Most people, by default, rely on cloud storage for wireless transfers between computers. However, there is a better and faster way to transfer files wirelessly (as long as they are connected to the same local network). Instead of uploading files to the cloud only to access them on a different device, you can use FileZilla. FileZilla is a free and open source application that allows you to wirelessly drag and drop files between devices. It’s much faster than the cloud route, especially for large file transfers.
Why use FileZilla instead of cloud transfers?
It’s faster and easier.
FileZilla It came out in 2001 and is one of the most popular open source applications in the world. It is available for Windows, Linux and macOS machines. Use FTP or Behind-the-Scenes File Transfer Protocol to connect devices and share files between them.
This The protocol has been around since the 1970s.and has universal support. Since it runs on your local network, the transfer speed is limited only by your local network. You can expect Gigabit speeds over Ethernet and about half that over Wi-Fi connections.
How to set up FileZilla on your computer
Installing and using FileZilla
You only need two things for this to work:
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The FileZilla Client application on the receiving computer and the FileZilla Server application on the file-sharing computer.
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Both computers must be connected to the same Wi-Fi or router via Ethernet.
This will be a one-time setup. Once set up, you can move files by simply dragging them between the local and remote panels.
For this demo, I will be using a Windows and Linux machine. The Windows computer will be the client and the Linux machine will be the server, which shares your files. FileZilla’s interface is more or less identical across all platforms, so the step-by-step instructions are virtually identical as well.
The applications are available for free on the FileZilla website. To get started, install the FileZilla client on your local computer. I will install it on my Windows computer. You can get the appropriate installer for your machine from the FileZilla website or use a command line package manager. Once you’ve installed and configured FileZilla, you’ll find a split-screen interface with interactive file trees.
One pane shows all the files on your current computer (labeled local site) and the other pane shows files on the destination computer (labeled remote site). You can simply drag files or folders from one panel to another to transfer files between two computers. For smaller files, it should be almost instantaneous.
You should only use simple FTP to transfer files over the local network. While it is technically possible to use FTP to share files over the Internet, it’s not safe.
The remote site will be blank by default. This panel is where the FTP server files will appear. You’ll also see input fields at the top and a “Quick Connect” button. This is where you can enter the details of the destination FTP and connect to it.
Set up FileZilla on the other computer
Install and configure an FTP server using FileZilla
Next, we will install the FileZilla Server application on the computer that is sharing the files. For me, that’s my Linux computer. I can install FileZilla Server using the pre-built binaries available on the FileZilla website or I can use my command-line package manager.
Once installed, it will show a popup asking to connect to the localhost. This tells FileZilla Server that we want it to run on the same computer it is installed on. It will also ask you for your password. The password is the same one you use to unlock your computer.
Technically, there is no need to install FileZilla on the target device. FileZilla uses File Transfer Protocol or FTP behind the scenes to transfer files. So, as long as the remote device can act as an FTP server, FileZilla will allow you to transfer files back and forth between the local and remote sites. It can even be a headless machine running an FTP daemon in the background.
To start the FTP server and point it to the folders or files we want to share, click Server > Configure. Or press Ctrl+F. Select the Users tab and then click Add to create a new user. Give it a username of your choice (you’ll need it later). Select “Do not authenticate” from the Authentication menu.
Then all you need to do is enter the directory paths to the folders you want to share. For the virtual path, simply type a forward slash and press Enter. For the native path, enter the actual path to the shared folder. Click Add in the Mount Points menu to add more routes. It should look like this. Then press Apply.
We need one more thing to complete the setup: the local IP address of the remote machine (the Linux computer, in my case). find it by running a simple command. On Linux, you can run ip addr show. On Windows, run ipconfig. Take note of it.
If you don’t know the exact path, you can open the folder in your file manager and copy its path from there.
There are a few other features as well, but this is all you need to send files between the two devices.
Connect to FTP server and move files between computers
How to get the drag and drop system up and running
Let’s connect to the FTP server we just set up on the remote computer. Go back to the receiving computer (Windows, in my case) and open the FileZilla Client application.
Enter the local IP address (that you looked up on the other computer) where it says “Host.” The username will be the username you set up on the FileZilla server on the other computer. Then click Quick connection. You can now drag and drop files between the local site and remote site dashboards.
Some troubleshooting tips
What to do if you receive errors during setup
If you receive any errors while FileZilla establishes the connection or scans the remote directory, it is probably due to one of two reasons.
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The built-in firewall on the remote computer is blocking port 21, which FTP uses by default.
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“Require TLS” is enabled on the Server Listeners tab in the FileZilla server settings.
To solve it, you can add port 21 to firewall allow list and change to “Explicit TLS over Insecure Simple FTP” in the protocol settings on the Server Listeners tab.
7/10
- Brand
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Sinology
- UPC
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Intel Celeron J4125
- Memory
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2GB DDR4 non-ECC
- Drive bays
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4
The easiest way to share files locally
Now you have a simple file transfer setup that works by simply dragging files and folders between two windows. As long as the target device can run an FTP server, FileZilla can get files from it.
