Fastest way to transfer files between 2 PCs I own

[cgott42]

I have 2 PCs (one in parents house, other in own home - approx. 5mi. apart).
Both PC's run WinXP and have Verizon FIOS
What is the fastest way to transfer files between the 2
I 'd like to transfer three 6GB files fairly regularly and need the fastest transfer?
I'm the only one using these files - ie I'm not looking to share with anyone else, just between the 2 PCs
and the parents' PC is always the source, and my home PC is always the one d/l'ing the file.

Since both PCs are on Verizon FIOS' network , is there a faster way to do it?

thx - any ideas are appreciated.

 

[her209]

Fastest way would probably to copy it to an 8GB USB stick.

 

[cgott42]

I have control over the source PC (parents' house) via logmein. BUt I'm not physically there, so I can't use a USB. Although it's only 5 miles. It's 15minute drive each way, plus I'm often transferring late at night and I can't disturb my parents by coming in their house so late.

 

[Aarondeep]

6GB fairly regularly is a large amount of data. I dont think FiOS has any caps, however you may raise a few red flags with regular transfers of that amt.

Fastest way? I am not sure I would think using FTP protocol would make transferring files the most simple way. I wouldn't use the default port 21

 

[theevilsharpie]

Create an inbound PPTP VPN connection on your parent's PC and open up port 1723 on your parents' firewall. Then set up a dial-up PPTP connection on your PC to connect to your parents' PC.

When you connect, it will be as if both computers are on the same network, and you can use standard Windows file sharing to copy the file.

6GB fairly regularly is a large amount of data. I dont think FiOS has any caps, however you may raise a few red flags with regular transfers of that amt.

If FIOS has any caps on data transfer, I've never been able to hit them, and I transfer hundreds of gigs a month.

 

[xSauronx]

I have control over the source PC (parents' house) via logmein. BUt I'm not physically there, so I can't use a USB. Although it's only 5 miles. It's 15minute drive each way, plus I'm often transferring late at night and I can't disturb my parents by coming in their house so late.

I cant possibly be the only one here wondering what the holy hell the OP is doing doing on his mom and dads pc that necessitates this kind of bizarre, midnight, daily, 6gb file transfer that preculdes him from just...driving up the road to get the data....or can i?

 

[theevilsharpie]

I cant possibly be the only one here wondering what the holy hell the OP is doing doing on his mom and dads pc that necessitates this kind of bizarre, midnight, daily, 6gb file transfer that preculdes him from just...driving up the road to get the data....or can i?

Backing up their data, perhaps?

 

[her209]

I cant possibly be the only one here wondering what the holy hell the OP is doing doing on his mom and dads pc that necessitates this kind of bizarre, midnight, daily, 6gb file transfer that preculdes him from just...driving up the road to get the data....or can i?

I can take a guess but I don't want to jump to any conclusions.

 

[cgott42]

I cant possibly be the only one here wondering what the holy hell the OP is doing doing on his mom and dads pc that necessitates this kind of bizarre, midnight, daily, 6gb file transfer that preculdes him from just...driving up the road to get the data....or can i?

LOL - I can see how it seems that way. Truth is, I tape baseball and especially basketball games on their FIOS HD Box, and transfer the files to my house. All I watch is the sports so it's not worth paying for a full subscription, so I transfer the files.
I tape an hour at a time, and transfer each hour.
So for an 8pm game, I'm transferring files at 11pm way after my parents (retired) have gone to sleep.

sorry to disappoint with the boring truth but that's what it is (anyway my parents don't have the "those" type of channels ;-) )

 

[cgott42]

Create an inbound PPTP VPN connection on your parent's PC and open up port 1723 on your parents' firewall. Then set up a dial-up PPTP connection on your PC to connect to your parents' PC.

When you connect, it will be as if both computers are on the same network, and you can use standard Windows file sharing to copy the file.



If FIOS has any caps on data transfer, I've never been able to hit them, and I transfer hundreds of gigs a month.

thanks - can you recommend a good site for more info on how to do that (I dont know much about networking)

Also FWIW - I spoke to the verizon tech support team, and he said that I should put multiple network cards on each PC and that would maximize the transfer rate. He would n't give me more info than that - does anyone know what he means and how to do it?

 

[xSauronx]

thanks - can you recommend a good site for more info on how to do that (I dont know much about networking)

Also FWIW - I spoke to the verizon tech support team, and he said that I should put multiple network cards on each PC and that would maximize the transfer rate. He would n't give me more info than that - does anyone know what he means and how to do it?

the tech is wrong. you cant use multiple NICs in a pc without a server OS that can handle teaming. pretend he didnt say it.

look into "hamachi" to set up the vpn, should be pretty easy and there are probably some how tos available with some googling if it isnt.

