File Transfer Made Easy

    On a few occassions I have been asked "Why do I need an FTP client? Can't I do everyting with my FTP site?".  The SmartFile application has many features, but some are better handled by a FTP client. Here are some advantages to using an FTP client.

• Allows you to transfer multiple files as well as directories
• The ability to resume a transfer is the connection is lost
• The ablilty to add items to a "queue" to be uploaded/downloaded
• Many FTP clients have the ability to schedule transfers
• No size limitation on single transfers (browsers only allow up to 2 GB)
• Many clients have scripting capabilities through command line
• Most clients have a synchronizing utility
• Faster transfers then HTTP

Those are just a few of the advantages of using an FTP client. While the clients help make transfers easier they are not without their drawbacks. Here are some of the disadvantages of using and FTP client.

• Usernames, passwords and files are sent in clear text
• filtering active FTP connections is difficult on your local machine (passive is preferred)
• servers can be spoofed to send data to a random port on an unintended computer

In those cases you can see where using the web interface would eliminate these issues. Both FTP clients and the FTP site have their advantages and disadvantages. Fortunately you are able to use them hand in hand depending on your specific needs.

As browsers continue to advance more and more of these features will be worked in. In the future the need for a third party client may be unnecessary, but for now they are really nice to have.

    We have already gone through a few of that FTP programs that we have tested with SmartFile. The newest program I have tested is Auto FTP Manager. The look of the program is pretty standard issue; however, it does offer several unique features.

The first is the server-to-server connection. Most FTP clients only allow you to connect from your local PC to the server. In this case you would need to connect to the server you are requesting files from and download them to your local machine. Once downloaded, you could connect to the second server and upload the files. This can be very time consuming depending on the amount of files you have. Auto FTP allows you to make a connection to server 2 from server 1 and copy files directly between them without making a local copy. This is my favorite feature of the program.

Next is the ability to set up profiles and use rules and filters to automate the file transfer process. An example is that I can create rules so that when I upload files to the server, it will automatically delete them from my local machine when it is finished. Also once the transfer is complete I can move the files to a specific backup folder on the server. This can all be set up to be done automatically everytime I transfer files.

It also has the capabilities to schedule transfers. Using its command line interface and the integrated scheduler it can run as a scheduled task and automatically upload files based on the name, modification date, or file type. In that respect it can almost run as a backup utility. It can run at specific times (hourly, daily, etc.) to FTP files automatically.

There are several other useful features Auto FTP offers. There are only two drawbacks that I see. The first is that it runs on Windows only. It doesnt have a multi platform install like some other FTP programs. The second is the supported protocols. While it does support FTP and FTPS, that is where it stops. It does not have the option to use FTPES which is the secure protol SmartFile uses for FTP.

Overall this is a really good ftp program. I would definately recommed this for a Windows users needing a substantial FTP program.

     Lets say you have a folder that all of your clients log into. Within that you have a folder for each of your 4 clients and a "community" folder. You want them to be able to access their specific folder and the community folder but not have access to the other clients files. Here is how you would set that up.
    
For this example we will have a folder called Clients. In that folder will be folders called Client 1, Client 2, Client 3, Client 4, and Community. When creating the user you will set their home directory to Clients. Make sure that they have "Show Contents" permission only to that folder. Now give them full access to their folder by going to Actions -> Edit Access Rights to the right of the Client 1 folder.  Do the same by granting permissions to the Community folder. If you only want then to be able to download files in the community folder, check the show contents and download permissions and then click save. 

Now when Client 1 logs in They will only be able to upload/download files in the Client 1 folder and download files from the community folder. They will not be able to view or edit any files in the other Client folders. These permissions will be in effect for both HTTP and FTP. 

With SmartFile, sharing and managing files online is very easy. Click here to start using your FREE trial.
    

You may not have the ability to install the SmartBackup client but still need to backup your files. An easy way to do that without the backup software is by using a FTP batch file. Here is an example of how to do that.

