Super-Networking Blog

I have been looking far and wide for a good free file transfer program (not FTP, different protocol) for Amazon S3. S3 only has an API not an interface for you to upload your files. Since I am not a developer and can’t make a program to use their API I need to find one. Free is the best.

I have played with quite a few and it seems like most of them out there are either really fast transfers with the worst interface you have ever used. Either that or the interface is great and the transfers are dog slow. The other class of programs I have been finding are backup programs; I don’t want to just make backups I want to be able to pick and choose what I put up there and change rights.

I finally found what I was looking for, a product called Sissle. This program has a blazing fast transfer, a great user interface and all the features you could want for basic transfers. You can setup your ACLs, it supports file structures, it functions basically like a FTP program just using Amazon’s API.

I just started using it this morning so if I find any major problems I will update this post. So far it is great!

It is really getting interesting on the bandwidth structures available to web based companies now. Amazon’s S3 service is lowering their prices even more than before, they were cheap at $0.20/GB transfer. It is getting to the point where even with a screaming deal on an unlmited transfer plan with a capped Mbps transfer you might want to make the switch.

With some plans you can get unlimited transfer but you can say use 100Mbps at any one time for a flat monthly rate. This can seem like a good deal when you are doing a lot of constant trasfer where you aren’t going to go over the 100Mbps and are just doing a lot of data. The thing is you are capped for high traffic times and no matter if your traffic goes up, stays the same, or goes down you are getting charged the same amount. So when you are doing 90Mbps everyday it is a good deal but when you are doing 10Mbps it becomes a waste of money.

So you look at an option based on GB transfer and they will charge you monthly depending on how my transfer you do. Benefit here if your traffic goes up, hopefully are making more money, the bill goes up but if your traffic goes way down so will the bill. You aren’t tieing yourself to a flat rate you might not be using. The thing in the past was that with GB transfer costs of $1.50/GB, that you find with some CDN networks and a more average $0.50/GB, you are just coming out a lot higher on the cost than with the flat rate. Now with Amazon’s less than $0.20/GB you need to relook at your contracts. Might be time to make the switch.

There are pricing changes coming to Amazon’s S3 service. I know most of the time you think price change, oh no I guess they are going up. Not in this case.

Current bandwidth price (through May 31, 2007) $0.20 / GB - uploaded $0.20 / GB - downloaded New bandwidth price (effective June 1, 2007) $0.10 per GB - all data uploaded

$0.18 per GB - first 10 TB / month data downloaded

$0.16 per GB - next 40 TB / month data downloaded

$0.13 per GB - data downloaded / month over 50 TB Data transferred between Amazon S3 and Amazon EC2 will remain free of charge New request-based price (effective June 1, 2007)

$0.01 per 1,000 PUT or LIST requests

$0.01 per 10,000 GET and all other requests*

* No charge for delete requests

Storage will continue to be charged at $0.15 / GB-month used.

The end result is an overall price reduction for the vast majority of our customers. If this new pricing had been applied to customers� March 2007 usage, 75% of Amazon S3 customers would have seen their bill decrease, while an additional 11% would have seen an increase of less than 10%. Only 14% of customers would have experienced an increase of greater than 10%.

Thanks to Jeff for the info.

Here is an older post of mine on Amazon S3’s service.