Whether it’s just a simple page, a file server, a MySql database, an ftp file tree, or even php and perl, you can do it for free. And, from you own computer. Even better, you can set up multiple users. There are two programs I use for file serving. The first is HFS. It is very small, and less than a megabyte in size. This is the one I primarily use to upload and download files when I am away from my computer. You can even set up multiple folders and users. The configuration, overall, is simple. There are, however, a few issues with ports you may face. You must, in order to be able to access it from the internet (not the intranet), be able open the corresponding port on your router (portforward.com). You must then set HFS to the port you opened, and then do a test connection inside of the program itself. If it gives you an okay, you should be able to see your computer on the internet, provided you have a domain name registered, or just an IP address. Once you get that up, setting up HFS for extra users is a snap. Another program I have is called BRS Webweaver, which also takes very little memory. However, it is more complicated, and may be the subject of a later post.

Screenshot of HFS (served to a client):