First you need to create a text file with the commands you want to run. We will call this ftpbackup.txt. The file should look like this:

yourUserName
yourPassword
cd backup/folder (select the directory you are backing up to)
binary
prompt n
mput *.*
quit

The mput command copies all of the files from your local folder to the server. If you need to copy files from the server to your local computer use mget. Once you have that file saved you will need to create the batch file. We will call that ftpbackup.bat. It should look like this:

ftp -s:ftpbackup.txt (sitename).smartfile.com

Now that you have your batch file you can run it from a command prompt or set it up as a scheduled task to run as often as you like. Remember this is not as secure as the backup utility. It does store you password in plain text but it will work in a pinch.

Losing a hard drive can be devestating. It can happen at any time. You fire up your computer to check something online and you are greeted with a screen full of errors.  Seeing that blue screen is a horrible heart-sinking feeling. First you think "My work documents are on there". Then you think "Its not so bad", I only really needed the last one I was working on. You can just redo that one. You remember everything that was in it right? The longer you sit there the more clear it becomes. Pictures, documents, calendars, emails... all gone. Thats when you say to yourself "Why didn't I just back that up?". Now with your SmartFile account there is now reason not to.

With your SmartFile account you also get a free copy of SmartBackup. SmartBackup is the back up program that allows you to automatically save your files directly from your PC to your SmartFile account. SmartBackup will set up an automatic file transfer that can run any time you chose and save your files directly to your account. It can be run as frequently as you like depending on how often you need to backup your system. Restoring files is also very easily done in the SmartBackup utility. Unlike other computer backup programs, SmartBackup gives you the ability to restore single files instead of the entire backup. That way if you accidentaly overwrite a word doc, or edit a picture you didn't want to save they can easily be restored within seconds.

Everyone should back up their PC and with SmartBackup it is easier than ever. Click Here to see a short demo on just how easy it is to configure and use. 

  We are completely confident that once you try SmartFile you will love it. However, moving your files from one server to another is a major pain. You are essentially moving your files twice. Once to download the files to your local machine. Then again to to upload them to the new FTP server. This can be a huge time commitment and may make it not worth switching FTP servers. That is why SmartFile has introduced the ability to Import Files directly from you existing server. Remote File Transfer will cut your transfer time in half. You can now pull files directly into your account from any http:// or ftp:// address. By using an FTP address with a wildcard (*) you can move the entire contents of your existing service in one easy step.



  You're probably thinking, "Thats a cool feature for someone who only has a few gigs of files, but I have hundreds of gigs to transfer." That much data would take a long time to transfer and you dont want to have to wait days for the transfer to complete. For that much data you would use the SmartFile Concierge Service. We would overnight you a USB hard drive with a return lable to overnight it back. Once you get it just copy your files to the hard drive, slap on the return sticker and send it out. When we receive the drive back your files will immediately be transfered directly to the server. You will be accessing your files in a matter of hours instead of days.   

  With so many simple options migrating over to a new FTP server has never been easier. All of the hang ups with transferring your data SmartFile has already tackled. Click Here to try SmartFile today and have all of your files accessable tomorrow.

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  Email is great! Businesses today wouldn't be where they are without it. However, one major downfall with sending emails is the size limitation of attachments. How to send big files has become a real problem. There is nothing worse then getting an email kicked back, with files your customer needs, because it was too big. Now with the ability to send links through your SmartFile account those days are over. 

 Maintaining your brand is a crucial part of business. That is why we put so much emphasis on custom branding your account. You need to share large files but the last thing you want is for your customers to leave your website. A simple work around for that is to have your customers log into your SmartFile account directly from your website. Using the following snipit of code allows you to add a login prompt anywhere on your site.

<form action="https://www.smartfile.com/ftp/login/" method="post">
<input type="text" name="login"/><br/>
<input type="password" name="password"/><br/>
<input type="submit" value="Login"/>
</form>

If your account is currently branded you can replace the action with the sub-domain associated with your site

https://files.yourdomain.com/ftp/login/ (If you dont have an SSL remove the "s" and use http://)

You can also have your customers log directly into the "Manage Files" section and bypass the home screen by using the following action

https://www.smartfile.com/ftp/login/?next=/ftp/private/browser/browse/

This is a seamless way to transfer large files back and forth with your customers and keep them coming back to your website.

