The program has been updated today which gave me the perfect incentive to review it here on Ghacks Technology News.

Cyberduck is an open source file transfer software that is available for Windows PCs and Apple Macintosh systems. It supports a wide variety of different protocols and even connects perfectly to several popular online services and cloud space providers. The program supports both ftp and sftp connections as well as WebDAV. In addition, it supports connections to Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Windows Azure, Rackspace, Cloud Files and Google Docs.

The program displays all previously configured account in the main interface on startup. You can double-click on an account to connect to the service right away, edit existing accounts or create new ones. If you start the program for the first time, you are likely starting to add accounts first.

Just click on the plus icon in the main interface to add a new account to the program. Everything is configured in the first window that pops up. You select the desired protocol or service from the pulldown menu at the top, assign a custom name for the connection, add the server IP or hostname and username to the listing.

A click on More Options displays additional parameters that can be configured. You can assign a path, connection mode, encoding, the local folder and additional information. You will be asked for a password once you initiate the connection. The password can be saved if needed.

One of the features that WinSCP offers that Cyberduck lacks on first sight is a second file browser to transfer files more easily between the online or network storage and the local system. It is however possible to open multiple windows and drag and drop files or folders between windows. Server to server transfers, if supported by the servers, are now supported by the file transfer software.

Cyberduck offers many features that may not be apparent right away. Among the features are file synchronization options, Growl support, server access history, advanced SSH features, and interoperability.

Windows and Mac users can download the latest version of the software from the official website. The software will ask for a donation on close which you can simply close.

FTP Rush’s feature set looks fairly similar to that of WinSCP on first glance, but it quickly becomes obvious that the ftp client tops WinSCP in several areas.

When you look at the supported protocols, you will notice that FTP Rush lacks SCP support but offers FTPS and TFTP support instead. Plus, it can be used to transfer files from one ftp server to another. This is commonly referred to as FXP.

FXP can be very handy when you move a website to another server, as you do not have to download the files to your local PC before you upload them to the new server.

The interface is highly customizable. You can move toolbars around and enable or disable most of the modules or data entries that are shown. The default interface looks like a mix of the Office 2003 and Windows XP interface, which may not be to everyone’s liking. But this can be quickly changed in the program options.

A quick connection toolbar is displayed on top which you can use to connect to a host right away. All you need to do is to enter the hostname of the ftp server, and optionally the server’s port and a legit username and password. FTP Rush supports simultaneous connections to multiple ftp servers. All connections are displayed in tabs in the main interface.

You can switch servers around easily, even if they are opened in different tabs. The usual information are displayed once the ftp client has established a connection with the selected ftp server. You find folders and files, sizes, dates and attributes listed in a directory like structure.

A right-click or the buttons on top of the ftp server are used to work with the server. You can transfer files, created, delete or edit directories or files or change chmod attributes.

One interesting feature are conditional transfers. You can use the feature to include only select folders and files of the selected files and folders in the transfer. Basic options include filtering files by file extensions, like html, php or pdf, and advanced options to transfer files based on regular expressions, size or date.

The site manager, accessible via the Tools menu, can be used to add servers permanently to the program, so that they can be opened directly on future visits. This is especially handy if the servers require custom configuration.

You can open those servers from the main interface after configuration.

The Tools menu offers access to other features. You can compare directories here, change layout and menus or access the hotkey manager. Many functions of the program are accessible via hotkeys which can speed up the workflow further.

FTP Rush creates connection, transfer and system logs automatically which can be used for troubleshooting and as a history.

Remote folder are automatically cached to speed up the directory browsing on the remote server.

The free ftp client FTP Rush offers everything that you’d expect from a professional grade ftp client plus some that you may not expect but will find handy at times.

If you are looking for a new software to connect to ftp servers, then this should be at the top of your list.

FTP Rush supports all 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Windows operating system.

SFTP, which stands for Secure File Transfer Protocol, is on the other hand not available by default. This can be problematic in situations where secure connections need to be used. A basic example is a web server that is only supported SFTP connections because of security restrictions.

Swish is an Open Source Windows Explorer extension that adds SFTP to the list of supported protocols.

windows explorer sftp

The developers have released an early alpha version of the SFTP extension to the public. It currently supports 32-bit Windows operating systems and a set of basic features that the developers plan to expand in the future.

