Avoid any provider that only responds to technical problems via email. There
are a lot of providers out there that have great prices but they lack the
support you may need. Remember, sooner or later you will have a question or
problem and you will want to speak with a live person.

Avoid any company that does not answer their phone during normal business
hours, as they most likely won't answer it when you have a question or problem.

Look for a service provider that guarantee's their service and will allow you
to test it before you subscribe. Ask for a 30-day free evaluation period. If
that's not available then ask for a 30-day, unconditional satisfaction
guarantee. It should allow you to cancel within 30-days and pay nothing if
you're not completely satisfied with the service.

3. Guarantee or Trial:

If you're frustrated with the inability to send and receive large files via
email, you're not alone. Most businesses today are experiencing the same
problem.

So how do you go about selecting the best "FTP Hosting" service?
We've come up with a list of "Seven Tips" that will help you in the
selection process.

Author Biography:

FTP Hosting Service Selection - Seven Tips!

If a company puts limits on available bandwidth, they are either an extremely
small business and won't be able to service you properly, or they may charge you
for bandwidth in excess of a given amount per month. Either way, you won't be
happy at the end of the day.

5. Ease of Use:

1. Good Track Record & References:

Remember, you're entrusting the "FTP Hosting" company with
proprietary corporate information. Make sure they are a legitimate company.
These days it's easy to develop a website and call yourself an "FTP
Hosting" company. Avoid any company that looks like a
"Fly-by-night" operation.

One of the best ways to send large files via the Internet is by utilizing
what is called an "FTP Hosting" service. FTP stands for "File
Transfer Protocol."

As software programs evolve, the files they create are forever increasing in
size. Programs like AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, and a host of many more can create
files in excess of 5MB to 300MB.

Ask your "FTP Hosting" company how much bandwidth is available for
file uploads and downloads. Avoid any company that limits the amount of
bandwidth available for transferring files.

You'll also want to call the number they give you and verify that someone
answers the phone and can talk intelligently about the service they provide.

Make sure the "FTP Hosting" company provides you with a phone
number to call, preferably a toll-free number. If you have any problems at all
you'll want to speak with someone.

A "Soft Cap" allows you to exceed your storage limitations without
incurring an additional fee. More importantly, it allows you and/or your
customers to continue uploading/downloading files to your FTP site after you
have exceeded your storage space allotment.

The service must be easy-to-use and support file transfers from Windows, Mac,
and Linux operating systems. Ask the service provider what, if any, software is
required on the client side in order to transfer files to and from the secure
FTP site.

In addition, look for a service that provides discounts if you pre-pay for
six or twelve months. You'll be surprised as to how much money you can save by
paying in advance.

6. Storage Space Limitation:

Ask for references! If the provider is good, they'll ask you how many
references you would like! Also, their web site should provide an indication of
their length of time in business and references, if they have any.

2. Phone Number:

Make sure you're not required to purchase a vendor specific, proprietary
software program to transfer your files. You should be able to use any
off-the-shelf, downloadable FTP client software program such as CuteFTP, WS FTP,
SmartFTP, Fetch, or FTP Voyager.

7. Technical Support Via Email:

The provider of the "FTP Hosting" service should have a solid
business track record. You'll want to select a company that has been in business
at least 4 to 6 years.

Choose a company that provides you with a technical support phone number, not
an email address. Call the number and ask for help! Make sure they answer the
phone and provide the type of you support you're looking for.

Most "FTP Hosting" services are available on a month-to-month
subscription basis and their rate is set according to the amount of storage
space you require. Make sure your monthly storage limitations have what's called
a "Soft Cap."

In other words, you can continue doing business without worrying about your
FTP service provider shutting down your FTP site.

Look for a company that can provide you with unlimited bandwidth and does not
charge you for it.

4. Adequate Bandwidth:

Adam Hobach