Specialized Tools — TFTP and SCP

Introduction

In addition to “heavyweights” like SFTP, there are simpler, narrow-purpose protocols. They aren’t meant for everyday file sharing, but are indispensable in their niches. In this article, we’ll look at two such tools: TFTP and SCP.

TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) — maximum simplicity

As the name suggests, TFTP is a “trivial” or simplified version of FTP. Its main goal is to be as lightweight and easy to implement as possible.

Key features of TFTP

• Runs on UDP: unlike FTP/SFTP, which use TCP, TFTP relies on UDP. This makes it fast, but unreliable for transferring files over the internet.
• No authentication: there’s no login or password. Anyone who knows the server’s address can request a file.
• No navigation: you cannot browse file lists — you must know the exact filename in advance.

Where is TFTP used?

• Firmware updates: networking equipment (routers, switches) often update software via TFTP.
• Network booting of OS: diskless workstations receive OS images through PXE + TFTP.
• Configuration storage: network engineers use TFTP for backing up and restoring device configurations.

⚠️ Conclusion: TFTP is useful in local networks under administrator control, but using it on the internet poses a huge security risk.

SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) — secure one-touch copying

Like SFTP, SCP works on top of the SSH protocol. Essentially, it’s a command-line tool for securely copying files between computers.

How does SCP work?

SCP uses SSH for authentication and encryption. Its syntax is very similar to the cp command in Linux, but with a remote host specified.

Copying a file from local machine to server

scp /path/to/local/file.txt user@remote_host:/path/to/remote/directory/

Copying a file from server to local machine

scp user@remote_host:/path/to/remote/file.txt /path/to/local/directory/

SCP vs. SFTP

Although both rely on SSH, their purposes differ:

• SCP — a non-interactive tool for quick file transfers. Perfect for scripts and automation.
• SFTP — an interactive protocol. A client (e.g., FileZilla) allows browsing directories, renaming, and deleting files like in a file manager.

⚡ Conclusion: If you need to quickly and securely copy a file from one server to another via the command line — use SCP. If you need full file management — go with SFTP.

Resources

• RFC 1350 — The TFTP Protocol
• scp — OpenSSH documentation