File transfers

Although it is possible to send relatively short files using electronic mail, there are more efficient ways of transferring large files.

Electronic mail programs are usually designed to transmit relatively small amounts of text; therefore, other means are needed to transfer large files effectively. The ftp, rcp, and tftp commands rely on TCP/IP to establish direct connections from your local host to a remote host. Basic Network Utilities (BNU) can also use TCP/IP to provide direct connections with foreign hosts.