Ftp Usage

Dan,

This is a huge topic, I'll try and get as much in as possible. First off, internet explorer has the ability to view ftp sites... In order to do it, you need to go to Tools, Internet Options, the Advanced tab, and under Browsing check the option that says "Enable Folder View for FTP sites." This should allow you to access ftps... if it does not work, let me know and I will try and specify other possibilities.

As far as file sharing solutions, winmx is not quite an ftp program. It simple allows users to display specific types of files on their hard drive for others to upload from them. If you get on it, you can download files from multiple users, etc. Winmx is not very fast, but it does have many different files, etc. There are several variables for using it, so I'd have to know your exact setup to tell you how best to set its options. DirectConnect is another option, although it is slow unless you are getting files from others on the same network (not over the internet, just over the intranet say at a college or business). It is very elitist, though, and you have to be sharin a lot of files and such to join. Other options include morpheus (it's in decline, many firewalls block it, and many people are not using it as often which means that there is less available on it, although it is faster usually than others), kazaa as you mentioned, edonkey, irc, etc. Each has its ups and downs. If you want to know specifics, I recommend reading about each one in their respective user guides. If I can help you with any specific questions, please post or email me :-) GOod luck!

I could not... But the UD network is smacked up, lol. It could be that we don't have permission to access it... Where did you get the site from? Anyone else had any luck accessing the site?

I have used winmx in the past. When you use winmx, set whichever folders and file types you would like to share. Make sure it is nothin personal. In my experience, it is best to make a folder specifically for the downloads you get from winmx... Then point it to that folder for your incoming downloads. When you establish a network connection, there are two options: Primary and secondary. Since you don't have a firewall, I recommend a primary. Try that, and try searching for something common after it shows as connected (like a song, lol, look up U2 or something and make sure the search parameters are for mp3, you can choose the min bitrate and bandwidth of users you get it from). If nothing comes up after a minute, go back and change the connection to secondary and try the same thing again. If you get results, then use it. Then you just search for what you want and double click it to download. Once you do, set each download for how often you want it to check for more people who have it, and then set the highest queue you'd be willing to join (your place in line basically). The more people you are in queue for for a file and the more you are downloadin from, the faster the download. Also, once you have more than 15 users for a file, it will no longer search for more people who have it. Lemme know if you have more questions! Good luck!

Hmm... weird, it goes in and searches for files and folders but then says I don't have permission to get in... Maybe sager's network is down for something? I would recommend emailing them the question. Let us know if anything changes!

I've never used their ftp site so can't verify it should be working. It's not working from here either.
Try this ftp site for Asus bios updates =)
ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/

I wasn't able to access that ftp either, so I guess something's up... I can access all ftps on the intranet here at UD... Hmmm....

For a sweet free ftp program, check out http://www.smartftp.com

Thanks for the linkage! There are tons of nice programs out there... I tend to stick with IE because it means less junk installed. I like having less things that do more (like the 8886... a small lil computer that does everything a desktop does, plus a tv, dvd player, mp3 player, video editor, game console, etc etc etc).

ya, but IE isn't a real ftp program. You can't do anything with it other than transfer files in an annoying file copy kind of way. And imagine if IE hang while downloading a huge file.

I like sticking to programs that are good at what they do.

Agreed... if it hangs it's a problem, but it's never happened to me with ftp usage, and (I guess it's just personal preference) I like the whole copy and paste kind of format. Now, if I was running an ftp, or if I was a hardcore ftp user (I use an ftp maybe once a week just to transfer files from my friends' computers and such on this network) then I'd definitely go for a dedicated program. I guess I know which one I'd go with now :-) Thanks for the recommendation!

Netvampire is a pretty nice download manager which I use quite often.

DAP (download accelerator plus) is also nice and can be quite fast. I can get download speeds up to 5 times or more using this. The downside is that it's known to be unstable at times. I know it kept crashing IE on my parents WinME machine when it was installed but it's still one of the fastes download programs I've used.

for no-frills ftp clients:

smartftp
ws_ftp

Hehe, the reason for its instability was prolly Windows Me. I'd sooner die than use a computer with that operating system on it. My desktop was more than equiped for it and it showed like 60% resources free when nothing was open except the normal taskbar stuff... I installed Win2k and I now have 90% free with more things open, lol. Microsoft put out Me to get people to buy it, get annoyed with it, and buy XP when they heard how revolutionary it was. If XP wasn't as good as it is, I'd be quite angry.

You're probably right. I only see my parents every now and then but being the lazy bum that I am I never got around to installing xp/2000

Yeah, I'm gonna up it to XP when I get home. 2k is sweet, but XP is nicer.