Ways to send large files digitally
Technology has played an integral role in changing the way people communicate and how people send items to each other around the world. Instead of sending a letter or document by postal mail, now commonly called “snail mail,” technology provides a way for people to send or receive items instantly, through email attachments, transfer protocol (FTP) or Managed File Transfer (MFT). .
Email allows users to exchange digital messages and attach digital files to the message. Typical email services allow users to exchange email messages, including attachments, up to 10 megabytes (MB) in total message size. Some email systems, particularly those intended for individuals rather than businesses, such as Yahoo and Gmail, allow 25MB email messages. Full message size transfers include email header, message body, and attachments. Many times, this message size limit is enough, but if a user’s file size is larger than the limit, the sender has a problem if the sender’s or recipient’s email system limits the message file size. of e-mail. The sender will not be able to send the message or will receive an undeliverable notice and the recipient will not receive the email. An additional problem that a user of the email service may encounter is that some services do not allow certain file formats. If the sender’s file format is one of these excluded formats, you’re out of luck.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
File Transfer Protocol was one of the first attempts to keep large attachments out of the email system. It is a software protocol used to exchange information between computers over a TCP/IP-based network. FTP allows users to share files, while encouraging the indirect use of remote computers. Although data transfer is reliable, FTP is complicated to use, somewhat expensive, and requires both sender and recipient to install specialized software. To access the files, FTP can be used with anonymous user access or with user-based password authentication. There are several security issues with using FTP: usernames, passwords, and the files themselves are sent in plain text, and files are uploaded and/or downloaded unencrypted, making it easy for an unknown third party to intercept this information.
Managed File Transfer (MFT)
Managed file transfer is similar to FTP, except that MFT does not require the sender or recipient to install any software. MFT generally requires registration and a subscription to a monthly or yearly plan to send files. Some MFT services offer free file transfers, usually with pretty tight restrictions on file size, number of files that can be sent, etc. After registering, senders can send large files to recipients by uploading them to the system server. Recipients then receive an email with a link to their files, which can be viewed on the MFT system’s server in typically six to 14 days. Longer access periods are readily available, though usually at a higher cost. MFT system senders with paid subscriptions are encouraged to tell their recipients to “Save” files sent to them, rather than “Open” them directly from the server; this will prevent the sender from incurring overage charges. By saving the files to their hard drives or to a desired location, recipients can retrieve the files at their discretion, without running download bytes on the sender’s account or having the problem of the file expiring from the server. Streaming (playing) a file also counts as a download, so if the recipient listens to or views the file that the sender uploaded to the server, the sender may be charged for multiple downloads. Senders also have the option to limit the number of downloads allowed to recipients.
Another issue senders can anticipate to avoid overage charges is the recipient having trouble downloading the files. If recipients make multiple unsuccessful download attempts, these attempts may result in additional charges to the sender. Senders should encourage their recipients to contact MFT service customer support if recipients are having trouble downloading their files. One solution to broken downloads is a program that allows recipients to start a download where they left off, rather than from the beginning. This not only saves time, but also saves the sender money by avoiding multiple downloads on one account.