Capsula

Transferring large amounts of data over the Internet can be much easier with a file sharing service, but in most cases you have to trust a third party with your data, which is particularly uncomfortable when it comes to sensitive information. Capsula gives you the possibility of setting up your own file sharing network. You can host files on your own computer and allow other people to download them from anywhere, with or without a user account.

You can try Capsula free of charge for 30 days, without encountering any functionality restrictions. The software is cross-platforms, so you can use it on different operating systems, like Windows, Mac OS X or Linux and on Android and iOS mobile devices. Installing Capsula is a straightforward operation, which should not take more than a minute, even on older machines.

The software has to be installed only once, on a Windows-powered computer, to have the file sharing network up and running. Capsula provides a web based user interface, which can be accessed on Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. It consists of several tabs, on which you can upload and share files, manage them or make a few configurations. As long as the computer on which you install Capsula is running, you and other users can connect to this interface, through user accounts.

With a standard account, users can upload one or more files, by targeting them with a standard browsing option or by simply dragging and dropping the files over the web interface. Also, when uploading files, you can decide to share them with other users from the same network, to make them private or public. Once the files are uploaded, Capsula will automatically generate a share link, which can be sent to contacts. If the files are shared on the network, other users can find them on a dashboard. Public files can be downloaded by anyone, without logging into an account, while private files can be downloaded only after logging into an account.

When you launch Capsula for the first time, you will have to create an account and make a series of initial configurations. You can specify your own server URL or let the software generate one for you, set a default port, enable or disable a strict password policy, specify the SMTP settings for your preferred mail service and more. What's more, you can impose a few restrictions for people who use your server, like setting a maximum file size, a maximum disk quota for each user or disallowing files with certain extensions. Of course, these configurations can be made only with an administrator's account.

User accounts can be created on the same web interface, by administrators. All you have to do is type in a username, password, email address and other details and click a Save button. Users can log into their new accounts right away, without having to wait for a confirmation email. They can also change their passwords, use avatars, different themes and more.