FTP vs web page download

I'm not sure this is the right newsgroup. If there's a more appropriate one
please let me know.

The question is;
Is there a speed difference if a person FTP's to download files over the
internet vs downloading the file by using a web browser, right-clicking the
file and choosing Save As? Would FTP be faster?

Thanks in advance

Bobbie

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, "Bobbie"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>The question is;
>Is there a speed difference if a person FTP's to download files over the
>internet vs downloading the file by using a web browser, right-clicking the
>file and choosing Save As? Would FTP be faster?

Possibly - the web server may be tuned more towards providing rapid response
for small files (web pages are typically small), whereas the FTP server may
be tuned more towards providing fast transfers on large files.

However, in general, in a simple implementation, there's not going to be
anything approaching a noticeable difference. Of course, that's not what I
should be saying, as an FTP server vendor, so to balance that out, I'll say
why you should choose FTP for such a task:

It's designed for it.

That simple. Use the tool that's designed for the job. I have a tool in my
garage that opens paint cans, and another that stirs paint. I could do both
of these with a screwdriver, but I don't.

Alun.
~~~~

[Please don't email posters, if a Usenet response is appropriate.]
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Texas Imperial Software | Find us at http://www.wftpd.com or email
1602 Harvest Moon Place | (E-Mail Removed).
Cedar Park TX 78613-1419 | WFTPD, WFTPD Pro are Windows FTP servers.
Fax/Voice +1(512)258-9858 | Try our NEW client software, WFTPD Explorer.

"Bobbie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm not sure this is the right newsgroup. If there's a more appropriate
one
> please let me know.
>
> The question is;
> Is there a speed difference if a person FTP's to download files over the
> internet vs downloading the file by using a web browser, right-clicking
the
> file and choosing Save As? Would FTP be faster?
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Bobbie

There are no technical reasons to be any speed difference when downloading
large (but few) files. Specific server implementations may induce a
difference.

--
Paul Chitescu
(E-Mail Removed) http://pchitescu.null.ro/ ICQ:22641673
Any spammers will be painfully squeezed into /dev/null

I believe there are technical differences between using the ftp and
http protocols. FTP has much stronger error correction and is best for
large and/or binary files where loosing one bit will render them
unusable. However download speeds should be about equal as the CPU has
plenty of time to perform error correction while data is coming
through, and the handshakes are not significant overhaed.




"Paul Chitescu" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<#(E-Mail Removed)>...
> "Bobbie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > I'm not sure this is the right newsgroup. If there's a more appropriate
> one
> > please let me know.
> >
> > The question is;
> > Is there a speed difference if a person FTP's to download files over the
> > internet vs downloading the file by using a web browser, right-clicking
> the
> > file and choosing Save As? Would FTP be faster?
> >
> > Thanks in advance
> >
> > Bobbie
>
> There are no technical reasons to be any speed difference when downloading
> large (but few) files. Specific server implementations may induce a
> difference.

In article <(E-Mail Removed) >,
(E-Mail Removed) (miguel) wrote:
>I believe there are technical differences between using the ftp and
>http protocols. FTP has much stronger error correction and is best for
>large and/or binary files where loosing one bit will render them

FTP streams data straight over a TCP connection. So does HTTP. Where is
the error correction? At the TCP level and below, which is common to both
protocols.

Alun.
~~~~

[Please don't email posters, if a Usenet response is appropriate.]
--
Texas Imperial Software | Find us at http://www.wftpd.com or email
1602 Harvest Moon Place | (E-Mail Removed).
Cedar Park TX 78613-1419 | WFTPD, WFTPD Pro are Windows FTP servers.
Fax/Voice +1(512)258-9858 | Try our NEW client software, WFTPD Explorer.