Transferring Large Files via SFTP (WinSCP & FileZilla)

Why use SFTP instead of the web file manager?

The web panel file manager is great for small stuff — edit server.properties, upload a 50 MB mod jar, quickly grab a log file. As soon as things get really big (world archives, backup folders, full modpacks with 10 GB of textures), the browser hits its limits:

• Browser uploads often break when your internet connection blips
• The web panel has a per-file upload limit (typically 1-2 GB)
• A browser tab can’t hold a 3-hour upload open without problems
• Uploading many files at once is sluggish in the browser

That’s where SFTP comes in. SFTP is essentially “file sync over the internet” — directly from your PC to your server, with:

• Stable uploads and downloads, even for 10 GB+ files
• Auto-resume: if the connection drops, it picks up exactly where it left off
• Parallel transfers for entire folders
• End-to-end encrypted over SSH — nothing can be read in transit between your PC and the server (as long as neither endpoint is itself compromised)

The two best programs are WinSCP (Windows, great for beginners) and FileZilla (Windows, macOS, Linux). Both are free.

Where do I find my SFTP credentials?

At RespawnHost the credentials are right inside the panel:

1. Open panel.respawnhost.com
2. Pick the server you want to access
3. On the Overview page, right sidebar, you’ll find the SFTP Access block
4. Note down:
   • Host (looks like fra-01.respawnhost.com)
   • Port (always 2022, not the default port 22)
   • Username (with your server suffix, e.g. max.mustermann.a1b2c3d4)
   • Password (click the eye icon to reveal)

Important: The port is 2022, not 22. Wrong port gives you “Connection refused”. We use a non-standard port because port 22 is constantly scanned by bots worldwide for login attempts — a custom port cuts the brute-force noise significantly.

If you lost your password, you can reset it from the panel via Rotate SFTP password — the old one is invalidated instantly.

Option 1: WinSCP (recommended for Windows beginners)

WinSCP has two panes side by side: your PC on the left, your server on the right. You drag files between them — you can’t get more visual than that.

Install WinSCP

1. Download WinSCP from winscp.net (official site — avoid shady mirrors!)
2. Pick the Installer (not Portable if you’re new to this)
3. Accept the default install options
4. On first launch, WinSCP asks Commander vs. Explorer layout. Commander is better for big transfers since you see both sides. In newer WinSCP versions this prompt is slightly hidden — if you missed it, switch later via Options → Preferences → Environment → Interface.

Set up the server connection

The login dialog opens on first launch. If not: click New Session.

1. File protocol: SFTP (not FTP, not FTPS!)
2. Host name: host from the panel, e.g. fra-01.respawnhost.com
3. Port number: 2022
4. User name: your SFTP user from the panel
5. Password: your SFTP password
6. Click Save and give it a name like “My Minecraft Server” so you can just double-click the saved session next time
7. Login

On first connect WinSCP asks about the server fingerprint. Click Yes — that’s normal, it just confirms you trust this server initially.

Upload and download files

You now see two columns:

• Left = your PC (defaults to Documents)
• Right = your server (usually drops you into /, the server root)

Navigate on the right side to the right folder — e.g. /world for a Minecraft world or /backups for backups. On the left side go to where the file lives on your PC.

Then grab with the mouse and drag:

• Left to right = upload (from your PC to the server)
• Right to left = download (from server to your PC)

You can drag entire folders with all their contents.

What to do with 10 GB+ files

For huge files, a few settings help keep the upload stable across hours:

1. Options → Preferences → Transfer → Background → set “Maximum number of concurrent transfers” to 4. That makes WinSCP move multiple files from a folder in parallel.
2. Options → Preferences → Connection → “Keep session alive” to 60 seconds. Stops the server from dropping an “idle” connection mid-transfer.
3. During transfer: WinSCP shows progress and ETA at the bottom. You can close your laptop lid — just make sure your power settings keep WiFi alive on battery.
4. If it does break: WinSCP automatically offers Resume. Confirm it — it checks the file and only transfers the missing tail.

