Sometimes, or perhaps many times, … ok let’s be totally honest here, most of the time, IT professionals take for granted that many of the issues we deal with on a daily basis are common knowledge and/or common sense. We have gotten so used to operating computers that we forgot how it was the first time we were faced with some of those challenges and now believe those tasks are among the easiest to carry out. Or at least the easiest to understand.
But that’s hardly the case and you are constantly reminded when dealing with the general public. Even though here at RackNine we have a clientele that in general could be termed as technically-savvy or at least with a knowledge that is above the average computer user, on some occasions they get lost on some basic concepts such as how File Transfer Protocol (FTP) works, which is one of our most frequently asked questions at our support department.
As its name implies FTP is a network protocol used to transfer files, mostly over TCP-based networks such as the Internet, and is how most of our clients upload their files to their websites. The client side involves a very simple piece of software that usually involves just two windows, one for your local computer and the other for the remote server where the files will be transferred so they can be seen online by anyone connected to the Internet.
That remote computer is the server housing your hosting account. You will use an FTP client to move your website’s files from your computer to your hosting account, making your files visible on the internet whenever someone visits your domain name.
Some popular free FTP clients are
- FileZilla
Our recommended choice. Simple interface yet very powerful functionality. Runs on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, BSD and more. - FireFTP
A Mozilla Firefox add-on that provides simple and intuitive access to FTP/SFTP servers from within the browser. - WinSCP
Open source SFTP client, SCP client, FTPS client and FTP client for Windows. WinSCP also offers scripting and basic file manager functionality. - Cyberduck
FTP, SFTP and WebDAV client originally for Macintosh, now also offers a Windows version.
Every FTP client works differently, but you will find that all of them have the following settings needed to connect to your hosting account:
- Host Name
- This is your primary hosted domain name, or your hosting account IP address.
- FTP User Name
- Your hosting account user name.( Where’s my user name? )
- FTP Password
- Your hosting account password.( I forgot my password. )
- Website URL
- Your site’s URL (e.g. http://www.example.com).
- FTP Site URL
- Your FTP server’s URL (e.g. ftp://www.example.com).
- Start Directory
- RackNine’s hosting services do not require a “Home” or “Start” directory, so leave the field blank. If the client requires a value, enter a single forward slash followed by your hosting account user name (i.e., /).
For additional information about configuring specific FTP clients, see the following articles
- Using the FTP File Manager
Uploading Files Using the FTP File Manager.
- Using FileZilla (Recommended)
Connecting to Your Hosting Account with FileZilla (FTP).
- Using a third party application (website software or FTP client)
Third-Party Website Creation and FTP Documentation for Your Shared Hosting Account.
NOTE:
Even though we provide information about how to use certain third-party products as a courtesy, we do not endorse or directly support third-party products and we are not responsible for the functionality or reliability of such products. Third-party marks and logos are registered trademarks of their respective owners and all rights are reserved.
