FTP.. Really Slow? Can Anybody Help Me Out?

[retromodcoza]

I was wondering if anyone had a solution to this problem , or if it is just telscum and there is nothing I can do.

Uploading to an international ftp server is slow - as in it takes me all day to upload 3000 small files. On a local FTP server - the same 3000 files takes 7 minutes.

I've worked out that it actually uploads each file at a respectable speed - and it is the connection that the server has to make for each file that is taking a long time and causing the hold up. I have set my ftp program ( Fire FTP ) to make 6 connections ( the max allowed by the server ) and that has helped but its still waay slow.

Unshaped bandwidth makes a small difference , but not the same as moving to a local FTP server.

Is there anything I can set to overcome this problem? Currently I am working around it by zipping up the file and uploading it - then unzipping it on the server. However , in some instances this isn't possible...

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[LazyLion]

what router are you using?

 

[retromodcoza]

Netgear 384G - it has a backend panel - are there ports I should be forwarding or something?

 

[LazyLion]

Netgear 384G - it has a backend panel - are there ports I should be forwarding or something?

No, there were a few older routers that had problems with FTP cos of their firmware. Mostly the Billion routers.

Have you tried testing on other international FTP sites to ascertain whether the bottleneck is on your line or on their server?

 

[retromodcoza]

No, there were a few older routers that had problems with FTP cos of their firmware. Mostly the Billion routers.

Have you tried testing on other international FTP sites to ascertain whether the bottleneck is on your line or on their server?

I tested it on nearly 30 USA FTP sites and several European Servers. Europe was slightly better. But they are both really slow....The local one flies...so I can only assume its the line...

Does yours work fine? Where is the server that you normally upload to?

 

[LazyLion]

I tested it on nearly 30 USA FTP sites and several European Servers. Europe was slightly better. But they are both really slow....The local one flies...so I can only assume its the line...

Does yours work fine? Where is the server that you normally upload to?

I have not uploaded much to international FTP sites. I used to use the local UUNET one which was always fine. But I have sometimes experienced slow download speeds with Telkom SAIX ADSL... especially from HP's FTP site.

Is it not a possibility to use File Hosting sites?

 

[retromodcoza]

I have not uploaded much to international FTP sites. I used to use the local UUNET one which was always fine. But I have sometimes experienced slow download speeds with Telkom SAIX ADSL... especially from HP's FTP site.

Is it not a possibility to use File Hosting sites?

I wish it was - these are clients FTP servers and I kinda have to put the site I eventually develop up one them. I must check out UUNET...do they provide local hosting or is it just a bring-and-share ftp server?

 

[LazyLion]

I wish it was - these are clients FTP servers and I kinda have to put the site I eventually develop up one them. I must check out UUNET...do they provide local hosting or is it just a bring-and-share ftp server?

not sure about the business side of UUNET.. I think they are owned by Verizon now. Unfortunately they closed down the public side of their FTP server cos SOME people were abusing it!

 

[Ludjer]

remember your latency plays a role in this, it there are commands that get sent back and forth, with a local site each command takes 50-100ms to to get from your pc to a ftp, with international it takes longer cause each command is 300-600,
Remember ftp is unshaped on all isp's weather the account is unshaped or shaped its a business protocol.

 

[fz1]

I was wondering if anyone had a solution to this problem , or if it is just telscum and there is nothing I can do.

Uploading to an international ftp server is slow - as in it takes me all day to upload 3000 small files. On a local FTP server - the same 3000 files takes 7 minutes.

I've worked out that it actually uploads each file at a respectable speed - and it is the connection that the server has to make for each file that is taking a long time and causing the hold up. I have set my ftp program ( Fire FTP ) to make 6 connections ( the max allowed by the server ) and that has helped but its still waay slow.

Unshaped bandwidth makes a small difference , but not the same as moving to a local FTP server.

Is there anything I can set to overcome this problem? Currently I am working around it by zipping up the file and uploading it - then unzipping it on the server. However , in some instances this isn't possible...

Thanks in advance for any help

I take it you are using SAIX based access. I would recommend you give IS Fibre Semi-shaped a go (you can get it prepaid from Axxess, or monthly accounts from OpenWeb or Nexus). IS Fibre Semi-shaped provides much faster international access than SAIX from what I have found (at least for downloads, but it's worth giving a shot to see if uploads work faster too).

 

[RSkeens]

Hi retromodcoza,

The reason is because FTP has an exchange overhead per file - it's great for large, individual files, but this overhead can really add up for small, individual files.

I would say your best bet would be to ask the host if they can extract ALL the files for you on their system, that way you would only need to upload a single archive.

Good luck!

 

[Ludjer]

I take it you are using SAIX based access. I would recommend you give IS Fibre Semi-shaped a go (you can get it prepaid from Axxess, or monthly accounts from OpenWeb or Nexus). IS Fibre Semi-shaped provides much faster international access than SAIX from what I have found (at least for downloads, but it's worth giving a shot to see if uploads work faster too).

/me lols
it does not matter if it is unshaped or shaped
you will get full speeds on ftp with both cause shaped accounts dont shape pop, smtp, ftp and http protocols, please learn more

 

[fz1]

..., please learn more

Excuse me? I don't see you offering a SOLUTION to the OP, Professor I-know-what-protocols-are-shaped-and-what-aren't-and-I've-read-that-FTP-is-not-shaped.

If YOU looked a little more carefully at my post, particularly my signature, you would see what I am on about. I posted a thread that compares SAIX based ADSL accounts' international speeds to IS Fibre Semi-shaped accounts. Does not have anything to do with shaping whatsoever. IS provides superior international download speeds <-- and that is what I was pointing out to the OP. Shaping is NOT the issue here, and personally I don't think the latency is either. "Learn more".

 

[Ludjer]

do you even know how the ftp protocol works
i work for a few companies that need to have low latency connections to overseas offices and i can tell you there is one hell of a big difference when ftping with low latency and when ftping with high latency :-\

if you do then you will know why it takes longer to connect to a int ftp then a local ftp
and FTP

what im trying to say is that, there is nothing you can do about this other then zip it into one zip/rar/7zip file and then upload it then the time taken will be similar,