Problem downloading largish files using FTP

[Guest]

Hi

I use FTP.exe in Windows XP to download some zipped files from an internet
site. I have Windows Internet Explorer 7 installed.

If the file is small all goes well. However one of the files is about 2MB.
One of two things happens:

1. The file downloads. Right at the end there is a long delay and then a
timeout message appears. The downloaded file appears to be fine.

2. All but the last few bytes of the file download. As above there is a
long wait at the end and then a timeout message appears. The download file
can not be unzipped.

(I get the same behaviour using

1. Windows FTP directly with a scrip file, or
2. WS-FTP
3. A third party control, EvansFTP, used within a VB6 program.)

Please help.

I believe the problem may have something to do with keeping the connection
alive.

I have an ADSL modem. Are there settings I can change to keep the
connection alive while a largish download is happening?

Your help will be much appreciated?

 

[RalfG]

There is often nothing you can do because the interruption originates at the
sending end. Use a file download manager instead of basic FTP. Download
managers can resume interrupted file downloads of any size, even hundreds of
megabytes. There are a number of free ones that you can find using Google.
Flashget and Fresh Download come to mind. Watch out for ones that may
include adware.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Ralf

Unfortunately getting GUI software to do the download is not the answer.

I already own WS_FTP Prop.

My situation is that I put some files on my website which my clients need to
download as part of a batch program (i.e. from a .BAT file).

Until recently I used a little program that I wrote in VB6 using a third
party FTP control (EvansFTP) that could be called from a batch program. It
worked for about the last 4 years without problems. However, it now is
having the same problem as experienced with the native Windows FTP commands.

Do you know of something that can be called from a batch file? It will have
to be something that my users can use royalty free (with a minimum of
installation bother).

--
Kind regards
Reg Bust

There is often nothing you can do because the interruption originates at the
sending end. Use a file download manager instead of basic FTP. Download
managers can resume interrupted file downloads of any size, even hundreds of
megabytes. There are a number of free ones that you can find using Google.
Flashget and Fresh Download come to mind. Watch out for ones that may
include adware.

 

[RalfG]

Hmm, those requirements complicate the problem. I've never bothered with
command line downloads... well not since Fidonet and DOS 5 anyway. I found
one that might work for you, but you'll have to check it out yourself.

Called Wget; "for retrieving files using HTTP, HTTPS and FTP" . . ." It is a
non-interactive commandline tool, so it may easily be called from scripts,
cron jobs, terminals without X-Windows support, etc."

Web page at: http://www.gnu.org/software/wget/wget.html

Downloads for Windows and DOS binaries are part way down the page.

Thanks Ralf

Unfortunately getting GUI software to do the download is not the answer.

I already own WS_FTP Prop.

My situation is that I put some files on my website which my clients need
to
download as part of a batch program (i.e. from a .BAT file).

Until recently I used a little program that I wrote in VB6 using a third
party FTP control (EvansFTP) that could be called from a batch program.
It
worked for about the last 4 years without problems. However, it now is
having the same problem as experienced with the native Windows FTP
commands.

Do you know of something that can be called from a batch file? It will
have
to be something that my users can use royalty free (with a minimum of
installation bother).

 

[Guest]

It works perfectly.

I really appreciate your help.

Best wishes.

Kind regards
Reg Bust

 

[RalfG]

Glad it worked out.

It works perfectly.

I really appreciate your help.

Best wishes.

Kind regards
Reg Bust