"Uploading and downloading" redirects here. For the downloading operation, see Download.
For other uses, see Upload (disambiguation).
For the inverse operation, see Download.
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In computer networks, to upload can refer to the sending of data from a local system to a remote system such as a server or another client with the intent that the remote system should store a copy of the data being transferred, or the initiation of such a process.
Remote upload
When there is a transfer of data from a remote system to another remote system, the process is called "remote uploading". This is used by some online file hosting services. Remote uploading is also used in situations where the computers that need to share data are located on a distant high-speed LAN, and the remote control is being performed using a comparatively slow dial-up modem connection.
For example:
The user remotely accesses a file hosting service at MyRemoteHost.
The user finds a public file at PublicRemoteHost and wants to keep a copy in their MyRemoteHost.
To have it done they "remote upload" the file from PublicRemoteHost to MyRemoteHost.
None of the hosts are located on the user's local network.
Without remote uploading functionality, the user would be required to download the file first to their local host and then upload it to the remote file hosting server.
Where the connection to the remote computers is via a dial-up connection, the transfer time required to download locally and then upload again could increase from seconds to hours or days.