I have tried looking on google for advice on this, but I just get a whole list of tutorials about uploading to websites. I don't want to upload. I know how to do that. I want to download.

I didn't use to have to use FTP to download things, but since I joined the Linux world, things have changed. Almost every site hosting linux software only does so via FTP.

What is so good about FTP? Or more to the point, what is usable about FTP that makes people want to host with it? What is wrong with HTTP (which works)?

Here is why I hate FTP:
1. It is criminally slow. I don't mean download speed- once the download actually gets going it's fine, but it often takes years for it to start (if it ever does)
2. It rarely works at all. Only 10% of the files I try to download via FTP have succesfully downloaded.
3. I cannot use it via my proxy server. I have tried many many times and I waited for hours and it never started. This is the most stupid thing ever- if I want to attempt an FTP download, I have to go and use the PC which is connected to the internet, which is often being used by other people. Yes my proxy server does have FTP support.

Note: I haven't even tried downloading via FTP with linux- I cannot get my modem to work under it (thats another story). So yes- I am trying to use windows.

Whilst I am at it, I recently downloaded Slackware 9.1. I had to use bittorrent (which wasn't a bad thing) because I couldn't work out how I was supposed to download the whole thing via FTP. I could only download one file at a time!!! WHAT?!?!?! FOR AN OPERATING SYSTEM!?!?!? THERE MUST BE THOUSANDS OF FILES SPREAD ACROSS HUNDREDS OF FOLDERS!!!!!!!!!

Please, there must be something I am doing majorly wrong- the whole internet doesn't seriously use something THIS bad, does it? DOES IT?

I don't know what the hell you are trying to download but slackware is 1 iso image, that allows you to burn it to a cdr. Just one file, for an entire operating system. Imagine that.

As for the rest of your problems, it sounds as though you have some configuration issues with your local network. The slow speeds have nothing to do with FTP. Sounds like you should look at the settings of your proxy.

You don't seriously think that just because you can't get something to work the whole internet can't either do you?

Personally I've always found FTP to be a better way of getting files over HTTP.

I feel you've just had bad experience of FTP sites, what client are you using by the way? If you're using I.E. as your FTP client, that may be the reason you hate it so much. I.E. is very sluggish handling FTP connections, try using a proper FTP client.

Try this FTP site:

ftp://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ftp.slackware.com/pub/

This is the ftp mirror that I use for slackware patches etc...it _always_ maxes out my cable connection, see what kind of speeds you get.

Hope you have better luck with FTP as you move to linux; I'm very suprised you've had such a bad experience of it :(

Good luck

Steve

i too suspect that you use ie. just don´t, it is terrible with ftp. if you insist on downloading with a web browser get (for example) ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.or...xSetup-0.8.exe
(or from www.mozilla.org)

questions conserning usablility of internet may be be discussed here .

hmm odd, im a huge M$ user and very seldom have an issue with downloading via FTP with IE, Opera(my browser of choice), Mozillia, Firebird/fox, Netscape (have not used since it was 4.x), cuteFTP, or even a cmd line ftp.

so im not quite sure what your problem is. yes there are a handful of slower FTP sites out there, but that has nothing to do with the FTP (file transfer protocal), but the host, web, and the server box it is on.

if IE is giving you fits, then i sujest you do what all smart users do that still use M$ OS and get a real browser. firebird/fox, mozillia, opera are all 100x better then IE for security, stability, and compliance with RFC standards for HTTP.

as for the slack 9.1 issue. everytime ive downloaded slack its always been in single file ISO format. have you tried www.google.com for slackware 9.1 ISO???

http://www.google.com/search?q=slack...utf-8&oe=utf-8

that was the google result, and this is a site that was feeding me the disk 1 ISO at my maximun download speed of 1.5m

http://tux.cprm.net/pub/slackware/sl...install-d1.iso

so go there and enjoy. that is an HTTP for you that is fast and looks to be reliabale.

Let's start with some basic questions.

1st - How are you connected to the internet?
What is your connection speed? Dial-up , ISDN, DSL,Cable-Modem?

2nd - You mentioned a Firewall, Router, or Proxy?
You said 'yes it supports FTP, have you configured this router, what port is FTP set at in the router config?
for that matter, have you looked at your proxy settings in IE? If you haven't setup FTP in IE, it wont work.

3rd - Please check out CuteFTP or any of the other Dedicated FTP clients out there.


Any time you have a problem, start breaking the problem into smaller pieces. Start asking how to resolve each of those pieces.


Thanks
Jim Cullen.

As for downloading multiple files, be sure you have an FTP client that supports multiple file downloads, directory support, and recursive directory download capabilities.

FTP uses a different approach to file downloads that makes it more reliable when done right. FTP downloads are resumable too if the server and client supports it.

There are many people using a proxy and are able to do FTP downloads, yours must have an option that isn't allowing the download to start - possibly you are trying to use passive mode, which I could see being an issue with a proxy.

I was trying to use IE. I downloaded Mozilla Firefox, which is definately MUCH better and found that FTP worked nicely on the PC with a direct connection. Unfortunately, firefox doesn't work at all with my proxy- several other people have tried it and it doesn't work, even on the PC running the proxy. This would suggest to me that the proxy server is rubbish and could be the reason why FTP downloads never start on client PCs (I was using the AnalogX proxy).

Concerning the Slackware download, I did find ISO versions, but it only downloaded a few bytes and then said it was completed (probably an IE problem- haven't tried it with Firefox).

Thankyou for pointing me in the direction of a decent web browser- I think I shall go and look for a better proxy server or try another method of sharing my internet connection.

Simon

SMC7004FW

best cable/DSL router for the price. it is a 10/100 switching 4 port hub with a built in full function firewall, and 20 built in VPN both PPtP and IPSec.

that and its only $25US +sh.

enjoy and have fun. do make sure to upgrade the firmware as this makes a HUGE differance in its performance, and also has built in TZO support.