Installation

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The procedure for installing IBM Aspera Connect requires enabling a browser extension for Connect in addition to installing the Connect application itself.

There are two ways to install Connect on your system:
  • Guided Installation: The most common way of installing Connect. If Connect is not installed or needs upgrading when you try to upload or download files from an Aspera web app, such as Aspera Faspex or Aspera Shares, you are prompted to install Connect and guided through the process.
  • Manual Installation: For system-wide (multi-user) installations, and a fallback method for users with non-typical web apps. You first install the Connect web extension for your browser (with the exception of Internet Explorer). You then install the Connect application by running a desktop installer you download from the Aspera website.

System Requirements: For information on supported operating systems and browsers, see the release notes for this version of IBM Aspera Connect.

Important:
  • You cannot install Connect under the Guest account.
  • Before performing a system-wide installation (all users of the machine), uninstall any per-user installations. Aspera does not support local and system-wide installations of Connect on the same system. For uninstallation instructions, see Uninstalling.
  • Connect works better when your browser's local storage is enabled; however, it is not a requirement.

Guided Installation

If you do not have Connect installed and you attempt to transfer packages or files using an Aspera web application (such as Faspex or Shares), the Connect Welcome screen appears and prompts you to install Connect:

Depending on your browser/platform combination, the screens shown in these instructions may vary.

  1. To begin, click Install Extension.

    Your browser's page for the Connect extension opens. See the instructions for your browser in Adding the Connect Browser Extension to install the Connect extension. If successful, you'll see the message confirming the extension has been added.

  2. The welcome screen now prompts you to install the Connect application:

    To install the Connect application, locate the installer app you just downloaded, open it, and click Start.

    Quick installer for Windows

    Once the Connect application has been installed, refresh your browser.

Manual Installation

Step 1. Install the Connect extension for your browser.

For instructions about obtaining the Connect extension for your browser, see Adding the Connect Browser Extension.

Step 2. Download and run the Connect application installer.

You can download the Connect installer directly from https://www.ibm.com/aspera/connect/. Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the Setup screens. You will need to accept the terms and conditions, and confirm whether to install Connect for you only (Typical) or for all users of this machine (Custom).

Adding the Connect Browser Extension

For supported web browsers, this section explains how to obtain and add the IBM Aspera Connect extension to the browser you will use. The Connect extensions are specific to the browser; the procedure for adding an extension to a browser is the same regardless of which OS platform that browser is running on. With a guided install, clicking Install Extension opens the extension link for the browser you are using. With a manual install, be sure to download the extension for the browser you intend to use with Connect.

Chrome

To obtain and install the Connect extension for Chrome, follow the procedure below:

  1. Click Install Extension (guided install method), or open the IBM Aspera Connect page on the Chrome Web Store (manual install method). The following page opens:
  2. Click Add to Chrome. The Add "IBM Aspera Connect"? popup appears.
  3. Click Add extension.

    If successful, you'll see the message "IBM Aspera Connect has been added to Chrome".

Note: The extension is activated only by websites that have integrated IBM Aspera for file transfers. The extension never reads or stores any personal information or history.

Incognito Mode: By default, the Connect extension is disabled in Chrome's incognito mode. To enable the Connect extension, right-click the small Connect icon in the upper-right corner of your browser page. Then open Manage extensions and scroll down to the heading Allow in incognito. Then set the switch to ON as shown below.

Firefox

To obtain and install the Connect extension for Firefox follow the procedure below:

  1. Click Add extension (guided install method), or open the IBM Aspera Connect page on the Firefox Add-Ons page (manual install method). The following page opens:
  2. Click + Add to Firefox. The Add IBM Aspera Connect? popup appears.
  3. Click Add.

    If successful, you'll see the message "IBM Aspera Connect has been added to Firefox".

Internet Explorer

Instead of a browser extension, Microsoft Internet Explorer uses an ActiveX add-on. Enabling the add-on: When you open HSTS or Faspex using Internet Explorer 11, an information bar appears and asks whether to run the Connect add-on. Click Allow to proceed:

Microsoft Edge

To obtain and install the Connect extension for Microsoft Edge, follow the procedure below:

  1. Click Install Extension (guided install method). Or, open the IBM Aspera Connect for Edge page on the Microsoft Store (manual install method). The following page opens:

    (If you are prompted to sign in, doing so is not required. You can dismiss the Sign in window.)

  2. Click Install.

    If the message below appears, clicking Refresh the page usually resolves it.

    A popup appears indicating the extension is installed.

  3. Click Launch. This returns you to the browser, and the following popup appears:

    If clicking Launch opens an empty window, return to the browser and the above popup should appear.

  4. Click Turn it on.
Note: If the Connect extension for Edge is disabled, and you try to use a web app, the launch bar asks you to install the extension. Clicking Install Extension opens the Microsoft app store and shows a Launch button—however, the Launch button will not enable the extension. Enable the extension in the settings for Edge.
Microsoft Edge Chromium

To obtain and install the Connect extension for Edge Chromium, follow these steps:

  1. Click Install Extension (guided install method), or open the IBM Aspera Connect page on the Chrome Web Store (manual install method). Typically, the extension page that opens looks like the following screen, with no visible download button. To enable downloading, click the link Allow extensions from other stores. The Add to Chrome is now visible.
  2. Click Add to Chrome. The Add "IBM Aspera Connect"? popup appears.
  3. Click Add extension.

    If successful, you'll see the message "IBM Aspera Connect has been added to Edge Chromium".

After Installation

Once Connect is installed, you can launch it from the following location:

  • Start > All Programs > Aspera > Aspera Connect
  • On Windows 10, > > Aspera > Aspera Connect.
Tip: Aspera provides a web-based diagnostic tool that can be helpful in identifying connection issues. You can access the IBM Aspera Connect Diagnostic Tool here: 
https://test-connect.asperasoft.com/