The SFTP extension supports password and keyboard- interactive authentication, host-key verification, drag and drop transfers to and from the SFTP server and file management options that include renaming or deleting files on the server.

The getting started section on the developer website explains how to create new SFTP connections.

• Windows Vista & Windows 7
  Open Computer. Double-click on the Swish icon. Click the Add SFTP Connection button. Complete the details in the dialogue and click OK. You should see a new connection appear in the Explorer Window which you can double-click to access.
• Windows 98/2000/XP
  Open My Computer. Double-click on the Swish icon. Select Tools from the menu bar and then Add SFTP Connection. Complete the details in the dialogue and click OK. You should see a new connection appear in the Explorer Window which you can double-click to access.

Experienced users will likely still rely on programs like WinSCP to manage SFTP connections. Swish on the other hand integrates into a well known interface which means it could be a viable alternative for users who prefer Windows Explorer over third party software.

The developers plan to integrate additional features including file modifications and public key authentication into future versions of the extension. Interested users can download Swish from the developer homepage.

WinSCP provides access to file operations such as copying or moving files, editing files directly in the interface, creating folders, renaming files and folders and change a file’s or folder’s properties including chmod.

WinSCP 4.2.7 is a bug fix release that fixes four issues encountered in previous versions of the Windows software program.

• Increased maximal size of accepted SFTP packet.
• Bug fix: Failure when closing connection after another failed connection.
• Bug fix: Root path was not remembered as last working path on a drive.
• Bug fix: Hang-up after closing connection

The new version of WinSCP is provided as a download directly on the developer’s website. The program is portable and compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Microsoft Windows operating system.

It does not take long before the SSH or SFTP server is up and running. All it takes is to start the server in the server management console and add at least one user account. User accounts require the usual set of information that include a username, home directory and a password. A public key can be added as well to provide public key authentication. The server administrator can define the user rights in the very same user creation dialog.

It is possible to enable command and shell access, sftp and forwarding separately from each other. The login requirements can also be configured. Users have basically three options to log into the server: password authentication, public key authentication or keyboard-interactive authentication. The server admin can make any or all of the selected methods a requirement.

The server management console contains several settings that are of importance. Administrators define the server-key file location and log path in there, session timeouts, the server port, ssh and sftp security settings like forcing a delay on new connections or blocking IPs after a number of failed connection attempts. The management console itself can be password protected and configured to a specific port and IP.

The free version of Silvershield SSH and SFTP Server should be just fine for smaller networks. Users who want more connections without having to pay for the SSH server can take a look at FreeSSHd A Free SSH Server For Windows or the Windows SSH Server WinSSHD.

The server is not running after starting up the Windows SSH Server. It is up to the system administrator to start the server so that other users can connect to it.

Users with a Windows username and password are able to use SFTP and SCTP file transfers, access a command prompt via a terminal console and to route TCP connections through WinSSHD by default.

It is up to the administrator to modify the access rights or remove accounts from being able to access the system at all. The administrator can disable services provided by WinSSHD or restrict user access. Both methods can increase the system’s security and should be dealt with before starting the server for the first time.

A good start is the WinSSHD user guide which explains the core concepts of the SSH server and offers tips on how to configure and secure it properly. Interested users can download the WinSSHD SSH Server from the developer’s website

FreeSSHd is a free SSH Server for the Windows operating system. Users can setup the SSH server on one computer system running the Windows operating system and use SSH compatible tools like Putty to connect to that remote computer system. The server can be setup with just a few mouse clicks. The administrator is only required to add users that are allowed to connect to the computer system in the SSH Server configuration.

Authorization can be NT authentication, passwords stored in SHA1 hashes or Public key driven. It is furthermore possible to allow shell, sftp and tunneling access individually. Having said that it should be obvious that FreeSSHd not only offers shell access to authorized users but also secure ftp and tunneling access.

Various options are available that define certain aspects of the SSH Server software. It is possible to add whitelist and blacklists of IP addresses that are allowed to connect to the server, enable event logging, set the secure FTP home path, select a specific allowed cipher, enable tunneling, telnet and check the access logs of the SSH server.

FreeSSHd is a comfortable SSH and SFTP server for the Windows operating system. Setup of the server should not pose to many difficulties even for inexperienced users. All in all a great software program that can be run manually or added to Windows services for extra comfort.