If your SmartFile account is not currently branded and you would like it to be, Click Here to start the process.  

When transferring large files to your SmartFile account it is best to use an FTP program. Filezilla is a simple one to use, and best of all its FREE! It allows you to make a quick FTP connection by providing just the site address, username, and password. If you prefer, you can set up site connections with more advanced options. For example, it supports FTPES which is the protocol SmartFile uses for Secure File Transfers. 

Another benefit to using an FTP program is the ability to resume transfers. There is nothing worse then being in the middle of an upload and losing your internet connection. An FTP program will resume where it left off once the connection is reestablished. 

There are countless other benefits to using an FTP program.  Click here to view a short video to see how to configure your account through FileZilla. 

Secure Socket Layer was developed by Netscape to manage the transfer of secure data over the Internet. It uses a public and private key to encrypt and decrypt data. Using an SSL is a crucial part of secure file transfers.

There is a wide variety of companies that provide SSL's with an even wider variety of pricing. Some players have been in the game much longer than others. This does add to their credibility, but does it justify the price? VeriSign charges $299 for a 1 year certificate. Thawte comes in at half that with a 1 year certificate for $149. GoDaddy is on the lower end charging $35 for a 1 year certificate.  So with that big of a price swing the certificates must be different right? The SSL system is based on trust.  Is VeriSign 8.5 times more trustworthy than GoDaddy? I think not.

It all boils down to what brand you prefer. When securing your file storage website go with the company you are most comfortable with. Peace of mind is always worth the price. 

SmartFile allows branded sites to use their own sub domain.  In many cases users are primarily using SmartFile for FTP so it only makes sense they would chose ftp.mydomain.com as their sub domain.  However this is the only sub domain not allowed. The reason is because of how browsers handle the protocol.

The recent news about the security flaws in Adobe’s software may not come as a big shock to some of you, but it should serve as a big reminder that you can never be too careful when it comes to protecting yourself online. Whether it’s someone trying to access your information remotely, or a missing or stolen laptop, you need to make sure you’re doing everything you can to protect yourself and your work – and we’re doing everything we can do to help you.



With our SmartKey program, users are issued a USB device which is bound directly to a specific user. When logging into SmartFile, that user will need to pass a two-factor authentication before their login is successful. They will first need to enter a single-use password issued via the SmartKey technology, followed by their standard account login information. By using SmartKey, your SmartFile protected files have an extra layer of security which helps you keep the good things in and the bad things out.

To read more about our SmartKey program, click here

Upload Multiple Files
No more having to select one file at time to upload. You can now select multiple files from your Windows, Mac, or Linux file browser to upload.

Customize Column Display
Users can now customize what items they want to see in the “Manage Files” section of the website. Choose from Size, Percent, Owner, Creation Date, Modified Date, and even Access Rights.

Archive Management
Archives (.zip, .tar.gz, .tar.bz) can now be browsed like folders in “Manage Files”. Contents of the archive can also be downloaded and viewed without a file extraction.

Open Files From SmartFile
When a file is clicked, the file will be rendered rather than downloaded by browser. The default action now opens the file rather than downloading it. (Download is now on Actions menu).

Feature Control
Administrators can now hide the “Activity” and “SmartBackup” utility in the user management screen.

Improved Payment Management
You now have the ability to easily update your credit card information through our payment screen.

Let’s face it, most people in Information Technology love control. Control over systems, control over data, and most importantly control over YOU. I’m not suggesting these are bad characteristics to possess when you are trying to protect your company’s most crucial asset, such as your data. Let’s face it, I would be a little nervous if the thing that kept me gainfully employed was taken away from me because it was cheaper and easier than having it in-house. This often creates a problem when a person on the business side of the company needs to make a decision based on the limited amount of information he or she is getting from IT.

