Instead of going through the trouble of setting up an FTP client and creating user credentials, you might consider transferring files using the cloud storage protocol. Word of advice, save yourself from all the hassle and just use what the cloud storage services prepared for you.įTP is for those users who are more experienced in file transfer and handling. Not to mention, you will still need to set up and fill up all the necessary credentials to your FTP client which can get very technical for an average user.
This will allow you to upload, download, and download files remotely.įor those who already have a cloud storage service, whether paid or free, it will be redundant to install an FTP client on your device. Once connected, you’ll be able to drag and drop files and folders between the machine and the server.Ĭloud storage providers also have their own clients that you can install or you can access through their website. To use the FTP, you’ll need to set up the FTP client on your device. The companies created these protocols because they want users to trust their service with data security and privacy in mind. Some of the more popular are Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage. Hackers are already familiar with the FTP protocol, so breaking into services using this method is not difficult.ĭifference Between FTP Server & Cloud StorageĪs mentioned earlier, FTP is not a suitable protocol to use for cloud storage.Ĭloud storage providers use their own protocols to manage and control each of their servers.
The password is often stored locally if you installed an FTP client and is usually easy to find if your computer were corrupted. Many cloud storage services do not allow users to upload large amounts of data. There are several other reasons why cloud storage providers do not want you using FTP. That’s why many FTP tools have developed techniques to improve transfer speeds, but the fact remains that FTP is not secure and easy to hack. If you look at the way FTP is designed, it’s very clear that it is not made for transferring files on a packet-switched network. The creation of FTP in the first place was created in the 1970s.īack in the day, FTP was used for moving files to mainframe computers. Anyone can walk in and take whatever they want.Īnd if the main purpose of you signing up for a cloud storage service is to access files from your home computer remotely, then leaving open a door like this to hackers is not a good idea. Using an unencrypted FTP is like leaving your door unlocked. It is a fact that unencrypted FTP servers are easy to hack and data theft or removal is quite frequent. There are many security concerns with FTP. It takes much longer than an equivalent transfer speed by other means. With a standard FTP application speed, it’s hard to imagine how long it will take to download or upload files with this protocol. This is why you might experience buffering time when downloading files with FTP. It is the application and usage purpose that I am talking about.Īs you can see in the following two images, FTP traffic can be very slow and consumes a lot of bandwidth. FTP itself is totally fine and I enjoyed using them as well.