Author Topic: ASRT: 5/7/05 - BEST FTP SERVER - POST SUGGESTIONS PLEASE! (Read 43039 times)

mouser · « **on:** May 03, 2005, 11:47 AM »

tenseiken, care to go for ftp servers this week?

vegas · « **Reply #1 on:** May 03, 2005, 07:20 PM »

I dare ya!

tenseiken · « **Reply #2 on:** May 03, 2005, 07:38 PM »

Sure. Let's see if we can nominate, say, a top 5 for me to pay particular attention to. Unless I see anything better, BPFTP Server will win, so pick some good ones. I'd like to start working with them as soon as possible, and I won't have to work again until Friday. The first one I'm going to look at is FileZilla Server.

mouser · « **Reply #3 on:** May 03, 2005, 07:51 PM »

cool!

here are the ones i hear the most about:
bulletproof ftpd
blackmoon ftp
gene6
raidenftp
globalscape
serv-u
drftpd (http://wiki.drftpd.o.../index.php/Main_Page)

i am ready to help as you need, just ask.

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** May 03, 2005, 07:56 PM »

it would be helpful if people posted their opinions on best, why, and what features are important to look at.

i've only very rarely set up an ftp server for a family member to log in and grab a file or two,
but the things i look for are:
1) support for secure connections (ssl)
2) ease of use managing users (and i like to be able to easily specify their home directories)
3) easy to see what users are doing, etc.

i gather for serious ftp server users, their are other concerns like being able to set quotas, and various scriping, etc.

tenseiken · « **Reply #5 on:** May 03, 2005, 08:17 PM »

FileZilla Server is officially out of the running as far as I'm concerned. It's a good freeware alternative, but it doesn't hold a candle to BPFTP Server as far as options go. I'll start looking into the others ASAP.

Edit: GlobalScape wants me to talk to a sales rep about features and crap before allowing me to download a trial. To be honest, I don't want to do that and I really doubt our audience is going to want to deal with that. So, unless I hear differently from someone here about finding a trial version of GlobalScape Secure FTP Server, it's out of the running. Next up is BlackMoon.

Jibz · « **Reply #6 on:** May 05, 2005, 12:07 PM »

There's also WS_FTP Server, which I hope makes good coffee too at $399 with no updates

.

mouser · « **Reply #7 on:** May 05, 2005, 12:31 PM »

here's something that made me laugh out loud. keep in mind im a registered owner of blackmoon ftp.
but when you ftp to blackmoon ftp server, here is what you see:

]Connecting to ftp.blackmoonftpserver.com
] Connected to ftp.blackmoonftpserver.com Port 21
] 220 Serv-U FTP-Server v2.5n for WinSock ready...

ROFL

vegas · « **Reply #8 on:** May 05, 2005, 12:43 PM »

I think it's always good to look at some freeware alternatives (even if they don't stack up to the big players). I think Filezilla is a nice choice, also Typsoft FTP Server (http://en.typsoft.com/), which is a nice simple solution.

mouser · « **Reply #9 on:** May 05, 2005, 01:13 PM »

another: Titan Ftp Server
http://www.southrive...ducts/titanftp/index

tenseiken · « **Reply #10 on:** May 05, 2005, 04:48 PM »

mouser: That makes me wonder about Blackmoon. I'll keep my notes about it thus far to myself, but suffice it to say, it's not a front-runner. I'll look into Titan--the screenshot reminds me of Gene6, though.

vegas: I'll look into Typsoft's offering. FileZilla was okay for freeware, and may be all that some people really need.

Zero-Point · « **Reply #11 on:** May 05, 2005, 11:27 PM »

ioFTPD hasn't been mentioned.

If I recall correctly, the developer had been hired by Inicom, who also had hired the developer of FlashFXP. A new version is in development (and has been for some time) including a rewrite of the whole core. His main focus is on speed and security, but it is highly scriptable and offers a lot from the community.

It is relatively difficult to configure and maintain with no GUI; everything is done via file editing and client commands. The new version is supposed to use a web server backend for configuration. The ioFTPD community is...how do I say...interesting. Despise GUI's and despise those who ask for help on the forum but have not added that they are an ioFTPD registered user to their profile. Thus they don't offer help until you are shown as registered and ban them for thinking they are using a pirated version if they don't.

