How do I transfer files between two computers over internet?

[Indus Monk]

I have two PCs at home. Both are connected to the same network.

 

One is connected by LAN

One is connected by 2.4 Wifi

 

I want to transfer files between these windows 10 PCs. The only thing is, the files are massive, like atleast 100GB. How do I transfer files between these two PCs over the internet?

 

I found filezilla, but it is a nightmare to setup that thing since I have no coding skills at all. Is there any FTP solution that can do it for free?

 

 

I am doing this as just a hobby.

 

 

[manikyath]

over internet, or over the local network?

 

if they're both in the same local network, you can just make a network share on one computer and access it on the other.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/file-sharing-over-a-network-in-windows-b58704b2-f53a-4b82-7bc1-80f9994725bf#:~:text=Select the Start button%2C then select Settings > Network %26 internet,on file and printer sharing.

[LIGISTX]

4 minutes ago, Indus Monk said:

I have two PCs at home. Both are connected to the same network.

 

One is connected by LAN

One is connected by 2.4 Wifi

 

I want to transfer files between these windows 10 PCs. The only thing is, the files are massive, like atleast 100GB. How do I transfer files between these two PCs over the internet?

 

I found filezilla, but it is a nightmare to setup that thing since I have no coding skills at all. Is there any FTP solution that can do it for free?

 

 

I am doing this as just a hobby.

 

 

You can do a simple file share via windows. Google share folder via windows, plenty of instructions and examples will pop up. 

[Eigenvektor]

Transfer over the Internet is only needed if you want to transfer files between two computers that are not part of the same local network. If the machines are on the same network, you can transfer using simple Windows file share, which will be much faster than an Internet transfer.

 

If the machines are on different networks, preferably you need to set up a virtual private network (VPN) to make them part of the same network again. Then you can once again use Windows file sharing. However it'll be limited by the upload speed you get from your ISP, which will likely be much slower than local.

[Indus Monk]

3 minutes ago, manikyath said:

over internet, or over the local network?

 

if they're both in the same local network, you can just make a network share on one computer and access it on the other.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/file-sharing-over-a-network-in-windows-b58704b2-f53a-4b82-7bc1-80f9994725bf#:~:text=Select the Start button%2C then select Settings > Network %26 internet,on file and printer sharing.

 

2 minutes ago, LIGISTX said:

You can do a simple file share via windows. Google share folder via windows, plenty of instructions and examples will pop up. 

Yea, I did try windows folder share, it is VERY slow. They are both on the same network and I wanna share files between them over my home network.

 

But, if there is a solution which allows me to share files to two different computers that are not on the same network,I would be happy.

[Indus Monk]

7 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

Transfer over the Internet is only needed if you want to transfer files between two computers that are not part of the same local network. If the machines are on the same network, you can transfer using simple Windows file share, which will be much faster than an Internet transfer.

 

If the machines are on different networks, preferably you need to set up a virtual private network (VPN) to make them part of the same network again. Then you can once again use Windows file sharing. However it'll be limited by the upload speed you get from your ISP, which will likely be much slower than local.

Okay, fair enough. I understand that in a situation where both computers are on the same network, windows file share is easier. But the speeds are horrible. I want something faster and something that will work for when both computers aren't on the same network.

 

Also, 2MBPS transfer speed on windows file sharing isn't fast enough.

[Indus Monk]

10 minutes ago, Caroline said:

What exactly do you have to code in Filezilla? setting up a server and a client does not involve coding.

 

Anyway, Windows file sharing will be easier.

I couldn't setup filezilla somehow.

[Eigenvektor]

5 minutes ago, Indus Monk said:

Okay, fair enough. I understand that in a situation where both computers are on the same network, windows file share is easier. But the speeds are horrible. I want something faster and something that will work for when both computers aren't on the same network.

Transfer over local file share is generally the fastest possible option. If you have a ton of small files combining them into a single file (zero compression zip) may help.

