DE Oracle @ UMUC

WS_FTP LE No Longer Available Free-of-Charge - Some Alternatives for FTPing

CSI Staff

Staff Writer

Center for Support of Instruction

Published: 0 2004

Category: » Tech-skills-software » File-transfer-protocol

Ipswitch's has revised its product line, replacing the free-of-charge version of their acclaimed file-transer protocol (FTP) software, WS_FTP "LE", with a "Home" version, which is not available cost-free to the academic community.  More information about this transition is available from the FTP resource site, FTPPlanet.com.

For those users in the UMUC Community who have relied on the "LE version of WSFTP, there are several alternatives for you. 

1.  Download a copy from Oldversion.com

Currently, you can download a copy of WS_FTP LE from OldVersion.com. As with all content you download from the Internet it's important that you run a virus scan on the document before you install it.

2.  Users Who Already Have WS_FTP LE Installed

Those who already have WS_FTP installed can continue to use the product. However, if newer versions of Windows are installed, it is likely that this older version of WS_FTP will eventually develop incompatibilities with the newer operating system. Instructions on transfering files to an from a server using WS_FTP LE are available from the Publish a Web Page Using WS_FTP page.

3. Users Who Need Another FTP Program

Users who do not already have WS_FTP LE installed, have several options available to them. 

Some Free Software Alternatives

For those who want a no-cost option, there are several alternatives.

CoreFTP Lite

CoreFTP Lite is a free FTP client. Its functionality is comparable to WS_FTP LE. It can be downloaded directly from the CoreFTP web site. Instructions on using CoreFTP can be found at the Use CoreFTP for File Transfer page.

Internet Explorer

Virtually all recent version of Microsoft Windows come installed with the Internet Explorer browser. It comes built in with a graphical interface (similar to the Windows desktop) for transfering files using FTP. If Internet Explorer is not already installed, or a more recent version is needed, it can be obtained from the Microsoft Internet Explorer page. Instructions on using Internet Explorer to FTP files to UMUC's servers can be found at the Use Internet Explorer for File Transfer page. Users should be aware that there have been security concerns with the use of Internet Explorer.

Some Non-Free Software Alternatives

Several vendors offer FTP software for a fee. Generally, software that is sold for a fee has extra features that free software does not. However, users should consider whether they actually need these extra features before deciding to use the for-a-fee software.

WS_FTP Home Edition

If users want to use the highly regarded Ipswitch line of products, the price for WS_FTP Home at the time of this writing is approximately US from the Ipswitch web site. More information about WS_FTP Home is available from the Ipswitch web site.

CuteFTP

CuteFTP is another well regarded line of products. The price for the CuteFTP Home version at the time of this writing is about US from the Globalscape web site. More information about CuteFTP Home is available from the CuteFTP web site.