The other server I have really used and liked was RaidenFTPD. Although there had not been a lot of development for a while, big feature additions have been added recently including a remote control.

tenseiken · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2005, 01:58 AM »

I have very little interest in programs that offer no GUI, and I have a feeling the average user will feel the same. If someone else wants to muck through text config files and offer their opinion, feel free. If nothing else, we could always link to the post from the review.

mouser · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2005, 06:46 AM »

the use of programs with no gui in windows is very popular in alternate universe #992X3, but here in this universe i think it's kind of insane, especially for something like an ftp server with so many options.

revising my list of must-have features for an ftp server:
1) ability to specify passive host ip and ports for working with routers (do they all do this now?)
2) ssl support (sftp support?)
3) ability to view HISTORY of activities
4) easy ability to add/modify users and indicate which directories they have access to; easy for me to set a specific home dir for ftp users.
5) good security.

as a side note, one of the tricky things when writing the reviews is how to consider price.
on one hand, i tend to think of the reviews/awards as being for the best app, regardless of price.
but on the other hand, price plays a part when considering whether to recommend a program.
in general i think that the more expensive a program is relative to its competitors, the bigger the hurdle it has to overcome.
so if the best ftp server is $999 and the 2nd best is $20, and the second best is only missing some fairly trivial stuff, then i think the $20 app deserves the nod.

even outside of choosing the winner, price effects how much time to spend in the alternate programs section.
if the best ftp server is clear and far above the rest, and is also the cheapest, then very little time is needed in the alternate programs section.
but if there is a very close tie among top contenders, and they are all similarly priced and expensive, then considerable time should be spent discussing alternatives and opensource/free versions.

i'm really looking forward to the review - let us know how we can help.

mouser · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2005, 12:07 PM »

Crob Ftp

http://www.crob.net/en/

Zero-Point · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2005, 02:03 PM »

I agree that an FTP server should have a GUI especially for the average user, this is the reason why I had stuck with Raiden but still played with ioFTPD. I just thought I would mention it as it is a Win32 FTPD; I didn't really see it as being a real contender in this community, but it is used by many. Hopefully the new version with the HTTP interface will offer more.

I haven't tried Blackmoon in a few years, but at the time I was searching for something to settle on, it didn't meet all my criteria, and I think that may have been price. I need to look into that again soon.

Fedorov · « **Reply #16 on:** January 12, 2007, 05:52 AM »

Sorry to raise an old one here, but like Mouser I've been a registered BlackMoonFTPServer user for a few years, however this software hasn't been updated for a LONG time now and there are many more new products so it may be worth doing a new review of these products now? Even the forums at blackmoon are down and out

I'm running Vista these days and while most tools I've used for many years still work I'm a bit reluctant to install BlackMoonFTP - it needs to do this stupid online license file and if the forums are down and the product not updated then I feel like ditching this and trying something new that is updated regularly.

http://www.zftpserver.com/ - is getting rave reviews among the many I found over at snapfiles.com so I'm going to try this under Vista to see how it goes...

I'm interested to hear of any other FTP Server's that are updated regularly that run under Vista.

Regards.

KenR · « **Reply #17 on:** January 12, 2007, 08:19 AM »

Sorry to raise an old one here, but like Mouser I've been a registered BlackMoonFTPServer user for a few years, however this software hasn't been updated for a LONG time now and there are many more new products so it may be worth doing a new review of these products now? Even the forums at blackmoon are down and out

I'm interested to hear of any other FTP Server's that are updated regularly that run under Vista.
-Fedorov (January 12, 2007, 05:52 AM)

Fedorov, when I started looking I experienced exactly the same response to Black Moon's situation. Otherwise, I might have purchased it. Instead, I bought Raiden FTP Server. It has lots of features, is in active development, and a bustling forum.

Ken

Fedorov · « **Reply #18 on:** January 12, 2007, 08:26 AM »

Thanks Ken, I might check Raiden out, although zFTPServer is installed on my Vista machine right now, was easy to setup and is working nicely

Regards.

Steven Avery · « **Reply #19 on:** April 26, 2008, 08:26 AM »

Hi Folks,

It seems there are at least two distinctly different FTP Server markets. The product
designed for opening up a website to 1000 downloads is often going to be different than
the one you set up for transferring between your home and work and travel computers
and a few friends. Or for a limited workplace function with a couple of friendly well-defined
external file transfer needs.

Anyway, although I am new to this, I have downloaded zFTP and Cerberus, two
freeware-for-personal-use products. zFTP is discussed above. Both have webforums
and seem to be excellent software.

Cerberus is extremely easy and pleasant setup, and has some of the basic
needs above well impmlemented. (Users, logs, security). Good webforum and FAQ.
http://www.cerberusftp.com/

Good reviews at Snapfiles and Sofotex (I don't know this one well for reviews, but it
was surprisingly thorough on Cerberus and FTP). While it says it has "explicit TLSv1/SSLv3
encryption" there is no SFTP, which may be a mark against. And does not seem to be planned.

Anybody want to explain what is really necessary for external FTP ? (As opposed to within
your own LAN .. let's consider wireless a special situation, not asking about that). What is necessary
so that a packet sniffer will not pick up a user/password combo, the real concern. Is the
"explicit TLSv1/SSLv3 encryption" sufficient. It sounds like it might be an internally-implemented
Cerberus method to avoid more complicated protocols like SFTP. As such, it could be fine for the type
of usages I would anticipate.

Actually for your own limited use you could limit the calling IP#'s to those you know,
so even the password/user would not break in, so even regular FTP might be "secure",
sort of. That is, if the data itself that is sent is not particularly sensitive.

Shalom,
Steven