Image shows a grid of four columns and eight rows detailing the difference between four common types of file transfer: tftp, ftp, sftp, and scp; across eight data points: transfer protocol, standard port, speed overview, security overview, authentication support, encryption support, and connection orientation.
- TFTP : UDP, port 69, Fast, Less Secure, No Authentication, No Encryption, and Connection-less
- FTP: TCP, port 20, 21, Slow, Less Secure, Authentication, No Encryption, and Connection-oriented
- SFTP: TCP, Port 22, Slow, Secure, Authentication, Encryption, and Connection-oriented
- SCP: TCP, Port 22, Fast, Secure, Authentication, Encryption, and Connection-oriented
Src: Twitter via LinkedIn.
Forgot the one everyone wishes they could forget - FTPS !
Might be worth noting that SCP is non- interactive file transfer only, whereas FTP/SFTP can do interactive sessions and management functions as well.
Pssh, Real techs use uuencode through the terminal to copy files.
I joke, but I’ve resorted to it when I only had a web based console.
Oh man, I haven’t seen uuencode in so long, I basically forgot it existed until I read your comment!
Is tftp used for anything other than booting disk images?
In the last 10+ years I’ve only used TFTP with Cisco network appliances.
I’ll never stop being fascinated by the niches that some tech is able to find.
I’ve only really used it for net boot (https://netboot.xyz/) myself. Maybe OOB back in the day with some iLo shenanigans, but otherwise I stick with rsync.
While that is a very common use case (bootp), I’ve ran across a lot of hardware that use it for config upload and download:
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To upload a config to an industrial grade Garettcom switch you need to use tftp. Same goes for firmware updates and config backups.
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This Cisco phone I was battling with once tried to download a config vea TFTP feom its DHCP server, assuming its DHCP server was part of the SIP infrastructure. The above mechanism was also used successfully by some other proprietary hardware built inhouse for firmware updates.
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Lol i’m pretty sure SFTP, SCP, and rsync are pretty much all the same when it comes to speed. I’ve used all three very frequently, and by both bitrate and total time, only rsync or scp very rarely edges out for single small files.
thanks. its been awhile since I was using them a lot but even years ago it seemed pretty much all the same.
I don’t understand (in this day and age) how any of these protocols have comparable performance difference to need the “Fast”/“Slow” row. None of these protocols would be computationally intensive enough to make a difference in performance, and should be only limited by line speed, no?
Well I know when I’m transferring firmware to a Cisco switch/router. TFTP is by far the slowest.
No nc?
Tftp is only fast when latency is low. It send only one block at the time, and only on request.