Home FTP Server is just one of many ftp server applications (read FTP Server Setup). It does come with a full set of features but it takes only a few clicks to have a basic ftp server up and running. The ftp server program uses a tabbed interface at the bottom for configuration and monitoring of the ftp server. The most important tab setup wise is the FTP Server tab which offers possibilities to add user accounts, specify directories, change settings of the ftp server and activate it in the end.

There are basically two ways users can connect to a ftp server by default. The first is an anonymous connection. This can be used by anyone and security minded administrators should disable that feature. The accessible directories and file rights can be defined for anonymous users in the settings. More important than anonymous users are member accounts. Each member account can be added for a single user or group of users who all share the same starting directory, access rights and restrictions on the ftp server.

It is for example possible to only allow the users to download files from the ftp server. The most secure setting is to create one user account for every user that should be able to connect to the ftp server. This can be problematic if you want to install an ftp server for dozens of users.

The settings manage every aspect of the ftp server from server and data port to Open SSL support, domain aliases and a web interface. The options of the Home Ftp Server application are quite extensive. Users can be banned from accessing the ftp server and the tool provides the ftp server administrator with the means to monitor files and users easily.

Home FTP Server is an easy to install and administrate ftp server for private usage. The administrative interface is a bit dusty but that’s not as important as the amount of options and settings available to the user. The ftp server application has a size of only 1 Megabyte and uses another two of computer memory while running minimized in the Windows System Tray.

Any Client is one of those secure ftp clients that supports the ftp, sftp, webdav and ftps protocol. It runs remotely using Java and webmasters can use it to connect to their web servers to perform all the operations a ftp client offers them including file transfers and manipulations. The use of protocols that use encryption such as sftp or ftps ensure data safety during transfer. All settings and parameters are stored on the local computer system.

Cautious users might want to consider installing a secure ftp server directly on their web server that can be accessed using a web browser to avoid any security risks or complications that exist while trusting third party websites with your ftp data.

Any Client will load the Java Applet in the web browser and display the contents of the local computer system on the left. A click on the Connect button will open a new smaller window allowing the user to configure and add ftp servers. The ftp client configuration menu contains similar options than local ftp clients offer. Users can add and store multiple ftp servers, select the protocol, add sftp / ssh authentication and specify a starting local and remote directory.

The only difference is the absence of options that configure the ftp client itself, for example the number of simultaneous connections or file transfer limitations.

Once the ftp server has been added the ftp client can be used to connect to it. Users can now download, edit, rename or delete files while connected to the ftp server. A feature that is missing is chmod which can be used to configure access rights for files.

Any Client offers a quick and easy way to connect to ftp servers. It provides access to the basic feature set of ftp clients but lacks several advanced features that webmasters might need every now and then. Security sensitive users and those with important data on their servers might want to consider using a self hosted ftp server script instead of a third party service to reduce the security risks.

Update: the service seems to have been discontinued.

The main features that make it stand out are tabbed browsing, synchronization and the duplicate finder. Tabbed browsing is definitely the easiest to explain. Two panes are by default displayed like in any other file manager. If I wanted to open another local or remote directory I would have to open a new WinSCP instance. Capivara makes use of tabs to avoid that several instances of the same application have to be opened.

A right-click on a tab opens a menu with the option to add another tab to that pane which can connect to local or remote servers. Synchronization is the next feature. As I said earlier this is also supported by WinSCP and many other clients but Capivara supports four different modes including SHA-1 and MD5 sync.

Before files are copied and deleted they are shown in a preview pane which displays all file operations. The last feature is the duplicate finder. It compares the files and folders that reside in two root directories giving the user the options to move or delete duplicate files.

Capivara has some shortcomings though. The local file system will only be displayed if the user presses the connect button and selects it from the menu. That’s a bit complicated in my opinion. The right-click menu is not working everywhere. A user has to press a button to create a new directory while most are probably used to right-click the mouse to do so.

I can then copy files from and to my dedicated server using this secure connection. I upload new websites this way or download mysql backups or other files that i want to store locally. Well, today version 4 of WinSCP was released as a beta. The main additions are ftp support (remember it supported SFTP before only) and SSH tunnel support. The later feature is not that important for me but the first is really nice.

The changelog for WinSCP 4.0 beta lists a lot of bug fixes and changes that would be to much to list here at my site. Just take a look at the changelog at the official site if this is really interesting for you.

What do you use to connect to a dedicated server ? Remember that I’m still using Windows mainly which limits the choice of programs that I could use.