing Traffic

Whispers have been circulating for some time that Comcast has been interfering with customers who use BitTorrent to share large video files over the Comcast network. Of course, Comcast has vehemently denied this shocking and eye-opening accusation.

Today's article in The Washington Post declares that the Federal Communications Commission has determined that Comcast has in fact illegally interfered with the web file sharing traffic of their internet service customers.

Shame on you Comcast. Personally, I'm glad I dumped you a year ago. Your service is spotty.... Your prices are high.... And now you believe that it's within your realm of control to throttle the delivery of customer files. Shame on you.

The two bright spots I see in this ongoing saga are:

1. It sounds like all BitTorrent files do get delivered, just that they are purposely throttled to a slower speed. Better late than never I suppose....

2. There is still no proof that Comcast is also throttling files transferred over FTP or SSH. Yet.

It seems to me that network bandwidth is the real problem, NOT customers trying to use the Internet to move big files around (which is the spin that Comcast is trying to plant). The primary issue is that Comcast can't deliver enough network bandwidth to support the demands of their customer base.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

July 28, 2008

Finding Files the FTP Way

I'm always appreciative of the person who can explain technical concepts clearly by using a real-world example. Here's a nice take on FTP, and I really like the "file cabinet" analogy. If life is like a box of chocolates.... Then FTP is definitely like a file cabinet!

FTP sites are like filing cabinets, but much larger; like the traditional cabinet, a person managing the files can label and tag the files whichever way they want and choose the files they want to keep in a locked drawer or choose to share to the public. Instead of a key, user id is use to gain access to the files. If the creator wants his site to be private, you are prompted to key in your user id and e-mail address that is unique and yours only.

And here's one last excerpt that perfectly describes the simplicity of using a secure file transfer client like WS_FTP Professional: "FTP is really a convenient and an easier way to download files. An FTP client has two window panels. The window on the left is the files you have in your computer and the right side shows the files of the other computer. Just drag and drop the files for easy transfers. Transferring files cannot get easier and faster than that."

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

July 25, 2008

Sciforma Chooses WS_FTP for Its Security and Usability

Here's a real-world example why a company choose to use WS_FTP secure file transfer solutions.

Sciforma recently deployed WS_FTP Server and the WS_FTP Professional file transfer client.... And "security and usability features were key considerations in the purchase decision".

"We purchased WS_FTP because it was very easy to implement and we could better manage different levels of users," said Rob DeVenuto, senior account executive, Sciforma. "Our employees and customers are finding the synchronization capabilities particularly useful. We previously had issues connecting to servers in remote locations, but by setting up an automated schedule with WS_FTP, we were able to solve the problem."

Personally, WS_FTP Professional is my file transfer client of choice. It's easy to use and I love the .ZIP compression and email notifications features.... But most importantly, it is uber secure. I feel safe knowing that I'm using the same software that large companies and even the government have deemed secure. You just can't be too careful these days.....

Here's a link to the WS_FTP website if you'd like to learn more about their products any get a 30--day free trial.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

July 24, 2008

WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Module - What is it?

The WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Module product became available last month. It's a brand new product and excellent add-on to our WS_FTP Server. Read through the product release notes here.

What is WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Module?
WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Module is a web application that runs with Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) and lets your WS_FTP Server users access their accounts via a browser (using HTTP).

No installation is required for the end user. The end user will open a web address in a browser and log on to their account using the Web Transfer Client.

You can enable Web Transfer access to any of your WS_FTP Server users. All existing user settings, rules, and notifications apply to the WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Module account.

For the end user, the Web Transfer Client offers easy, secure access via a browser, basic upload and download operations, and no client installation or maintenance.

For the administrator, WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Module provides secure file transfer via HTTPS, offers quick setup and rollout, and works the same across different operating systems and browsers.

WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Module Release Notes

Posted by Erik Small at 11:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

July 21, 2008

FTP Speed Tips

Are you trying to find a way to speed up your file transfer?

Read through FTPplanet's Speed Tips Tutorial here:

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is the most efficient way to upload and download files. With some very powerful features -- drag and drop transfers! auto-resume! -- there is one basic item that everybody seems to want: faster transfers.
If you've every found yourself asking why your FTP client isn't transferring files as fast as you'd expect, a key thing to remember is that there are a lot of external factors that determine FTP speed. Your FTP client is just a small piece of the puzzle.

These five questions will help you determine what may be causing slow transfers for you and may help you increase your speed.

1. What other programs are using your internet connection?

If you're running many programs that use your connection at the same time, your connection is being shared and can be spread thin. Stopping programs that use a lot of bandwidth should result in faster transfers.

These programs include P2P file sharing programs (WinMX, eDonkey, BitTorrrent, etc.), MP3/video download programs (Yahoo! Music, iTunes), streaming media (online radio, movie trailers), multiple Web browser windows, other downloads, etc.

These programs can also include spyware or adware installed on your system (you may not be aware of this -- visit CNet's Security Center for more information).

2. Does your ISP provide slower uploads than downloads?

If you're experiencing lightning fast downloads and slower uploads, check with your ISP to see what your upload limit is. Most ISPs provide more bandwidth for downloads than uploads.

3. What is the server's limit?

You'll never experience faster transfer than the server allows. In other words, the server limit may be your limit. Check with the FTP server administrator for information on a specific server.

4. Do you have multiple connections open to the same server?

If so, you're using up more of your bandwidth at once. Generally, this allows for faster downloads at a slower rate per connection. This can be a perceived slowness, as the sum of all connections can be quite fast.

5. Who else is connected to the server?

As noted in question three above, FTP servers have a limit. If other people are connecting to the server at the same time, it will affect your transfer speeds.

Posted by Erik Small at 10:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

July 09, 2008

Guidelines for Strong Passwords

Susan Harkins of the TechRepublic blog put together some basic, yet extremely critical password guidelines.

I like the second one -- Memorize passwords -- But sometimes it's hard when many passwords are close, slightly-varied combinations of your birthday or street address.

Here are Susan's top guidelines:
-- Use a unique password for every account that requires one.
-- Memorize your passwords; don’t write them down.
-- Passwords should be at least six characters long (more is better).
-- Replace all passwords regularly.
-- Passwords should contain a mixture or characters: upper and lower case letters, numerals, and other special characters.

Here's the full article:
Strong Password Guidelines

Posted by Erik Small at 08:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

July 08, 2008

Active FTP and Passive FTP

Did you know that there are different flavors of FTP?

Here's a post by Jimmy Thomas that gets into some of the details of the FTP protocol and addresses some advanced topics like ports, control and data channels, active and passive FTP and anonymous FTP.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

July 02, 2008

Using FTP for a WordPress.org Blog

Many thanks to Cheryl Johnson (aka The Queen of Kludge) for creating a tutorial on using FTP to upload files to a Wordpress.org blog.

Here's her post on the first phase of the process: Downloading, installing and setting-up file transfer software. And she's got much more info on her blog about Wordpress also.

The tutorial does a great job of walking you through how to get WS_FTP software, how to install it on your computer, and how to connect your WS_FTP software to a server.

And Cheryl -- Many thanks for the FTPplanet mention in your post!

Posted by Hugh Garber at 08:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page