Installing an HTTP server for file sharing

Often the situation begins when it is necessary to immediately transfer a file to someone. What is the route of the solution to this problem?

Transferring files by email is a tedious and quite a long time. First, the time of sending is boldly multiplied by a couple: the data will first be transferred from you to the server, but then exactly in the reverse direction - from the server to the receiver. Secondly, due to some features of the mail protocol, the size of physically transmitted data will be 35% larger than the size of the original file. ICQ-network for file sharing requires a direct connection, and even setting up the "Port Forwarding" function on NAT for various reasons does not always solve the problem. ICQ, still, does not support the resume of files.

You can put an FTP server, but for rare file transfers it's unjustifiably difficult. Plus, if the customer is behind NAT, his software should be able to work in passive FTP mode.

There are still many programs for data exchange, but they require use on both sides, so to transfer files in this situation we will consider the use of the HTTP server.

There are quite a few versions of HTTP-servers, but HTTP File Server is ideal for solving our problems .
We download the second version of the application also run (installation is not required).

The interface of the program is very simple. You just drag the files into it, select the files you need, and also tell the recipient the link specified in the address bar. The receiver can also save it by any standard means (for example, Internet Explorer).

But first you need to configure Http File Server. Click on the top of its window switch Easy / Expert Mode to switch to Expert mode. Today we will choose the port on which our server will work. The standard port for HTTP is 80, it is allowed to leave it. But at some providers 80-th port on an input is closed, at that time it is necessary to specify any other free, for example, 16384. If at you NAT-router it is necessary on it similarly to specify the forward of the chosen port on your computer. Pay attention that in the ON ("on" mode) the port can not be changed, it is necessary to press this button beforehand to enter the "OFF" mode.

Then, the files that we want to transfer to someone, we drag to the Virtual File System window. You can drag not only individual files, but also directories. For directories to eat a couple of options for finishing - Real is also Virtual.

We explain: for the Real mode, all files that will also appear in the future will always be available, but Virtual allows you to edit the list of available objects.

Note that if the context menu on the directory (including also the root directory "/") is checked for Let browse, then HTTP File Server will automatically generate a page with a list of files for the adventure, if there is no index.htm in the directory.

Now it is allowed to give the user a link from the Address line (in the HTTP File Server) to the server itself or to a specific file.

If you give links to different files to different users, you can eat the probability that someone typing simply the server address downloads all the files you have uploaded. To avoid this, you can use access rights. To do this, go to the menu "Menu -> Other options -> Users" also write a username / password for the user.

Then in the Virtual File System on the files that should not exist in any way, to anyone else, we press the left mouse button to bring up the context menu, also in the Restrict access field, mark the users who are allowed access to the file.

If you want, so that users can upload a file to you, you need to drag the folder to the Virtual File System window and specify that it will be in Real mode. In it, users will be able to upload files, if the option Let browse is enabled. You can only allow files to be uploaded to selected users, but not all. For this we follow in the context menu also mark those who are allowed in the "Upload -> Upload for users".

In case you have a domain name, it is allowed to be registered in "Menu -> IP Address -> Custom", it will also be substituted in the Address line instead of IP. If you have access to the Internet through NAT, then in HTTP File Server you can eat the ability to search for external IP (in "Menu -> IP Address -> Find external address").

You can see in the browser how it looks like what you set up. To do this, at the end of the Address line, click the Browse button or simply copy the line from the Address field to the browser. If you have NAT, also the use of external addresses is configured, then temporarily select any of the local addresses in the "Menu -> IP Address" or simply enter the http://127.0.0.1:number of the port manually in the browser.