A Note From The Wizard Mithrandir.   My standard disclaimer! File Transfer Protocol A protocol is a set of agreed upon rules or steps (the process) for undertaking a task - for doing something! File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is the primary process used for transfering files over the Internet. When referring to computers and the Internet, a client is software (a program) that you use on your computer to interact with similar or compatible software on another computer connected across a local area network (LAN) or over the Internet. The program or process at the other end of this connection is usually called a server. An FTP client is the software program you will use to transfer files to and from your computer. Often this is done when sending files to a hosting site or uploading your new web page to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) storage space. There are many different FTP clients available (see sidebar for some examples). The one I use most often is WS_FTP Professional, the big brother of WS_FTP LE, perhaps more from habit than anything else. It is a very good program and I've used it successfully for many years. There are several newer clients available as well, some with more 'Windows' looks for those he need that 'comfortable' feeling. Which ever one you choose, a good FTP client makes transferring files easy. It's a good idea to try a few, pick one you like, and learn how to use it by practicing transferring several files. To use your FTP client you must be connecting to a computer that is running an FTP server. You cannot just connect to any computer just because you have the client software. The client and server work together to make the file tranfer process possible. For example, not all file hosting services support FTP file transfers. Configuring your FTP client is usually pretty easy but it may be different than anything you have used before so you will need to look carefully. You will need a few pieces of information. Here is the setup/connection screen from WS_FTP LE: Five items marked in this screen include: Profil Name: this is for your reference and is whatever you want to call the site you are connecting too. Making it relevant is just common sense. Host Name/Address: this is the actual Internet domain name or IP address of the site you want to connect to. You will need to get this information from the tech support people at the site. Host Type: this is the kind of server you are connecting to and is usually the name of the operating system running on the server, like Windows NT or UNIX, etc. Good FTP programs are usually able to figure this out on their own when you select "Automatic detect" as shown here. User ID: this is the user name or ID code assigned to you by the server administration. Often it is your e-mail address or your domain name or the name assigned to the directory or folder that makes your point of connection to the server. Again, you must get this from the tech support people at the site. Note: Annonymous or general public access is available on many sites that offer files for download. You use the word "annonymous" for your user ID and your e-mail address for your password. Password: along with your user ID, the tech support people at the server will assign you a password to control your access. This is the information you will require for most FTP programs. There are other file transfer methods that don't use FTP, but having a good FTP client and learning how to use it is a very practical thing. You will find many places that you can download (bring to your computer) or upload (send to another computer) files using FTP. [ back to main ] Copyright © 2002 by Stephen B. Henry

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