 

If you want to transfer over the Internet, as I said you'll want to set up a VPN. In that case you'll be limited by your Internet connection which will generally be much slower than local network. A VPN doesn't help if you're on the same network already.

 

If your local network transfers are slow, I would assume this is a hardware limitation. Use a wired connection on both machines, preferably Gigabit. You mentioned 2.4 (GHz) Wi-Fi, which means you're presumably using an older Wi-Fi standard, which is likely to be the bottleneck here. What connection speed does Windows show for this connection?

[mariushm]

FTP is quite easy.

 

Filezilla FTP server takes maybe 5 minutes to install and configure on a computer, then it's just a matter of configuring Windows Firewall to allow computers to connect to it.

It's just install, set up a username and password, set up what folder or folders or drivers the user can access.

 

Filezilla ftp client is also super easy to set up.

 

There's the additional benefit that you can download up to 10 files at the same time.

 

If one computer has ethernet connection and the other wireless, your maximum transfer speed will be limited by the wireless connection.

[manikyath]

2 minutes ago, Indus Monk said:

windows file share is easier. But the speeds are horrible.

as long as you dont have 10gig windows file share will run about as fast as your network will go. to get 10gig and faster you need to do some tweaks.

 

3 minutes ago, Indus Monk said:

I want something faster and something that will work for when both computers aren't on the same network.

how fast is your uplink speed when they arent on the same network? because at that point, you're not "quickly" transfering 100GB.

[Indus Monk]

 

 

7 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

Transfer over local file share is generally the fastest possible option. If you have a ton of small files combining them into a single file (zero compression zip) may help.

 

If you want to transfer over the Internet, as I said you'll want to set up a VPN. In that case you'll be limited by your Internet connection which will generally be much slower than local network. A VPN doesn't help if you're on the same network already.

 

If your local network transfers are slow, I would assume this is a hardware limitation. Use a wired connection on both machines, preferably Gigabit. You mentioned 2.4 (GHz) Wi-Fi, which means you're presumably using an older Wi-Fi standard, which is likely to be the bottleneck here. What connection speed does Windows show for this connection?

 

7 minutes ago, mariushm said:

FTP is quite easy.

 

Filezilla FTP server takes maybe 5 minutes to install and configure on a computer, then it's just a matter of configuring Windows Firewall to allow computers to connect to it.

It's just install, set up a username and password, set up what folder or folders or drivers the user can access.

 

Filezilla ftp client is also super easy to set up.

 

There's the additional benefit that you can download up to 10 files at the same time.

 

If one computer has ethernet connection and the other wireless, your maximum transfer speed will be limited by the wireless connection.

My plan has a speed of 150mbps up and down over LAN. (It's fiber optic)

My router is dual band, its just that I was cheap and bought a 2.4G receiver for my second PC.

 

[Eigenvektor]

Just now, Indus Monk said:

My plan has a speed of 150mbps up and down over LAN. (It's fiber optic)

My router is dual band, its just that I was cheap and bought a 2.4G receiver for my second PC.

But if one of your machines is connected over slow 2.4G Wi-Fi, you'll be limited by its speed, rather than your internet connection. Do you know what type of Wi-Fi you have in more detail? For example if it is 802.11g (aka "Wi-Fi 3"), you'll be limited to, at best, 54 Mbps.

 

150 Mbps is equal to 18.75 MB/s. 100 GB at that speed will take about 1.5 hours to transfer, provided you have a stable connection.

[Indus Monk]

18 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

But if one of your machines is connected over slow 2.4G Wi-Fi, you'll be limited by its speed, rather than your internet connection. Do you know what type of Wi-Fi you have in more detail? For example if it is 802.11g (aka "Wi-Fi 3"), you'll be limited to, at best, 54 Mbps.

 

150 Mbps is equal to 18.75 MB/s. 100 GB at that speed will take about 1.5 hours to transfer, provided you have a stable connection.