 

[cgott42]

re: multiple NIC's - should I consider a new OS (the PC only needs to transfer files so I don't need Win XP) - would it make a major difference?
He also said that I have 25Mbps bandwidth, however each upload can only access a fraction of that, so that's why he mentioned multiple NIC's and have the recipient computer make multiple requests so that together it would total the 25Mbps.


thanks, I've set up Hamachi (very easy) and I can transfer file with it. OK, but not fast enough for what I need. Is there any add'l software which I can set up on both ends to make it transfer faster?

 

[xSauronx]

What I suspected was that you wanted to leeach something for nothing, or as little as possible...which is exactly what youre doing, because youre either broke or cheap. I get it, Im usually broke.

If you want sports so often that this kind of impractical daily transfer is an issue for you, then you really need to save yourself the hassle of all of this and get a sports package or two or resolve to finding a free stream at lesser quality online.

 

[Jamsan]

Get yourself a Slingbox HD and set it up at your parent's house.

http://www.slingmedia.com/go/slingbox-prohd

 

[Jamsan]

stupid new forums and double posting

 

[Red Squirrel]

FTP or HTTP should do. With fiber your HDD will most likely be the bottleneck so it should not take very long. Maybe even SSH FTP, though the encryption will slow things down, but it is easier to automate. You probably do want encryption anyway so think that may be better. I'm guessing this is for offsite backups, so just do it late at night.

 

[masteryoda34]

Create an inbound PPTP VPN connection on your parent's PC and open up port 1723 on your parents' firewall. Then set up a dial-up PPTP connection on your PC to connect to your parents' PC.

When you connect, it will be as if both computers are on the same network, and you can use standard Windows file sharing to copy the file.

This works great. I've used it before to transfer files from my desktop computer to my laptop when I am away.

Here's some info I found on Google
http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/Vista/PPTP/PPTPVPN.html

 

[Aarondeep]

Wouldn't adding encryption slow his transfers down?
I think the slingbox HD and a slingcatcher would be the easiest way to do this =)
Or you could order another cablebox for their house and just use it at your place...(I think that might be illegal tho)

 

[Rafael]

For what the OP wants, a faster transfer, you should try encoding the HD video file, mkv filetype maybe?!
Make the file smaller is the only way I see to get a faster transfer.
Or if you have access to the folder containing the file, you should try to play the file from there, IRC playing a video file take about 2-4 Mbps bandwidth. So while it is transfered it will be playing already.

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

How about this: It's a little clunky, but I think it should work...

1. Set up a web-server on his parents PC

2. Dump the files into the web directory

3. Create a very basic 1 line html file and save on local computer Eg:
<a href="http://xx.xx.xx.xx/filename.ext">link</a>

4. Download Orbit download manager and set the download preferences to allow the maximum of 60 connections per job

5. Open .html file from step three and click the link

6. Let Orbit handle the download using multiple connections. In theory this should max out his download pipe.

7. Profit??


Not the most streamlined approach, but it should top out his FIOSthroughput.

Barring that, Dragonwave Inc makes some kickass PTP microwave shots that will carry up to 4Gbps. Of course that's gonna cost somewhere north of $40K

JR..

 

[random betrayal]

install live mesh on both computers and you can log into your parents computer, take over it's operation and watch it on your computer streaming from theirs. Or if not you can copy the file onto your computer or a shared folder on the live service which allows up to 25 free gigs of storage and watch it later when you have time.

I use live mesh to fix computer problems for most of my family all over the country from my own computer.

 

[Pantlegz]

install live mesh on both computers and you can log into your parents computer, take over it's operation and watch it on your computer streaming from theirs. Or if not you can copy the file onto your computer or a shared folder on the live service which allows up to 25 free gigs of storage and watch it later when you have time.

I use live mesh to fix computer problems for most of my family all over the country from my own computer.

why not just use remote desktop? my vote would be vpn or remote desktop, but there are obviously other ways of getting it done.

 

[theevilsharpie]

why not just use remote desktop? my vote would be vpn or remote desktop, but there are obviously other ways of getting it done.

The obvious problem with remote desktop is that it locks out the remote computer's console, which may not be acceptable.

 

[Rafael]

Remote Desktop will not work, protocol is not very useful for this kind of application, not even in a gigabit local network works, I tried myself to play movies in my tv room in the 40 inches lcd, no joy!
Streaming could be a solution for the OP, but I think with a VPN and access to the folder that has the movies, he will be able to play the movie, only execute the file, at least it worked fine for me.
Playing a mkv file with 720p file takes about 2-4 Mbps bandwidth, but I dont know what is the upstream rate of Verizon FIOS, if it is about that, I think it worth a try.
And if it does not work, I think the streaming solution will be the only way out.