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Big is beautiful. But big will kill your inbox. If you have to send a large file don't e-mail it. Read our guide to Box.net and share larger than life files without killing a thing. Except maybe an old habit.

Don't e-mail

Even communication wondertool, email, has its limitations. Some providers set a limit on the size of files that you can send. Using a free online storage service Box.net is a way to overcome this.

Shrink your files

That's not to say that you shouldn't try and make your files a bit smaller. After all, though Box.net will host your files rather than push them to a recipient, they will still ultimately need to be downloaded. Our guide to making your Office files more portable is a good start.

Register for box.net

Registering for Box.net is easy and there are three pricing plans to choose from: Basic is free and includes 1GB of storage; Premium is $49.99 per year and includes 5GB; and Pro is $99.99 per year and includes 15GB. (The latter two plans include additional features, such as sub accounts and blog posting.)

Share your files

Once you've registered you can upload files from your computer to your box.net account. For those files or folders that you wish to share, simply select 'Public Share' from the item's context menu. You'll then be provided with a unique web address that you can share via e-mail, the advantage being that the recipient receives only a link to a download rather than a large file, clogging up their inbox.

Find a better excuse!

With your vital files uploaded to your box.net account you can access them from any computer. So, whether you're working from home, hot-desking at the office, or checking in at an Internet cafe this summer, you've no excuse!

Author: San Sharma