multiple connection FTP client

Question

Level 1

59 points

multiple connection FTP client

I'm in need of an FTP client that can open up multiple connections to the same file for faster downloads. CuteFTP does this, but it's taking up around 35% of my CPU while downloading for no apparent reason. I don't know the technical term for this feature I'm describing so I don't know if this is something that I can enable for any of the other great FTP clients out there (like Transmit).

Can this be done from the command line? I'd be happy with that.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Ian

Powerbook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Oct 15, 2006 7:45 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 15, 2006 7:56 PM in response to Ian Keller

Try CyberDuck.
Not sure about the CPU load, but that might be expected.
I use CyberDuck for everyday FTP...ddin't know about the multiple connection thing until I googled for it!

http://www.pure-mac.com/ftp.html
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=osx+ftp+multiple+connections+to+samefile

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Answer 2

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Oct 15, 2006 8:20 PM in response to Ian Keller

Don't take my word on this, but I'm thinking two halves equals one whole or one half of twice as much! 🙂

As for TransmitX, (my favorite), it never used more than 2.5% CPU on an eMac/1.42 sending a 7.3MB file to my online storage... could've went faster of course, and I could've got off and walked... but I wasn't expected in 'till the Train got there anyway!

There are http download/upload APPs that use multiple instances for greater speed, (forget what I last used), but many sites "outlaw them, or just don't work at all if you use them.

Sooo, what kind/size files are you transfering, and what kind of Service?

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Answer 3

Ian Keller Author

Level 1

59 points

Oct 15, 2006 9:55 PM in response to BDAqua

Transmit works fine for me, it's just only opening 1 connection that tops out around 30kbs. Since I'm downloading MP4 files that range from 200-800 MB that is rather slow. The upload speed of the server and my download speeds are both very high, but FTP is running slowly.

I'm trying SpeedDownload now, which is opening 5 connections but each at 10kbs so the total is only 50kbs. A friend can access the same server with CuteFTP on XP and is getting 100+kbs with that (25+kbs for each connection). If I can find an OS X client that can do that I'll be happy. Even a command line solution would be fine. I'm going to up SpeedDownload's connection number to see if that helps, but I think there must be a better solution.

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Answer 4

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Oct 15, 2006 10:40 PM in response to Ian Keller

Say... you wouldn't be using a Broadcom Chipset Modem would you?
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3017337

Slow/Flakey on Macs, fast on PCs.

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Answer 5

Ian Keller Author

Level 1

59 points

Oct 16, 2006 7:18 AM in response to BDAqua

No, and we're not in the same place anyway. My PC using friend is in Taipei and I am in NJ (and soon to be Vietnam where the bandwidth is not so great). The FTP server is running on XP in NYC on the highest-speed DSL connection available there.

My friend in Taipei has tried from both his Mac and PC and the PC version of CuteFTP is a lot faster than any Mac client we've found (including CuteFTP for Mac). I've gotten it up to 50+ kbs using Speed Download, but that's still about half of what he is reporting from the other side of the planet.

Any thoughts?

Ian

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Answer 6

Oct 16, 2006 9:03 AM in response to Ian Keller

Maybe he has a faster connection in Taipei.
Perhaps your internet provider throttles FTP.

And your friend's Mac and PC connection using CuteFTP is faster than your mac or PC connection?

Multiple FTP connections do split the availabe bandwidth to a given ftp server, from what I've seen. Plus some FTP servers will only permit "x" connections from a particualr IP address per session.

Multiple torrent connections is perhaps what you're thinking of, but that's connections to different servers for the same file, which would increase transfer speed of the file.

I just have this vague feeling that this is OSplatform and location independent.
(I am unfamiliar with your "SpeedDownload")

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