Who has fastest file transfer? (skype, aol, yahoo, gmail or ...)

mikecolley · 08-30-2014, 11:05 AM

Hi All:

Skype transfers files but it is slow. What is fastest?

Has anyone done a study of large file transfer speeds for the various networks? I can't seem to google the answer.

File size is 1MB < file < 5 GB to my buddy overseas. Possibilities are:

1) Skype
2) gmail
3) Pidgin
4) other
5) create a torrent???
6) some other transfer method

We both have our PCs behind routers behind modems. I am in the US, he in Europe. I think what is needed is a protocol that allows sending of many file-windows(chuncks) before acknowledgements are needed to be received. I would like the ability to soak up the entire network pipe on transfer and that isn't happening now.

Maybe someone knows if it could it be done using scp or something like that? I don't know how to use scp behind a couple of routers. Any pointers?

This would be file transfers during casual conversations where we make and break connections several times a day, we use skype a lot. This is not to be a dedicated 7-24-365 link.

I just want to find a faster way to transfer files than skype.

Thanks all - Mike

jpollard · 08-30-2014, 12:24 PM

It all depends...

For under a MB, any of them - at about the same speed.

For 3 to 5 GB - I would tend toward a torrent, mostly for the recovery when a failure occurs. But there are also the number of recipients targeted... The more there are, the better a torrent works.

For 100GB and only one recipient, UPS.

mikecolley · 08-30-2014, 01:22 PM

There is only one receipient. Thanks - Mike

suicidaleggroll · 09-02-2014, 10:05 AM

ftp, http, scp...lots of options.
If you're both behind routers then you just need to set up a port forwarding rule on one side or the other.

mikecolley · 09-02-2014, 10:16 AM

Hi suicidaleggroll, Thanks for the answer.

I know how to open router ports and I don't want to expose the PCs directly to the world. Skype and others say they make a connection between PCs so one PC is directly connected to the other. The video surely goes directly from one PC to the other. I expect file transfer would go directly from one PC to the other, even if they are on different sides of the Atlantic. My question is which of the services, Skype, gmail, Yahoo, AIM, etc. will transfer a large file the fastest. Has someone researched this?