INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Other cloud storage and online backup articles If you've just recorded a home video or created the ultimate mix tape – a digital version
of that old chestnut, of course – no doubt you'll be eager to share it with your friends and family.Depending on the size and number of
files you need to send, this can be a problem
For instance Gmail only allows you to attach files of up to 25MB in total to email messages
Not to mention the fact that large files will quickly eat into your storage space quota while lurking in your Sent folder!If you need to
send big files online, there are plenty of good ways to do so without running into trouble – and we’ve highlighted 10 of the best here,
the vast majority of which are free (though they tend to have premium tiers if you want to pay for an improved service).1
Use a VPNWhat I hear you say
What does a VPN have to do with sharing large files
Well, unbeknown to many, some internet service providers (like Virgin Media) use broadband traffic management to moderate upload bandwidth
Using a VPN like our number one choice, ExpressVPN, means that your ISP cannot determine the type of files you're uploading and therefore
cannot - in theory - apply traffic shaping to your account.P2P (peer-to-peer), one of the most popular and reliable methods for moving large
amount of data, is the one type of content that's most likely to be flagged and pushed down the priority lines
We have compiled a list of the best VPN services available
Just bear in mind that your mileage will vary and using a VPN can also slow down your connection.2
Use file compressionOne of the easiest solutions to the problem of sending large files is to use file compression software such as the
cross-platform program 7-Zip
This is particularly handy if you have multiple files, as you can place these in one folder and compress them all in one go
As a rule of thumb, a large file will transfer faster than a folder containing smaller files of the same size
7-Zip is available for Windows, Mac and Linux, and can compress files to the regular ZIP format as well as its own slightly more efficient
Most major operating systems can extract ZIP files without any additional software
7-Zip also lets you set a password to protect the files, so you can share them safely
Just bear in mind though that uploading very large files can time out.3
Courier a hard driveThe fastest way to transfer a large number of big files is not via the internet but by using a disk drive and a courier
All the big cloud providers (Microsoft, Google and Amazon) have the ability to transfer large amounts of data using hard disk drives
Microsoft charges a nominal flat fee (less than £60) per storage device handled, roughly similar to Amazon Web Services' Import/Export disk
while Google uses third parties
Transferring the content of a 20TB external hard disk drive on a 100Mb dedicated line would take more than 500 hours (or around 20 days), on
consumer-grade broadband lines, expect it to last more than one month and that's for the upload only
Just remember to keep a copy of your files and to encrypt the hard drive you're sending.4
Google DriveAlthough Gmail messages can only have attachments up to 25MB in size, when files are too large Google gives you the option to
place them in your Google Drive and send a link to share
Gmail users can share files and folders up to 10GB in size
Considering that Google's free tier gives you 15GB of storage, you can repeatedly share large files entirely free of charge (assuming you
delete, rinse and repeat)
Google allows you to choose whether to create a link that can be shared with anyone, or one which is only available to people to whom you
send the email with the link
Premium plans start from £1.59 per month for 100GB storage.5
FTPWhile FTP (File Transfer Protocol) may be fairly old-school when compared with cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, it's still
one of the most reliable ways to upload and download files. All operating systems support FTP and there are plenty of websites and add-ons
which support uploading and downloading from within your browser, such as FireFTP
Windows and Mac users can also make use of the free desktop FTP client Cyberduck. The only downside to this is that you need to have access
to a remote server (like a web hosting service)
Many companies like DriveHQ offer some free storage space (1GB), and prices can compare very favourably with cloud storage providers.6
MediafireTrue to its name, MediaFire is a trailblazer
Register for a free account and you get 10GB of storage
Connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts, install the mobile app, and refer friends to earn up to 40GB of bonus space. You can upload
files either directly from your computer or the web, and generate a link which will allow others to download your files from the MediaFire
website. Paid subscriptions begin from $3.75 a month (around £3, AU$5) and include 1TB of storage space, a hefty 20GB limit on file sizes,
as well as eliminating annoying Captchas and ads. Another handy premium feature is one-time links which make sure that once your recipient
downloads your files, they're no longer accessible.7
HightailHightail (formerly YouSendIt) has been made with business users in mind
Upon registration you can create special ‘spaces’ for various files and projects, which you can then share with others
The handy ‘PipPoints’ feature can even be used to record notes on documents as you and others work on them
The free Lite version of Hightail only allows sharing of files up to 250MB in size
The Pro subscription is available from $12 a month (around £9.50, AU$16) and includes unlimited workspaces and support for files of up to
There's also no limit on the number of people who can access a file at any given time.8
WetransferWeTransfer is one of the simplest services to use for sharing large files
A few clicks of the mouse and the website will automatically send files for you, and these will be available to download for seven days
Everything is very user-friendly, too, with a step-by-step wizard to walk you through the upload process. For $12 a month (around £9.50,
AU$16) or $120 (around £95, AU$160) per year you can upgrade to WeTransfer Plus which allows up to 20GB of file transfers at a time, and
You will also have the option to set a password to download files – plus you can customise backgrounds and emails if you wish.9
Resilio SyncFormerly BitTorrent Sync, this handy utility uses the BitTorrent protocol – designed specifically for sharing big files – to
sync files directly between your devices
This peer-to-peer connection can be used for two or more devices, such as a phone and desktop PC.Resilio Sync also supports generating
secure links to allow your contacts to download files from your folders
This naturally means your device has to be online at the time in order for them to access it
The software itself is provided free of charge and there are no limits on how much data you can transfer or store.10
Adobe Send TrackSend Track lets you use the Adobe website or Acrobat Reader app to share large files with multiple recipients, whatever
device you’re using (be that phone or PC)
The website doesn't mention any limit on the number or size of files you can send, but the service isn’t free and will set you back $20
per year (around £16, AU$27)
There are also restrictions on what files can be sent – for example, 7-Zip archives aren't allowed
One of the most useful features here is the tracking, whereby you can see clearly whether a document has been opened or not.11
Send AnywhereSend Anywhere is available for just about every platform you can think of, and can transfer files up to 1TB completely free
The file sharing service is available as a web app at www.send-anywhere.com , as a browser extension for Chrome, as a mobile app for Android
and iOS, and as downloadable software for Windows and macOS
There are also versions for Linux and Amazon Kindle, plus plugins for WordPress and Outlook
The browser widget lets you share files up to 4GB, but the desktop software supports files up to 1TB
That should be more than enough for all but the largest 4K video files.12
DropboxSign up for this cloud storage service and any files moved into your Dropbox folder can be shared through use of a web link
Some operating systems let you do this by right clicking, for others you may need to log into the site and click the Share link
Most importantly, the person to whom you send the link doesn't need to be a Dropbox user – they can simply download files from the
site. Dropbox has a free tier which gives you 2GB of storage space, but you can earn more by referring friends to use the service – or
increase the limit to 1TB by signing up to Dropbox Plus for $9.99 per month (around £8, AU$13)
The latter also allows you much greater control of files, including versioning as well as remote device wipe, and you can set a password for
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