FatCow Web Hosting & Domain Names

FTP

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol - a tool used to transfer files from one server to another. In this case, you use FTP to transfer files from your computer or elsewhere to your site.

FTP users

FTP users are the logins for FTP access to specified directories on your site.

When FTP is a part of your plan, a main FTP user account is set up by default. If you have FTP users as part of your plan, you can also set up additional users. To add FTP users to your plan, contact The Moo Crew for assistance.

NOTE: An FTP username must be unique among all users of a specific server. Please contact The Moo Crew if you encounter any difficulty with selecting an FTP username.

Active Versus Passive FTP Connection

When using an FTP connection, you have the option of connecting to the server in Active Mode or in Passive Mode.

In Active Mode, the FTP client sends the IP address and port number to the FTP server. The FTP server will "listen" to this designated port number for the IP address, then will issue a request back to the client to establish a connection. The data connection in this scenario is outbound from the FTP server, and inbound to the FTP client.

In Passive (PASV) Mode, the FTP client sends a PASV command to the FTP server. Once received, the FTP server will send back to the client an IP address and port number. The client then uses this information to establish the connection to the server. The data connection in this scenario is inbound to the FTP server, and outbound from the FTP client.

Configure FTP settings

FatCow recommends using Secure FTP to connect to your site.  If you choose to continue with FTP, all the information you need is below.

To connect to your site using FTP, please use the settings provided below. Specific steps and order of settings may vary for different clients. In the following example we will use FileZilla as an FTP client:

1. Log into your FTP Management page. All necessary settings are listed here.
   
   
   
2. If you don't have an FTP client, we recommend that you download FileZilla (free)
3. Open FileZilla and enter the required connection information in the text boxes as shown below:
   
   
   
   
1. Host Name/Address: ftp.PrimaryDomain, where PrimaryDomain is as shown at the top of your FTP Management page (see figure above). In this example, the host name is ftp.demotutorials.net
2. Host Type: Automatic detect (not necessary for FileZilla)
   
3. User ID: FTP username The Master FTP username is typically your account username, and is listed on your FTP Management page as shown in the figure above. In this example, the username is demo.
4. Password: FTP password The password for the master account is typically your hosting account password
5. Connect in either Active Mode or Passive Mode
   
   • Passive Mode is the best option for FTP clients behind a firewall
   • This step is not necessary if you are using FileZilla
4. Click Quickconnect
5. Once connected, you upload files to your site by dragging them from the directory structure of your local computer (on the left) to the directory structure of your website (on the right). See the tutorial below for more help.
6. To download files or folders from your site, drag the files or folders from the right pane to the left pane (from remote site to local site). Make sure you drag to the directory where you want the files downloaded.

Manage FTP users

1. Log into the FTP Management page, which lists the master FTP account and any additional FTP users.
2. To create a new FTP user:
   
   Note: The ability to create additional FTP users is included in many plans. If you do not have this functionality, contact The Moo Crew for assistance.
   
   
   
   
   1. In the Create New FTP Account section, enter the username.
   2. Enter the password twice.
   3. Enter the directory to which the FTP user will have access, (in the example above, the directory is /galleries) or leave blank for root access.
   4. Click Create FTP User. A confirmation messages appears at the top of the page, and the new username appears in the Additional FTP Accounts table.
      
      
      


3. To work with existing users, click the links to the right of a user to perform these actions:
   
   
   • Edit: Click to change the password or FTP directory for a user.
   • Enable/Disable: Click to enable or disable a user's FTP access. When you disable a user, the user setup remains so that you can enable at a later time.
   • Verify: Click to test the login for a user on our FTP servers to help you troubleshoot potential issues.
   • Remove: Click to remove the setup for additional FTP users. This action cannot be undone, so you would need to recreate the user if it was needed at a later date.
     Note: The main FTP account cannot be removed.

Uploading files using FTP and FileZilla

This tutorial shows how to upload files to your site using FTP and FileZilla

Preventing your FTP connection from stalling and timing out

Several factors can affect the quality of your FTP connection, but our research has found a relationship between the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) included in Windows XP and FTP connectivity.

If you are using the ICF, disable it before attempting to open an FTP connection.

Note on SP2: In Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), ICF is automatically turned on/enabled.

1. Open the Properties window for the network connection you are using.
2. On the Advanced tab under Internet Connection Firewall, clear the Protect my computer . . . checkbox.
3. Click OK to save your change.