Sharing large files electronically is often challenging, particularly over email. The infrastructure that email is built on was only really developed to support sending messages in clear text over the net. It was extended to include attaching files, but most ISPs limit attachment sizes to about 5 MB. Large files like this have to be downloaded along with the email message, and can clog up email delivery.

The most common way of exchanging large files is through an FTP site. File Transfer Protocol was developed specifically for secure storage of and access to large files. Users need to be given a username and password that allows secure access to a computer, either at your location or through your web host. This can be technically complicated and not everyone is familiar with the login and permission process.

There are many simpler ways to send large files, several of them free. Some come at a cost with additional benefits. Below are my recommendations.

• Senduit is the simplest free method of transferring files. Upload your file to senduit.com, select a time frame for the link to be active, and senduit will give you a link from which your file can be downloaded. Email the link to your intended recipient. The service is supported by ads shown on the download page, and file size is limited to 100MB. Files are deleted in (at most) a week, but some clients may require more security.
• Dropsend provides a kind of web FTP site, from free to $99 per month that allows you to transfer files of up to 1GB in size. Files can be secured with 128-bit encryption, and the top level plans offer businesses an account that can be branded with your logo and web address: yourcompany.groupdropbox.com. The free option limits you to 5 sends per month and online storage of 250 MB.
• YouSendIt offers free and pay plans as well, and allows file sizes up to 2GB. Their system offers more options than some competitors, but can get quite expensive for corporate accounts.
• Amazon has opened up their systems for use as a Simple Storage Service (S3), allowing you to store files of up to 5 GB on their servers. Costs range between 10 and 17 cents per GB each month for storage and transfer; You can estimate your monthly bill using their AWS Simple Monthly Calculator. Individual files can be protected or linked to for download without passwords. The simplest way I have found of interacting with the S3 service is through a Firefox plugin – S3Fox.
• Paid accounts in Basecamp, Backpack, and Highrise also include the opportunity to store and exchange large files. They utilize the Amazon S3 service as a backend for between 1 and 50 GB of storage.

There are many other systems out there for temporary file storage and transfer, but questions of security, support, and associations with sending copyrighted and unsavory files are not something you want to put in front of your business clients.

In summary:

• Best free option: Senduit
• Cheap and Geeky: Amazon S3
• Corporate & Secure: Basecamp or Dropsend.

Let us know in the comments below if you have a preferred method for storing and sending large files.

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