Solution to email attachment size limitations
Category: Internet...
Posted Thursday, December 30, 2004 at 09:51 PM [GMT-6]

If you frequently (or even occasionally) need to share large files with someone else, you may have experienced the frustration of having an ISP-imposed limit on the size of an email attachment. My ISP, Cox Communications, allows only 5mb of attachments for a given email, and that often is not enough.

Setting up a new FTP account is an option, but that assumes that you and the other party have the technical expertise, software and webspace necessary to make it work.

Enter Dropload, a free web-based service that allows you to upload files up to 100mb in size and automatically notify another party via email that said file is available for download. The other party has seven days to download the file (again via web browser), and once the download is completed, the file is automatically deleted from download's server. Download will even send you an email notice that the file has been downloaded.

The service is quick and easy to use; the Dropload website is Google-like in its simplicity. It employs the world's easiest account setup: enter your name, email address and password, wait for the confirming email, and you're set. To upload a file, use the simple form to browse your hard drive to select the file, enter the email address of the recipient and type in an optional message to the recipient.

Of course, you'll still have to deal with the generally time-consuming upload process. It took about 8 minutes to upload my 28mb test file. The notice I sent to myself (via a secondary email address) arrived within seconds after the upload completed, and I was able to click on the link in the email message to jump to the download page. Downloading the same file took less than a minute on my cable connection. Again, the download notice email arrived within seconds after the download finished.

Dropload is a great alternative for bypassing ISP limits on email attachments, especially when FTP is not a good option and you don't have time to burn and mail or otherwise deliver a CD. The price is right, too (although they'll gladly accept a donation via PayPal to help defray hosting and bandwidth expenses).