Tip for very large worlds: Pack the world into a .zip on your PC first (Windows built-in: right-click → Send to → Compressed (zipped) folder). A single 10 GB archive transfers way faster than 50 000 small chunk files individually.

Option 2: FileZilla (Windows, macOS, Linux)

FileZilla works the same way as WinSCP — two columns, drag-and-drop — but is also available for Mac and Linux users.

Install FileZilla

1. Download FileZilla Client (not Server!) from filezilla-project.org — make sure to grab the official download, some mirrors bundle adware
2. Install with default settings
3. Dismiss the update prompt on first start

Set up the server connection

1. Top left: open File → Site Manager
2. Click New Site, give it a name like “RespawnHost Minecraft”
3. Right side in the tabs:
   • Protocol: SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol
   • Host: your host from the panel, e.g. fra-01.respawnhost.com
   • Port: 2022
   • Logon Type: Ask for password (more secure) or Normal (password saved)
   • User: your SFTP user
   • (with Normal) Password: your SFTP password
4. Click Connect

On first connect FileZilla asks about the server key — confirm.

Transfer files

Same as WinSCP: left is your PC, right is the server. Drag-and-drop both ways. Double-clicking a file automatically uploads or downloads it to the other side.

Tune FileZilla for large files

1. Edit → Settings → Transfers → set “Maximum simultaneous transfers” to 4
2. Edit → Settings → Connection → FTP → FTP Keep-Alive → enable “Send FTP keep-alive commands”. The option lives under the FTP section but also applies to SFTP sessions.
3. Edit → Settings → Transfers → File exists action → set “Uploads” to Resume. Resume is now on most of the time.

Note on resume: FileZilla checks the file size when resuming. If the local and server sizes don’t line up (e.g. because the break happened mid-block), FileZilla re-uploads the file from scratch to be safe instead of splicing. Good enough for most breaks; in rare cases you’ll have to restart the upload manually.

If an upload breaks mid-transfer: just restart it, FileZilla detects the existing file and continues where it stopped.

Common issues and fixes

”Connection refused”

Most likely the wrong port. It must be 2022, not 22. If that’s correct, check the server is up — SFTP works on a stopped server too, but not on an archived (long-unused) one.

”Authentication failed” or “Wrong password”

Re-copy the username and password from the panel (you might have grabbed a stray space). If still no luck: in the panel hit Rotate SFTP password, copy the new one, reconnect.

Upload breaks after a few GB

Almost always WiFi. If possible: switch to wired ethernet during the upload. If not: enable Resume in WinSCP/FileZilla (see above) and just restart — it picks up where it left off.

Upload is super slow

Check your upload bandwidth (not download!) at speedtest.net. Many home connections are asymmetric, e.g. 200 Mbit down / 50 Mbit up. At 50 Mbit upload a 10 GB file realistically takes 30-40 minutes with protocol overhead — that’s your line, not the server.

Files upload but the game doesn’t see them

You probably uploaded into the wrong folder. A Minecraft world for example has to sit in /world/, not /uploads/. Check the per-game wiki section for the correct path.

”Permission denied” on upload

Folder is owned by another user. At RespawnHost this normally doesn’t happen — if it does, raise a ticket with Support and we reset the permissions.

When is what worth it?

Task	Best practice
Edit one .yml file	Web file manager
Upload a plugin jar (50 MB)	Web panel or SFTP, both fine
Install a full modpack (500 MB+)	SFTP
Upload a singleplayer world to the server	SFTP, zip it first
Download a full backup (10 GB+)	SFTP, with Resume on
Hundreds of small mod files	SFTP — parallel transfers help a lot
Compare config across servers	WinSCP’s “Compare” feature

Bottom line

SFTP sounds scary at first but is super pleasant once you’ve set it up. Especially if you work with large worlds, modpacks, or regular backups, SFTP saves you time every day.

Recommendation:

• Windows beginners: WinSCP
• macOS/Linux or anyone who wants the same tool everywhere: FileZilla

Both are free and have been actively maintained for 20+ years. Invest the 10 minutes once for setup — your first 10 GB upload will thank you.