>Mobile Data Question – FTP

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Since my original question, I received a couple of suggestions to use FTP. As in my original post I said that FTP will probably be the solution. Since its free and I already have a FTP Server setup I’ve expanded my home FTP Server to my user folders. Its currently set up to receive a backup of all my websites that are FTP’ed on a daily basis.

So I setup a link using Vista as a one click link for web/ftp addresses.

To do that follow these directions:

1. Open “Computer”. You will see all your drives listed.

2. In the menu bar above click on “Map network drive”

3. A separate window will pop open. Click on the “Connect to a Web site that you can use to store your documents and pictures.”

4. Follow through the wizard by clicking “Next” , then on the next page click “Choose a custom network location”. Then Click “Next” again.

5. Paste your FTP address here. (i.e ftp://ftp.website.com) Click “Next”

6. You need to enter your user id here for logging in to the FTP server. You will be asked a password later. Click “Next.”

If your username is a email address, you will have a problem because the shortcut that is created will be created with different characters then the @ sign. The shortcut looks like this FTP://Userid@ftp.website.com. So if your username was a email address it will look like this FTP://userid@website.com%40ftp.website.com. You will need to enter your userid as userid%website.com.

7. Type in a general name you want the link to be then click “Next” again. The screen will come up with a overview so you can click “Finish”

You will see a new icon in you Computer list now. That is your one click, (May ask for your password if you don’t save it) that connects you to the ftp server.

Ok now that’s done, I tried to send and receive files from my FTP.

Now it all depends on the connection that you have. If your Internet connection is 1.0/386, files to the remote computer from your home will be slower then when you send the file.

I have a 3mb/786kb SDSL connection, and I connected my laptop via bluetooth to my cell that has Sprint EVDO. The files transferred at a decent rate. I can pick up any files I have setup in the ftp server to give access to my userid.

I’m going to keep this as a backup connection for right now, but there have been some other applications suggested and I will blog about those next.