After using WS_FTP for years, I decided that I ought to see the light and start using something different. WS_FTP was just so simple, small, and slow. I wanted something that was easier to use and could support pausing downloads. I’ve tried every FTP client under the sun, including FTP Voyagers younger cousin, FTP Commander. I liked most of them, but I wasn’t about to shell out the money for them, so I decided to try out FTP Voyager. I downloaded it and it was nothing like FTP Commander. It has numerous panes and a Window’s like interface (I like that).

FTP Voyager has six panes of windows. The servers file structure and files, your file structure and files, and a download queue and a window for hearing the servers responses (README files, etc.). All of the windows are easy to navigate through. It also has a large toolbar filled with colorful buttons. The ones that are most prominent are the Back, Forward, Up one level, Download, Connect, and Quick Connect.

This brings me to my next point, if you click the Connect button then FTP Voyager pops up a windows with at least one hundred already entered servers. If you want to go to a popular server (let’s say the Linux Documentation Project server), it already has an entry. It also has links to resources, programming tools, and even magazine’s FTP sites (if you dig, sometimes you can find the actual articles or even entire magazines in PDF format). This is something that everybody must look into when then first open the product.

Another thing about FTP Voyager is that it’s laden with features. For example, since most servers close after a minute or two of inactivity, Voyager will use the REST (Windows servers) or NOOP (Unix/Linux servers) to keep up the connection. Another thing that it does is resume downloads (with the server’s permission). If the server supports resumed downloads, then when Voyager first FTP’s into the site, then in that little command box you’ll see it say “Resume Supported”. For the more advanced users, if you want you can enter your own server commands (PWD, or even use it as a Telnet client with the appropriate permissions).

I’d recommend FTP Voyager to anyone who needs an FTP client, and it’s free (or at least it hasn’t bugged me about paying for it yet, which is a good think onto itself). Go out and download a copy for yourself at www.RhinoSoft.com!

Recommended: Yes