Discover why sending big files to someone across the Internet by e-mail is not as simple as it sounds and how to get around limits forced by most email providers. 😉
How to Email Large Files
Email has been the “in” way of communication in today’s digital age. Aside from the fact that you can send and receive it almost immediately, it also allows you to send files along with your message – a picture, an important piece of work, or a word document. As the internet progresses, you can even send videos and other large files to someone, and this is where things get a little complicated…
Sure you have access to a high speed internet connection, and uploading big files is no problem – but when it comes to sending these big files through email, it is not as simple as it seems. You would still have to deal with something that is not within your reach – file limits imposed by your email service provider. And this is a problem that you might have experienced one way or another. And there is a workaround – and if you read this short article up to the end, you’d discover something to help you with your problem.
The Problem With Large Files
There is nothing wrong with the file you are sending. The only thing that gets between you and your sending of that big file is your email service provider. And as I’ve said earlier, they limit how big a file you can attach and send to someone. This is because they are pretty security conscious about what kind of files get to arrive at their servers and they also don’t want their mail servers to be used as some sort of file storage that is why they limit the size of the file you are allowed to send and you are allowed to receive.
There are other reasons why they limit the size of the file you are allowed to send/receive and it is not why this article is in here – I wrote this to reveal to you some sort of workaround if you are planning to email large files to someone.
How Big is Big?
High resolution video and pictures are the common kinds of files that has big file sizes. The biggest allowed attachment I can email to someone is 10 MB. And although I am allowed to attach files this big, I can’t be sure that the file I sent will be accepted at the receiving end because the recipient’s provider again limits the size of the attachment they are going to accept. 10MB is already a big file size when talking about attachments.
Now when we say large, that would revolve around 150 MB up to 350 MB. Higher than that and you have a really large file! What if you are planning to send large email files like that to someone? Now that is a problem. Unfortunately, you won’t find an email provider that would accept files that large unless…
But I Could Just Send Them Via CD?
Of course you can, and it’s still up to you. But if you do have a very fast internet connection, why not save some time and money by just sending it through email? You could send a 150 MB file using a 512kbps DSL connection in around 1 hour. Less if you have a faster connection.
So How do YOU Email Large Files?
Assuming that you have a file, a really large file that you wish to include in your email, and that you have a fast internet connection here’s what I’d do:
– I’d store that big file online (there are providers offering this service). That way, I can access it whenever I am connected to the Internet.
– After making sure that my file has been stored, I’d get its link that I would then include in my message.
That way, the receiver of my email just clicks on the link and he just downloads the file. This step would require some of your time and if you want to keep it simple, you might just signup to one of those service providers that allows you to send large files to someone. Before you signup, here are a couple tips for you…
Tips on What to Look for if You Plan to Email Large Files
You already have an idea on how to get around the file attachment limits imposed by email service providers by sending your large file to an online storage provider first then including the link to the message you are going to send. Now before you go and try storage providers out there, here are a few tips…
See how much file storage space they are offering you. Check to see if the file you are trying to store fits.
Do they have other tools beside sending files through your web browser? Some providers have a tool that allows you to send files from your computer’s desktop without having to open up a web browser (just like Windows Explorer).
Check if they would accept the type of files you are going to send.
Planning to Start Internet Cafe?
A note on password protection
Some will even offer you to password protect the large file you intend on emailing. When you do this, the recipient of your email can only download the file you sent if he knows the password. Again, this benefit depends on the provider you pick if they support it.
Whatever service provider you pick, you should know that emailing large files is definitely possible. All it takes is a little bit of research and the right tools for the job. Of course, a fast internet connection also helps – a lot. 😀 😀