This article is written to outline the expected costs involved in getting your FTP solution in place, thus giving you the facts when it comes to making an important business decision. There are several ways to go about configuring an FTP server, below is the most common:

1. Hardware ($2500)
Price ranges on processor speed and how much hard drive space you need. Here are the specs of a slimmed down server:

• Dual Xeon 1.83Ghz Processors
• Windows Server Web Edition
• 1 Terabyte of storage
• Raid 5 (For hard drive redundancy)
• 4 Gigs of Memory
• 3 Year ProSupport

• Serv-U ($199-$999)
• GlobalScape ($696 – $1,995)
• FileZilla – (FREE)

• Configure Windows
• Purchase SSL (If security is a concern)
• Configure Network 

                   - IP addresses
                   - Hostnames
                   - Firewall Provisioning

• Configure FTP software
• Configure Backups 

                 - Create user accounts 
                 - Create directories
                 - Create file system permissions
                 - FTP server permissions

5. Support (Ongoing)
Must have tech-savvy person on staff to do the following:

• Manage
• Backup
• Troubleshoot problems
• Apply patches to server
• Upgrade
• Monitor

It’s easy to say that you can spend $5000 in creating an FTP server that people can use, not to mention ongoing costs. Cost aside, it will still not have features like custom branding, a web interface that allows anyone to upload/download a file, and a way for any non-IT person to administer.

Before making the decision to bring FTP in-house, I would highly suggest giving SmartFile a try (for as little as a $108.00 a year). Who knows, you might even make your IT person happy.
A Dell PowerEdge server  

Top 5 File Sharing, File Collaboration, File Sharing

There a lot of companies on the Internet vying for your online storage needs. Although pricing should always be a consideration, don’t be lured by cheap packages aimed at getting you in the door. Make sure the FTP host you choose offers a feature rich application, but not one that you need a computer science degree to operate. Below are the top 5 things to look for when you choose your provider:

Offer an Easy to Use System
The last thing you want to become is a technical support agent for your clients, therefore ease of use is key. No matter what provider you choose, there are only 3 parts to any file sharing service. The ability to manage files, manage who accesses those files and some providers offer some type of reporting. In any case you need to be able to quickly add users and set permissions to files, without having to look at a manual or make a call to technical support.

Offer Multiple Ways to Connect to Your Data
You should not have to download any proprietary software or be told that FTP is no good. Be sure to that your provider offers a way to upload and downloads through ANY web browser on ANY operating system. Also, your provider should be able to support any FTP client, such as Filezilla, CuteFTP, or Fetch. Some providers add other bells and whistles such as sending a files through email, API’s, or some type of computer backup agent.

Offer Technical Assistant
There are several facets to support. The most important is a live person that is knowledgeable and are able to handle your question or problem without being on hold for hours on end, or worst, being transferred. Your provider should also have an online knowledge base that can answer your questions. If your like me, online video tutorials are a huge plus. Finally, if you feel more comfortable sending an email, your provider should offer a trouble ticketing system that allows you to keep track of the problem. However, trouble tickets are only as good as the time it takes for a person to respond to them. I believe 1 – 2 hours response time is a reasonable expectation.

Offer Unlimited Users & Connections
Providers like to offer you a package that starts at $4.95 a month, but only give you the ability to add three users to your account. If your like me, I have more than 3 people I want to collaborate and share files with. I recommend choosing a provider that offers unlimited users, with unlimited simultaneous connections to the system. This way you don’t have to juggle users access rights or continuously have to upgrade your package to meet your needs.

Offer Custom Branding
Custom branding allows you to use your own domain (uploads.yourcompany.com), your logo and color scheme. This allows the provider to be anonymous and for you to promote your company image and product offerings. Sometimes there is a small fee associated with this, but I would to look for providers that offer this for free of charge.

If you are looking for a file sharing, FTP hosting provider I would encourage you to take a look at SmartFile. They offer a free trial and packages that start at just $9.95 a month.

 Emailing large files can impossible for most. Most emailing providers limit your attachment size to 10MB per email. This can be difficult when you have a manufacturer in China needing an important CAD file to start building the widget that is going to make you millions. Or how about a client in Malaysia needing the PowerPoint presentation you spent all night on to deliver the big speech.