ICQ File Transfers

If you are having trouble establishing a peer to peer connection to transfer files using ICQ, make sure both comps have the ICF disabled (XP's native incoming-only-protection firewall) Of course, your other firewall software (and you are running something, right?) can easily be configured to accept files from trusted sources, like ICQ.

Sigh. I wanted to pull a 100mg file from a friend through ICQ, and after several days of frustration, and insisting that the problem was on his end, I remembered I enabled the ICF for testing purposes, last week in a brainstorm with Christer.

Redfaced,
Johanna

 

pull a 100mg file

How large, roughly, is a 100 milligram file?

 

Sigh...and then after some frustration, I have to put up with smart alecs like you, Newt. I'm fixing to take a 350 or so MEGABYTE file (roughly half a cd of MP3s) in a bit.

Seriously, for peer to peer file transfers, ICQ can't be beat. You can set it, leave it run and go to bed, and in the morning, everything is done. I would not do this with anyone, but this is a trusted source, and we exchange files frequently, even in the course of a conversation. In ICQ, a right click on a file will also give you the option to send it to any currently online ICQ users on your contact list. You can throw documents, pictures and music back and forth, and this is a different technique of transferring than "Shared Files ". There is no file size limit for transfers- so anything in the Shared Folders are available. The receiver can preview what is there, and select what they choose to download. Even a gig size transfer, has no appreciable effect on performance on either computer. Just set it, and forget it.

ICQ is set to "auto accept" from this user only, and I trust his security policy implicitly. I would not suggest doing this with unknown sources.

When I transfer files with a friend in WI, they go at 90 (+ or-) kbs (That's 1 K per second, Newt) but with the other friend, his cable company (Adelphia)limits transfers to 30 kbs, total. With my friend in WI, (on dsl) we can exchange multiple downloads, all at the high speed, simultaneously. So I would say the transfer speed is governed by your ISP and your hardware, not ICQ software.

Just don't leave your ICF on!

Johanna