By What wifi, do you mean, the wifi standard of my wifi card on my second PC? or wifi standard of my router?

[Eigenvektor]

4 minutes ago, Indus Monk said:

By What wifi, do you mean, the wifi standard of my wifi card on my second PC? or wifi standard of my router?

Whichever is slower, that will be the limiting factor.

 

If you open network properties in Windows, it should show the speed you're connected at.

[Indus Monk]

6 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

Whichever is slower, that will be the limiting factor.

 

If you open network properties in Windows, it should show the speed you're connected at.

This is my wifi card

https://www.tp-link.com/in/home-networking/adapter/tl-wn725n/

 

Router is a 

nokia ONT G-2425G-A Provided by the ISP. It Has

802.11 B/G/N/AC

4 ethernet ports(1000)

2x2 MIMO on both bands

[Indus Monk]

26 minutes ago, Caroline said:

I'm running my local network over cables made in the 1980s and have those speeds. If you have something newer you should be seeing a much higher throughtput, remember you have to do this locally and NOT via the internet.

 

Though I'd say it's normal considering one of the computers is using wi-fi,. which, for the lack of a proper term, is trash. Connect both computers via cables.

Hang on... You get speeds of 2 megabytes per second over the network?

 

That's what I am getting at least.

[LIGISTX]

29 minutes ago, Indus Monk said:

Hang on... You get speeds of 2 megabytes per second over the network?

 

That's what I am getting at least.

2 MBps seems very much like something is running at 10mbps link speed. mbps is 1/8MBps. 
 

This is entirely a network issue. Windows file share will share at gigabit speed (125 MBps) no problem at all. Wifi is likely the issue, or potentially old cat4 or older cable, or an old switch somewhere in the network. 

[Jarsky]

2 hours ago, Indus Monk said:

Also, 2MBPS transfer speed on windows file sharing isn't fast enough.

 This is not a speed issue with Windows File Share. Its a speed issue with your network. 

Check your Linkspeed / Connect rates; the fact you're on 2.4Ghz is probably a big indicator that it might be your WiFi. What generation is it? 802.11g? 802.11n? 802.11ac?

If your wifi is slow, nothing is going to fix the speed other than upgrading the wifi

[ToboRobot]

Just move the physical drive from one machine to the other.

[LIGISTX]

2 minutes ago, Caroline said:

In theory normal ethernet is up to 10Mbps (1.25MB/s) but in practice given the wiring is ancient, speeds are in the KB/s range, tho I don't handle files that large so it's fine to transfer drivers or utilities to computers I'm working on, via filezilla.

 

As others have said it's not a windows problem but a wi-fi one, you'll get low speeds, micro-cuts, latency issues, those are problems inherent to the technology itself and the only way to get rid of them is by using a wired connection.

“Normal ethernet” from 25+ years ago. 
 

I have been a computer enthusiast since about 2005, and I don’t think I have ever bought a ethernet cable, switch, or any other piece of network gear that was anything less then gigabit… 

 

So yes, very old wired could cause this, or hardware so old I’m surprised it would still be working, none the less in use. 10mbps networking is very, very slow and very, very old. For reference, I stream movies from my NAS to my TV at over 75 mbps… which I usually refer to as “remedial speeds for LAN networking”. 

[Indus Monk]

Okay

 

So... seems like many of you didn't read the other responses I got here and by extension didn't read my replies to those said responses either.

 

Simply put:

 

My internet is Optical fiber

 

My main PC reports 150mbps.

 

My second PC has a 2.4G usb wifi card with 802.11 b,g,n

 

My router is a

nokia ONT G-2425G-A

it has

2x2 MiMO (on both bands)

802.11 b,g,n,ac

Dual band network

 

My main PC is linked to the router by ethernet. I checked twice and the ethernet cable is definitely CAT6A

 

So basically, the transfer speed bottleneck here is the 2.4G USB wifi card on my second PC?

