This guide on the best ways to share big files will help you easily share a load of huge media files.
Transferring a small file is dead easy but what are the best ways to share big files as fast as possible? That question is especially valid in a business scenario where time is money and when security and privacy are equally important aspects when sharing a bunch of files with coworkers.
Depending on the size and number of files you need to send, moving files aruond can be problematic. For instance, Gmail only allows users to attach files of up to 25MB to emails (although they can receive files up to 50MB in size). 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 some 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). Oh, and we’ve included some of the best cloud storage providers as well.
We will explore how to send large files from one user to another and from one user to many users. And since it is all about transferring files from one computer to another, we will be looking how to improve upload speeds.
«What?» 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 (rather than download).
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. Of course, nothing prevents you from trying a free VPN as well to start with.
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.
There’s a new breed of file transfer services that are browser based and have built-in proprietary technology to accelerate the upload of big files. Masv (opens in new tab) is one of them (the other major players being Aspera and Signiant) and specializes in the transfer of huge (up to 5TB) files via the cloud.
It offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model with a cost of $0.25 per downloaded GB. There’s no subscription fees, no contracts, no support fees user limits or file size/bandwidth limits.
While far more expensive than traditional file transfer services, Masv and similar services are far, far quicker than Dropbox or Google Drive and are more resilient than consumer offerings.
One 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.
