Beginning: Introduction to FTP

Managing a web site can be a difficult task. If you are an active webmaster, you may need to access your web pages on a daily basis. FTP enables you to access and manage your files quickly and easily, especially if you have a large number of files on your site.

Getting Started:

What is FTP?
Why Use FTP?
Free FTP Programs
Use Our FTP Tutorial

What is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. The main purpose for FTP is to allow webmasters the ability to upload and download files between their hard drive and their web site, as the name suggests. Some web hosting companies don't allow you to use FTP, while some require you to use FTP. Freeservers offers the best of both worlds by allowing you to use either FTP or File Manager 2.0--or both!

Why Use FTP?

The File Manager 2.0 is easy to use, and offers Freeservers members several options that are not possible through regular FTP programs. However, there are still times when using an FTP program may make your tasks easier than using the File Manager 2.0. For example, if you are uploading multiple files to your web site at one time, using the File Manager 2.0 may take much longer than using an FTP program. Also, the File Manager 2.0 does not have an option for downloading files from your site, which is highly recommended so that you can have a backup of your web site on your hard drive.

Free FTP Programs

Getting an FTP program may be the easiest thing about using FTP. There are several FTP programs on the market. Our favorites are CuteFTP and WS-FTP. CuteFTP is not actually free. It is shareware, which means that you can try it out at no cost for a certain amount of time, before you decide whether or not to purchase it. WS-FTP, on the other hand, is completely free for educational and personal use. However, they do request that you pay for a license if you use the program for any business reasons. CuteFTP can be downloaded here, and WS-FTP can be downloaded here.

Use Our FTP Tutorial

You may be wondering how to use FTP, now that you have learned a little about its benefits. We have created a tutorial for Freeservers members that explains step-by-step how to login to your site with FTP, how to access your files, and how to troubleshoot any problems. Simply click here to access the tutorials page. Then select the "Uploading files to your site" option. The tutorial will take over from there.