# File sharing between computers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2002, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148 "2002-12-27T12:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SmileyDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SmileyDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmileyDeath)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/1 "2002-12-27T12:53:54Z")
Ok- This isn’t a napster file sharing type question. How could I transfer two files easily between computers? I have two computers at two different houses, how could I transfer a file without using file sharing programs like Kazaa? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/2 "2002-12-27T13:11:16Z")
email? ---
**Author:** ![merge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@merge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merge)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/3 "2002-12-27T13:12:56Z")
If it is a larger file, you can use AIM… probably the easiest way of doing it… ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/4 "2002-12-27T13:47:01Z")
Get a website. You can get one free from places like Geocities. Then upload your file to the website from one computer, visit the website on the other computer and download it. All you need is to know the filename/extension - it doesn’t have to be linked in HTML or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Mikahw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mikahw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikahw)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/5 "2002-12-27T13:58:04Z")
Okay, a few questions. 1. how big are the files? 2. do the computers in question have CD-R drives? 3)how far away are the houses? If the houses are close enough together, and they have CD-R drives (or, just the computer that has the files you want to send, if you’re only going to be sending one way) and the file isn’t humongous, you could do it that way. Hell, if the files are small enough, you could even use floppies. Of course, if it’s a big file and you don’t have a CD-R and/or you’re more than a couple of miles away, it complicates things. Most IM programs allow you to send files. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/6 "2002-12-27T14:05:16Z")
How large are the files? Do both computers have broadband connections? Is this just a one-time transfer or do you need to set up a system to transfer the files regularly? If the files are small enough to e-mail, that’d be the easiest way. If the files are very large you might want to look into a removable drive, like a USB hard drive or a CD-R drive. ---
**Author:** ![SmileyDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SmileyDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmileyDeath)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/7 "2002-12-27T14:14:22Z")
They are about 150 MB… ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/8 "2002-12-27T14:19:41Z")
Try this…“WWW.File share” [http://www.wfshome.com/index.html](http://www.wfshome.com/index.html) Its freeware, and it seems to work pretty well. The program is sort of like FTP for dummies. You install it and tell it what files you want to share, and then it turns your comp into a web server with an http:// addy. You send the URL to whoever you want, and they can browse that folder just like a website. It only shares the folders you want and you can shut it down any time. The website says there’s no spyware, and I’ve used it a few times with no ill effects. Jon ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/9 "2002-12-27T14:25:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nitroglycerine \* > \*\*Try this…“WWW.File share” > Jon \*\* Oh, and if IIRC it also will resume broken downloads which is good if you’re on a dial-up. Jon ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/10 "2002-12-27T15:04:31Z")
If you do it a lot, you might want to look into getting one o’ those USB keys. It’s basically flash memory that plugs into your USB port, and can be used like a floppy drive only it’s MUCH bigger. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/file-sharing-between-computers/145148/11 "2002-12-27T16:27:59Z")
You could always network 'em.