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FTP Client - freeware with scheduler

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Steven Avery:
Hi Folks,

  Do you have a good FTP Client that is freeware and that has a built-in scheduler ?  Granted
there are cmd-line and Windows Scheduler methods.  However I would prefer an integrated simple
solution for files that I share at work and home and here and there.  I would like to make sure
I don't have to save manually to USB drive or to my free Net storage area (DriveHQ, which is
FTP-friendly).  By scheduling once an hour when the program is up, I can make sure the current
file is available wherever I am just by having the program running in the background. The important
files might be about 15 megs, not too large, notes and bookmarks and PIM type of stuff.

   Seems like FileZilla doesn't have scheduling, just a queue (On my test it also seemed to drop
a couple of times, it did restart in the right place but I did not see an auto-reconnect feature,
is it there ?).  I saw an earlier version of Auto FTP Manager (3) on one of the Brit magazines,
that is one idea, one thread indicated pro versions of CuteFTP and WSTP are good on this,
but that is pro versions.  FlashFXP as well, good but not free.  Apparently Total Commander
would need some special scheduling stuff. 

   Keep in mind that an auto-reconnect feature in the midst of a download should be part
of this solution.  Another issue is the degree of security (do I want and need SFTP, do
people really try to intercept a generic FTP download from a cable connection to a web
storage area) and the WebDav possibility.

   Right now Fresh FTP looks good as a possibility, but my email code is slow arriving
so I have not tested it.  Not mentioned much in the forums on the net, yet looks interesting.
I always check DonationCoder, Snapfiles and FileForum, maybe CNet and a little extra-Google
before working with a new software.

   Any references or suggestions ?  And add any additional thoughts.  I would also use
this for a larger daily or weekly web backup of all critical files.

   Also if any of you are techies on FTP on the iSeries (AS/400) minicomputer and wouldn't
mind sharing some expertise and brainstorming, please contact me on that as well.  Thanks.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

mwb1100:
I'm not 100% certain, but I think that the freeware version of SyncBack (http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html) supports both FTP and scheduling.

Steven Avery:
Hi,

Yes, mwb, thanks .. a good suggestion.  Syncback's free product is very savvy for FTP, to its credit (the setup to sign in and setup in eexpert mode since there is FTP and then go was super-quick, and included simulation modes and more) and Syncback has the advantage of thinking like a backup program in setting up the config and tasks (choose these files, directories, omit those, etc, various setting about overwriting files and things like that).  The scheduler is I think the Windows XP scheduler, which can do the job, even if not super-elegant.  Since it also does not have the "you must compress" problem I referenced from Backup4All and some others either the freeware or the paid product of Syncback may become my master straight file (not image) backup program.  I always knew it as a good, versatile product, this experience combining backup and FTP from freeware really brought it up a notch or two.

btw, Fresh FTP does not do the job.  It has the same queue mechanism as FileZilla, nice but not a scheduler. In fact, looking at interface and features it appears to me to be using the FileZilla code base, without acknowledgment that I could see.  And surprisingly the huge similarities were without mention in some articles and threads on the net that even discuss the two ! 

Shalom,
Steven

mwb1100:
I'm not familiar with Fresh FTP, so can't comment.  I'm not aware of any free software that's mainly an FTP client that has a built-in scheduler; it's just a happy coincidence that the SyncBack backup program lets you backup/sync to an FTP destination.

As far as FTP goes, I like FileZilla because it's free, it supports secure transfers, and it supports proxies (which I need at work) - as long as you stick with the 2.x versions.  The 3.x version is apparently a complete rewrite; as far as I can tell does not support proxies, and it seems that the main developer is really not interested in supporting them.  So I'm sticking with version 2.x, which gets the job done.

FWIW (I know you didn't mention secure transfers, but...) the only other free FTP client that I'm aware of that supports secure transfers is CoreFTP (http://www.coreftp.com).

Steven Avery:
Hi Folks,

Yep

FileZilla and

CoreFTP (freeware with SFTP and more, main pro features scheduling and compression)
   both are impressive to this newbie to FTP.

And the SyncBack feature set on freeware is very kewl.
Not drag and drop, but more powerful for backup sets.

Actually I did wonder about security issues.

"Another issue is the degree of security (do I want and need SFTP, do people really try to intercept a generic FTP download from a cable connection to a web storage area) and the WebDav possibility. "

Oh, is this one possibly ok from your perspective, freeware with secure transfers, if not SFTP ?

Encrypted-FTP
http://www.encrypted-ftp.com/index.html

Shalom,
Steven

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