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This article lists communication protocols that are designed for file transfer over a telecommunications network.
Protocols for shared file systems—such as 9P and the Network File System—are beyond the scope of this article, as are file synchronization protocols.
Protocols for packet-switched networks
A packet-switched network transmits data that is divided into units called packets. A packet comprises a header (which describes the packet) and a payload (the data). The Internet is a packet-switched network, and most of the protocols in this list are designed for its protocol stack, the IP protocol suite.
They use one of two transport layer protocols: the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). In the tables below, the "Transport" column indicates which protocol(s) the transfer protocol uses at the transport layer. Some protocols designed to transmit data over UDP also use a TCP port for oversight.
The "Server port" column indicates the port from which the server transmits data. In the case of FTP, this port differs from the listening port. Some protocols—including FTP, FTP Secure, FASP, and Tsunami—listen on a "control port" or "command port", at which they receive commands from the client.
Similarly, the encryption scheme indicated in the "Encryption" column applies to transmitted data only, and not to the authentication system.
Overview
Features
The "Managed" column indicates whether the protocol is designed for managed file transfer (MFT). MFT protocols prioritise secure transmission in industrial applications that require such features as auditable transaction records, monitoring, and end-to-end data security. Such protocols may be preferred for electronic data interchange.[38]
- ^ TLS when BITS is used with HTTPS, AES-128 when used with SMB 3, none with HTTP or SMB version below 3.0
- ^ Some implementations can obfuscate traffic using RC4 et al. See BitTorrent protocol encryption.
- ^ RFC 6726 suggests IPSec as one option.
- ^ One implementation, Fujitsu openFT, applies AES.
- ^ RFC 1123 (1989) extends and corrects the provisions for restart/resume that were published in RFC 959 (1985). RFC 3659 (2007) provides for resuming in stream mode.
- ^ It's recommended to use HTTPS provided by a webserver, proxy, or SSL terminator.
- ^ These are the options in the reference implementation, which uses OpenSSL.
- ^ The BNU implementation of UUCP can resume an interrupted file transfer.
Ports
In the table below, the data port is the network port or range of ports through which the protocol transmits file data. The control port is the port used for the dialogue of commands and status updates between client and server.
The column "Assigned by IANA" indicates whether the port is listed in the Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry, which is curated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). IANA devotes each port number in the registry to a specific service with a specific transport protocol. The table below lists the transport protocol in the "Transport" column.