Comments on: FTP May Be Easy, But That May Be the Problem

By: Daniel Cheney

Daniel Cheney — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 21:15:01 +0000

Jayce, I totally see your point. What we do over and over becomes seemingly easy to do. The first time for me was a long time ago and it was a bear.

I agree that the “simple” FTP servers are usually the free ones and yes, some of them are difficult to get working. The ones that are not free are easier to setup to the point of simple point and click installs. The “pay for” software vendors have put extra effort into making the software intuitive and easy but want money to make it worth their extra effort. I think that’s fair. If you’re serious about setting up an FTP server, it is well worth the money because it saves you setup time and lots of admin time down the road.

Best of luck.

By: Jayce

Jayce — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:56:44 +0000

Whoever said FTP is lying. Like most things, once you nkow how to do something, it’s always easy. What’s hard to remember is your first experience with FTP. I bet it was a nightmare.
I’ve taken schooling (allowing me take the CompTIA, CCENT and almost CCNA) and received honours marks. I’m fairly bright and compitent and yet 3 days later trying to set up a very simple FTP server for me and my friends (even in active mode with no firewalls, the least secure thing out there) and I can’t get it work.

By: Daniel Cheney

Daniel Cheney — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:00:46 +0000

Yes. FTP is, as you say, outdated for the 21st century. Thus we have to wrap more robust solutions such as Managed FTP around this inadequate tool that was designed before the internet became the de-facto standard for digital communications. Fail you say? What alternatives would you suggest?

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:49:14 +0000

Dreadful article. FTP Must Die is far more technically interesting, accurate and detailed: http://mywiki.wooledge.org/FtpMustDie.

Your solution to FTP being in the clear is “managed FTP”? Fail.