Send Large Files By Email

When you need to send a file to someone, attaching it to an email is the simplest and most intuitive method for sender and receiver. But there are limits on the size of file attachments. If you want to send a really big file via email you need an intermediary. Here's how….

How to Send a Large File

Okay, let's clarify one possible misconception at the outset... These "large file emails" don't actually include the file you want to send. Instead, you upload your file to an online dropbox, and then enter the recipient's email address and (optionally) a message to the recipient. The recipient gets an email containing a URL he/she can click on to download the file through a Web browser.

Ease-of-use is one benefit of this technique. Almost everyone is well accustomed to downloading files by clicking on a URL. But relatively few people are used to FTP file transfers, which can lead to much confusion, delays, and aggravation on both sides.

Security is another advantage of sending large files via an intermediary dropbox Web site. Email and its attachments can be intercepted and read, unless encrypted with Pretty Good Privacy or some other cumbersome method. Intermediary sites such as DropSend.com, and Dropbox.com receive uploads and deliver downloads using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Web protocol, and password protection can be assigned to files.

Intermediary sites limit the exposure of your sensitive large files too. If you use Webmail and save copies of all mail you send, a copy of your file remains on the Webmail server indefinitely. But services such as SendThisFile.com, and the others mentioned above can delete your file once it's been downloaded by the recipient. Alternatively, your file can remain online until it's been downloaded a specified number of times or until a specified expiration date.
Delivery verification is another benefit. A third-party service provides a record of when a file you uploaded was downloaded, and the email address or other user ID of the downloader. Some services offer a "dropbox" Web page where people can upload files to you. You receive an email notification when a file is awaiting your download. Customized email templates with your company logo, colors, etc., can be designed to go with every large file you send.

Most large-file transfer services offer free trials with 500 MB to 2 GB file size limits. Regular users who need to send larger files pay anywhere from $10 to $50 a month, depending on their size and frequency needs.
Some intermediaries employ Bittorrent technology to provide faster downloads. Large files are distributed among multiple Bittorrent servers and parts of the file are downloaded simultaneously by the user's Bittorrent client, which then stitches the parts together into a copy of the original file. This is the same sort of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing technology that millions of people use to trade music, videos, and software. But this is a legal use of Bittorrent.

Sending large files through an intermediary Web site is a technique used by many video production companies; architectural and engineering design firms; law firms; government agencies; and many other types of entities that deal with large files. For the occasional user, it can be very handy to send a couple of gigabytes via one of these services.
Have you used a dropbox service to send a large file by email? Post your comment or question below...