# Setting up my own file server?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 25, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678 "2003-09-25T02:38:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JohnJet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnJet)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/1 "2003-09-25T02:38:18Z")
Ok, so heres what I want to do:
I want to set up one of my older computers to act as a file server so that my friends can both download and upload to it. Is there any software that can help me with this goal? I REALLY dont want to spend money on this, but if I must…I guess I can. If it matters the computer in question is 900MHZ and shares a 1mb connection with the rest of the house. Thanks for the help!
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### Author:  [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/2 "2003-09-25T02:56:12Z")
I hear people say good things about [BadBlue.](http://www.badblue.com/prodpe.htm)
Never used it myself, though. Use at your own risk, blah blah blah.
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### Author:  [@JohnJet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnJet)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/3 "2003-09-25T02:58:23Z")
Sorry, should have stated, I used bad blue and loved it, however, my time ran out and I really do not want to pay for it.
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### Author:  [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/4 "2003-09-25T03:05:51Z")
Do you know that you only have to pay to use the advanced features? The basic program is free.
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### Author:  [@JohnJet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnJet)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/5 "2003-09-25T03:20:44Z")
The advanced features are pretty much everything but the actual shareing of the files, atleast, that’s the way the program worked for me? I may just have to break down and buy it, depending on what else is posted here.
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### Author:  [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/6 "2003-09-25T04:15:44Z")
Setup an FTP server. FTP is the standard for file transfers, and can be accessed from any computer without the need for special clients. There are also many servers available for free, such as [FileZilla Server](http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/). You can also restrict access to files via accounts and passwords, or otherwise control who can access your stuff.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/7 "2003-09-25T04:56:48Z")
Depending on how far you want to go, you could put linux on it. The beginning of a great adventure. I’m partial to red hat myself.
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### Author:  [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/8 "2003-09-25T05:40:54Z")
Go with the ftp server… but think about Linux. I have a P200 running my web server, photo gallery, webcam, internal Windows file server/backup system, and much more. Of course, making something share files is more fun for me than actually sharing them, so YMMV. 😉
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/9 "2003-09-25T10:33:35Z")
On Windows:
FTP: Serv-U FTP Server (Excellent, but not free)
HTTP: Abyss Web Server (Awesome, free, and only 134K filesize)
[http://www.aprelium.com/abyssws/](http://www.aprelium.com/abyssws/)
FTP is much better for file transfer. The web server is free, but cannot support file uploads.
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### Author:  [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/10 "2003-09-25T10:48:03Z")
Possiby Enola Straight has a bad memory. I do. I would have to collect all of my records to know what I did. I forget what I did yesterday. My co-workers can tell me.
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### Author:  [@Chagto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chagto)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/11 "2003-09-25T10:55:39Z")
**PurplePerson** , I can truthfully say I don’t understand a word of what you just said.
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### Author:  [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/12 "2003-09-25T11:44:46Z")
War FTP Daemon is a great free FTP server:
[http://www.jgaa.com/index.php?cmd=show\_article&article\_id=113&menu=154](http://www.jgaa.com/index.php?cmd=show_article&article_id=113&menu=154)
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/13 "2003-09-25T15:52:51Z")
If you have a permanent IP address, I can’t think of any reason why you’d need to spend any money at all. If you are on MacOS X, enable FTP file sharing. If you are on MacOS 7/8/9, download the free software NCSA Telnet and go to Edit:Preferences and set up your FTP Server (why a telnet program incorporates a free ftp server is not a question the answer to which I know, but it’s there and works nicely). Don’t know about Pee Cees but I’d be flabbergasted if you couldn’t pick from a dozen or more freebie ftp servers if you go to TUCOWS or VersionTracker – assuming, in my Mac ignorance, that Windows doesn’t simply already come with an FTP server built in, which it very well may.
Absent a permanent IP, things become a bit more interesting.
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### Author:  [@JohnJet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnJet)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-up-my-own-file-server/203678/14 "2003-09-25T20:03:53Z")
I DO lack a permanent IP, but not a big problem, I use a service called NO-IP.info and it keeps my name pointed at whatever my IP happens to be at the time. So rather thing going to 111.111.111.111 people just go to me.no-ip.info, atleast, that’s the way it should work, I’ll try it out tonight with those FTP programs and we’ll see. Thanks for all the replies folks.