Rumpus: Easy Secure File Transfer Server

If you are looking for a secure, sharable fileserver without handing your data to a cloud service, Rumpus is worth a look. It can turn any Mac or Windows PC into a proper file tserver that you control, without needing Sysadmin qualifications to get up an running. I’m a longtime fan of self-hosted apps like this, (shocker) mostly because when you have an issue you can actually talk to the people who built it, plus it is always better to keep your personal and business files local and not in a cloud host someplace.

Rumpus gives you FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, and a browser-based file manager in one package. Clients, coworkers, or partners can upload and download files securely using standard tools or just a web browser, no cloud silos, no mystery sync issues.

It’s subscription-licensed, but there’s a fully functional trial, so you can see if it fits before spending anything. During the trial and the first year after purchase, real support is included. That matters when you’re self-hosting and want answers instead one these ridiculous ChatBots.

Running Rumpus Locally Is the Easy Part

For a home office, small business, or NAS-style setup, Rumpus is almost boring to set up for someone with a bit of networking knowledge, and that’s a compliment. Install it on a Mac or PC, run the setup assistant, point it at a folder, and you’re live on your local network. I’ve seen this used for everything from shared design files to a private drop zone for accounting documents, all running on a local IP no to many headaches.

User management stays inside Rumpus. You don’t have to mess with system accounts or policies. You can set quotas, permissions, bandwidth limits, and activity logging from the built-in admin console. Performance is solid too since it runs natively without Java or other bloated dependencies slowing things down. On a local network, it feels local.

You can set up all sort of rules, logging and folder sets to meet you needs. But I especially like the Event notices where you can set up triggers to email you if there is somethign that you have defined as suspicious.

External Access Takes Some Know-How, But the Guides Help

Setting up Rumpus local is super fast. Literally a couple of minutes. The hardest part is once you walk though the Rumpus setup is opening a firewall port. If you run defender firewall, just go to Incoming rules >> New Rule >> PORT >> Click TCP and put in the port number you entered into the Rumpus setup. In this case we used port 8000. Thats it you now have a self hosted NAS. Give yourself a high five.

Pro tip: Unless you have security certificate hanging around to install into Rumpus - and you probably don’t - you access the sever with http:// not https:// That tripped us up at first.

Exposing any server to the internet means you need to think about firewalls, ports, and security at a higher level and Rumpus doesn’t just ignore that truth. You need to take that seriously. But that said, basic setup isn’t too hard. You just need to follow the program and have a bit of knowledge to configure things safely. The good news is that Maxum’s “Get Connected” guides can alk you through external access step by step.

What We Like

●Runs as a self-hosted server on your Mac or Windows machine with full control. ●Supports all major secure transfer protocols, FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and WebDAV. ●Web File Manager lets non-technical users upload or download in a browser. ●Setup assistant gets you running fast without editing config files by hand. ●Actual professional support included with the trial and first year.

What You May Not Like

●This isn’t a one-click consumer cloud service, you’re responsible for your network and security. ●Subscription licensing may feel steep for very light or occasional use. ●Advanced security setups have a learning curve if you’re new to servers.

Geek Verdict

Rumpus is for people who want control, reliability, and flexibility with their file management without sharing private documents in cloud accounts. It’s serious file transfer software and scales from a simple local office setup to secure external access if you’re willing to learn a bit. Not flashy, not dumbed down, just solid self-hosted infrastructure in a software package that is probably the easiest to use in it’s class. The software is top notch but the price means its meant for people who use file sharing on the daily.

If you get stuck, drop by the MajorGeeks forums, someone there will sure to help.