What is FTP?
FTP (File Transfer
Protocol) is the simplest and most secure way to exchange files over
the Internet. Whether you know it or not, you most likely
use FTP all the time.
The most common use for FTP is to download
files from the Internet. Because of this, FTP is the backbone of
the MP3 music craze, and vital to most
online auction and game enthusiasts. In addition, the ability to
transfer files back-and-forth makes FTP essential for anyone creating
a Web page, amateurs and professionals alike.
When downloading a file from
the Internet you're actually transferring the file to your
computer from another computer over the Internet. This is why
the T (transfer) is in FTP. You may not know where the computer is
that the file is coming from but you most likely know it's URL
or Internet address.
An FTP address looks a lot like an HTTP,
or Website, address except it uses the prefix ftp:// instead of
http://.
Most often, a computer with an FTP
address is dedicated to receive an FTP connection. Just as a
computer that is setup to host Web pages is referred to as a Web
server or Website, a computer dedicated to receiving an FTP
connection is referred to as an FTP server or FTP site.
What is an
FTP Site?
An FTP site is like a
large filing cabinet. With a traditional filing cabinet, the
person who does the filing has the option to label and organize the
files how ever they see fit. They also decide which files to
keep locked and which remain public. It is the same with an FTP
site.
The virtual 'key' to get into an FTP
site is the UserID and Password. If
the creator of the FTP site is willing to give everyone access to the
files, the UserID is 'anonymous' and the Password is
your e-mail address (e.g. name@domain.com). If the FTP site is not
public, there will be a unique UserID and Password for
each person who is granted access.
When connecting to an FTP site that
allows anonymous logins, you're frequently not prompted for a
name and password. Hence, when downloading from the
Internet, you most likely are using an anonymous FTP login and you
don't even know it.
To make an FTP connection you can
use a standard Web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc.) or a
dedicated FTP software program, referred to as an FTP 'Client'.
When using a Web browser for an FTP
connection, FTP uploads are difficult, or sometimes impossible, and
downloads are not protected (not recommended for uploading or
downloading large files).
When connecting with an FTP Client,
uploads and downloads couldn't be easier, and you have added security
and additional features. For one, you're able to to resume
a download that did not successfully finish, which is a very nice
feature for people using dial-up connections who frequently loose
their Internet connection.
What is an
FTP Client?
An FTP Client is
software that is designed to transfer files back-and-forth between two
computers over the Internet. It needs to be installed on your
computer and can only be used with a live connection to the Internet.
The classic FTP Client look is a
two-pane design. The pane on the left displays the files on your
computer and the pane on the right displays the files on the remote
computer.
File transfers are as easy as
dragging-and-dropping files from one pane to the other or by
highlighting a file and clicking one of the direction arrows located
between the panes.
Additional features of the FTP
Client include: multiple file transfer; the auto re-get or resuming
feature; a queuing utility; the scheduling feature; an FTP find
utility; a synchronize utility; and for the advanced user, a scripting
utility.