FTPplanet.com Blog

August 20, 2008

Create Custom Data Management Applications with WS_FTP Professional Software Development Kit

Calling all programmers! With Ipswitch File Transfer's WS_FTP Professional Software Development Kit, developers can create customized data management applications by embedding or integrating the functionality of WS_FTP Professional into core business applications and platforms. This would be useful in a sales, inventory, financial, database, or CRM system architecture.

Read more about the WS_FTP Professional SDK on the Ipswitch File Transfer website.

Posted by Erik Small at 12:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

August 14, 2008

Webmastercourse.com is a great resource for people interested in learning how to design a simple website. Their "Quick Guide to FTP" does a nice job of highlighting how a webmaster would use a secure file transfer client to move files (ie: web pages) from their computer to the Internet for publishing.

And here's their plug for the WS_FTP Professional secure file transfer client: "You should get a professional FTP program such as WS_FTP offered by Ipswitch.com. This software has many great features for online business owners and enables you to transfer many pages at once. It's very fast as well."

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

August 12, 2008

Uploading Your Website with FTP

Here's a nice overview of file transfer software from Ben over at Advanced Wordpress Tutorials:

Once you've created your website, you're going to need to upload it to your web server. The easiest and fastest way of doing this is using FTP.

Here's what Ben had to say about my FTP program of choice: "WS FTP (www.wsftp.com) is another old, established FTP program, but recently became a lot easier to use than it used to be. Some useful features include its various wizards and tutorials for doing common things, editing files on the server using any software you like (a rare feature) and sorting options that let you find files quickly. It also has special features to help you out with blogging and digital photography."

I agree with Ben that the user interface of WS_FTP Professional was greatly improved with the last product release. And I also agree that the capability to edit files on the server is super handy and has saved me quite a bit of time. Love the integrated Google desktop search to help me quickly find files on my computer.... And the thumbnails makes finding the right photo that much easier.

In addition, I've found WS_FTP Pro to be much faster at uploading and downloading files than some other programs I've tried.... And the security capabilities are far greater than any other product as well.

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

August 07, 2008

Who is your friend or connection?

Social media networks are exploding this year. In just the past 12 months, the well-known social media networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Bebo are adding new members exponentially.

These social media networks each are trying to find a niche or specialization, example: LinkedIn = business networking.

What are the visitors of FTPplanet connecting to lately?

Facebook?
MySpace?
LinkedIn?
Friendster?
Plaxo?
Bebo?
Flicker?

Share your comments. We'd love to hear from you!

-FTPplanet team

Posted by Erik Small at 08:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

August 06, 2008

Useful FTP Applications

Here's a great example of a very common use of FTP courtesy of Jared Holt of the Geek Inspired website.

"Just a few months ago, I was taking a short vacation down in Florida with my wife’s family. It was the first time our little nieces had ever been to the ocean, so I was sure to take lots and lots of pictures. Every evening, I would dump all of my pictures from my compact flash card onto my laptop.

I like to have several copies of all my important files. So, before turning in for the night, I would open up my favorite FTP program, connect to the FTP server running on my computer at home (600 miles away!), and transfer all of the precious photos I had taken that day. Indeed, FTP is a great tool that anyone with a broadband connection should use"

Jared also includes a great description of file transfer clients and servers.

But what I really like about this article are Jared's examples of common applications for FTP, such as:

"* Just about every webmaster uses FTP to transfer web pages, web application files, and images to their web server.

* Corporations use FTP servers to provide common files to their clients and branch offices.

* Friends use a collection of FTP servers to share photos, programs, and (Gasp!) the occasional mp3.

* I like to keep my favorite freeware accessible on my FTP so that I can use them no matter which computer I’m on.

One huge advantage to using FTP is that file sizes simply do not matter. In my opening example, I was uploading gigabytes of photos to my home computer. Try doing that with email… go on, I dare you"

Jared's last point is certainly an important one as well. Email simply isn't a practical way to share ginormous files.... The file size limitation of email (or the rules your system admin has put in place) is a key reason why millions and millions of people are using FTP (or encrypted SSL or SSH protocols) to move and share large files.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

August 04, 2008

Podcast on Protecting Data

Here's a great podcast on the Realtime Windows Server website titled "Protecting Data In Transit and At Rest with Ipswitch". Host Greg Shields and industry guru Kevin Gillis talk about some pretty important data security topics.

They highlight some of the recent prolific data breaches, summarize some of the nuances of PCI DSS compliance, run through some of the technical ABC's of secure file transfer, and share some best-practices and tips for securing critical data in IT environments with the Ipswitch WS_FTP and MOVEit secure managed file transfer solutions.

I know both of these guys and they clearly know their stuff.... Trust me, it's definitely worth 20 minutes to listen to the podcast.

Here's the podcast excerpt: "Whether your IT organization is under the heavy hand of regulatory compliance or not, the perils of unencrypted data can be a big risk for your most sensitive data. That data, whether its sitting within your data stores or being transferred around the network needs some level of encryption to protect it against prying eyes. Even worse, if you are under the microscope of compliance, you can be liable for a disclosure of that information.

In this podcast, I talk with Kevin Gillis of Ipswitch about some of the more recent data breaches seen by IT organizations that didn't properly plan for hacking. We talk about the types of compliance laws that require encryption, and the tools and techniques you need to incorporate to protect yourself. Whether its HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, or even just the desire to stay safe, this podcast will enlighten you to some of the tools available today that keep that data secure no matter where it is"

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

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 (0) 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 (0) 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 (0) 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 (0) 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 (0) 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 (0) digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page