FileZilla continues to be one of the most trusted FTP agents in providing no-frills transfer between a server and clients. Most of its features are absolutely free, though recently there have been important upgrades in FileZilla Pro (only for Windows and Mac), a paid version. If you are looking for a highly functional FTP application, here are seven reasons why you should consider, or get the best out of, FileZilla.
1. Support for SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol
FTP applications are often criticized for taking security lightly with their default setting of plain text credentials. However, with SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), the files in transit can be hidden under an encrypted Secure Shell (SSH) connection. There are plenty of applications for encrypted transfers. For example, FileZilla can help you securely connect to your WordPress account. In FileZilla versions 3.37.1 and above, the dashboard lets you select SFTP from a dropdown menu before you initiate file transfers. If you want to click “Quick Connect” on the main dashboard, remember to prefix “sftp” before the website, giving the server address (sftp.websiteURL.com) followed by port number. Go to “General,” followed by “Protocol,” where you can additionally select the required Cloud provider from a dropdown menu. FileZilla will automatically build a hostname when you select one option. For example, with Google Drive, simply use your Gmail account. You will go to your Google account and have to authorize FileZilla Pro access to your Google Drive, then close the browser window and let the file transfer begin.
3. Run Multiple Server Transfers Simultaneously
One of the best purposes of FileZilla is that you can run multiple tabbed instances to connect with different servers at the same time. This is of course, subject to Internet speeds and the number of files being transferred. You can limit the number of simultaneous server connections from the “Transfer” menu. Simply create a new tab from “File.” You can assign to it a specific folder path, directory or an entire drive. Establish a new connection site manager for each tab (server).
4. Search Remote Files
One of the best ways to keep track of the ongoing transfers is viewing remote files in the Dashboard itself. It is a steady improvement over having to minimize the window and frequently check server progress. Go to “Server” in FileZilla Client followed by Remote files. You can also use a shortcut menu, F3. Enter the keywords of your choice.
5. Remote File Editing
Searching for remote files has a very important application, most notably in editing files remotely. Visit “Edit,” followed by “Settings,” to handle the documents. Visit “Edit,” followed by “Settings,” to view various file edit options.
6. Connecting to FTP via VPN
You can also allow FileZilla to work remotely with any VPN of your choice. For example, OpenVPN can be used to protect your IP tracks during the transfer. For this functionality, Windows users will be required to download the FileZilla server. Open the FileZilla server and go to “Settings” followed by “Passive mode settings.” You must first retrieve the host name from OpenVPN.
7. Transfer and Resume Very Large Files at Fast Speed
We already discussed the ability of FileZilla to run multiple tabbed instances of various servers. The best part is that it can transfer and resume very large files of 4GB and beyond. This is, in fact, a very essential feature of a good FTP application. If your download stops due to a reason – for example, Internet downtime – simply resume the transfer once it is back up. The speed of transfer can be changed from a default setting with a “0” value allowing for unlimited transfer rates.
Conclusion
Cloud backup solutions including DropBox, OneDrive and iCloud Drive have their perks, particularly in aspects of security. However, the sheer convenience of a desktop-based FTP application like FileZilla will ensure that it’s not becoming outdated anytime soon. Which is your favorite FTP utility and why?
