Three Ways to Share Large Files

Large attachments tend to wreak havoc with mail servers, many of which balk at anything larger than 5MB. So what happens when you need to send a big file or batch of files to, say, a client or co-worker? Here are three free and easy solutions:

• Gmail - The beloved Webmail service recently doubled its maximum attachment size to 20MB from 10MB. Of course, unless you're sending the attachment to another Gmail user (or a similar mail service that supports large attachments), the recipient's mail server may reject the big file. What's more, Gmail won't let you attach executables, so it's not ideal for sending software.
• AllPeers - Firefox users need look no further than AllPeers, which enables simple peer-to-peer file sharing with other users. There's no file-size limit, and transfers are protected using SSL encryption. Just one catch: The recipient(s) must install and run AllPeers too. That's okay for co-workers, but you probably wouldn't want to make customers jump through such hoops.
• YouSendIt - This file-sharing service couldn't be simpler. Just enter the recipient's e-mail address, select your file, and click Send It. After the file gets uploaded to YouSendIt's servers (where it stays for up to seven days), the recipient gets an e-mail containing a link for downloading the file. Without so much as registering, you can send files as large as 100MB. Paid accounts start at $4.95/month for files up to 2GB. Of course, you could also try GigaSize: Their free account supports files as large as 1.5GB.