And if that is the case, my copy speed will be a maximum of 2 Megabytes Per Second whether I use windows file share or File Zilla to transfer files between my two PCs that are on the same network? (One is on 2.4G wifi and other is on ethernet with a CAT6A cable)

[LIGISTX]

1 hour ago, Indus Monk said:

Okay

 

So... seems like many of you didn't read the other responses I got here and by extension didn't read my replies to those said responses either.

 

Simply put:

 

My internet is Optical fiber

 

My main PC reports 150mbps.

 

My second PC has a 2.4G usb wifi card with 802.11 b,g,n

 

My router is a

nokia ONT G-2425G-A

it has

2x2 MiMO (on both bands)

802.11 b,g,n,ac

Dual band network

 

My main PC is linked to the router by ethernet. I checked twice and the ethernet cable is definitely CAT6A

 

So basically, the transfer speed bottleneck here is the 2.4G USB wifi card on my second PC?

And if that is the case, my copy speed will be a maximum of 2 Megabytes Per Second whether I use windows file share or File Zilla to transfer files between my two PCs that are on the same network? (One is on 2.4G wifi and other is on ethernet with a CAT6A cable)

Yes. This is what we have been saying. 
 

The bottleneck has to be network related. And by assumption, it would be the Wifi.

 

Run a wire from your router to the machine connected via Wifi to confirm… if that solves the problem:

1) make that machine also hard wired

2) get a better Wifi card for it 

[mariushm]

The wireless card on the computer can only connect to the router using one of the standards 802.11 b,g,n   , even if the router also "understands"  802.11 ac

Even if the ac standard was supported, the wireless usb card most likely has only one antenna, which means in wouldn't have used the fancy 2x2 MIMO the router supports, so the wireless card wouldn't have connected to the router at the maximum speed the router supports over wireless.

So, it's quite likely the maximum bandwidth you're gonna have is 150 mbps

Now this maximum 150 mbps is the maximum theoretical that ALL wireless devices connected to the router can share. The farthest you are from router, the more obstacles are between your wireless card and the router, the lower your actual speed is gonna be.

Even if your wireless card can "handshake" and establish a link at 150 mbps, when transferring files you may get less actual speed, like maybe 60-100 mbps

 

So the data on one computer may reach the router at 1 gbps, but from there is pushed through the air towards the computer with wireless card at up to 150 mbps, the maximum bandwidth the wireless card probably supports.

 

[LIGISTX]

7 minutes ago, Caroline said:

Yep and yep.

 

It's simply named ethernet (not fast/gigabit) but to avoid confusion I call it normal or legacy because first worlders think ethernet is gigabit, and it is by now, most mobos and gear uses it.

There's only so much I can do with CAT.3 wiring but considering the ISP modem is also ancient and can only do 10mbps those two get along just fine. And my internet is below 1 anyway, it takes a fair amount of time to even send this message ^^

 

Local storage works better for me. I tried streaming from my computer to a network enabled STB and I could only get a few frames before it all crashed lol, still images can be displayed though.

That’s… extremely old. Is it not worth running new wires or just using Wifi? At least to get better local networking. 

[Eigenvektor]

6 hours ago, Indus Monk said:

My second PC has a 2.4G usb wifi card with 802.11 b,g,n

My router is a

…

802.11 b,g,n,ac

 

So basically, the transfer speed bottleneck here is the 2.4G USB wifi card on my second PC?

Yes. The slowest link in the chain limits the overall speed.

 

The fastest common speed supported by your router and Wi-Fi dongle is 802.11n. According to the dongle's specs, it supports up to 150 Mbps in this mode. However this is a theoretical maximum and in practice speeds of Wi-Fi are almost always slower than their maximum, especially on a crappy dongle with a tiny antenna. Any obstacle (e.g. wall) between your PC and the router will decrease speed, as will neighbors whose Wi-Fi shares the same frequency band.