Transfer Large Files via Private Network

Transfer Large Files via Private Network | Generated by AI

Home 2026.04

Transferring a 60GB file between DigitalOcean Droplets using the internal 10.xx network is an excellent way to move data quickly and for free, as private network traffic does not count against your bandwidth allowance.

Here is a step-by-step guide to get this done.

✅ Step 1: Ensure Your Droplets Are in the Same Region

The private 10.xx network is only accessible between Droplets located in the same datacenter region. Verify your Droplets’ locations in the DigitalOcean Control Panel before proceeding.

✅ Step 2: Verify Private Network Interfaces

Standard Droplets: Use interface eth1 for private networking.
Multi-Node GPU Droplets: Use the high-speed fabric NICs eth2 through eth9 for optimal performance.
For Kubernetes (DOKS): The high-speed fabric is exposed as fabric0 through fabric7.

Run the following command on each Droplet to confirm the private IP address (look for the 10.xx.xx.xx range):

ip -br addr

✅ Step 3: Transfer the File

The fastest method for a one-time transfer is using scp (Secure Copy Protocol) over the private interface.

Find the Private IP of the Destination Droplet
- You can find it in the DigitalOcean Control Panel under the Droplet’s “Settings” or by running ip -br addr on the Droplet itself.
Run the SCP Command On the source Droplet, use the following command to transfer your file. Replace the placeholders with your actual details.
```
scp -r /path/to/your/source/file root@<destination_private_ip>:/path/to/destination/
```
Example:
```
scp -r /root/my-large-file.img root@10.100.0.5:/root/
```

💡 Important Considerations for 60GB Files

Use screen or tmux: A 60GB transfer can take time. Run your transfer inside a terminal multiplexer like screen or tmux to prevent it from stopping if your SSH session disconnects.
Set Up SSH Keys: To avoid being prompted for a password during the transfer, set up SSH key authentication between the Droplets. You can use ssh-copy-id to easily copy your public key.
```
  ssh-copy-id root@<destination_private_ip>
```
Compress on the Fly: If your file is not already compressed, you can compress it during transfer to save time. However, this uses CPU on both servers.
```
  tar czf - /path/to/source-directory | ssh user@<private-ip> "tar xzf - -C /path/to/destination"
```
Alternative Tool: For even faster transfers, especially for very large files, consider using rsync over the private IP. It supports resuming interrupted transfers.
```
  rsync -avz --progress /path/to/large-file user@<private-ip>:/destination/
```

🖥️ Multi-Node GPU Droplet-Specific Notes

If you are transferring data to or between multi-node GPU Droplets (like H100 or MI300X), remember:

The high-speed fabric (interfaces eth2 to eth9) is designed for GPU-to-GPU communication (e.g., for NCCL/RCCL). For a standard file copy using scp or rsync, the operating system will typically use the main private interface (eth1).
To use the high-speed fabric for your data transfer, you would need specialized tools that can bind to specific network interfaces, which is unnecessary for a simple file copy. The standard private network (eth1) provides up to 25 Gbps bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for a 60GB file.

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