You may or may not have heard the term, FTP, but it is something that can come in handy when creating a Web site. FTP is an acronym that stands for File Transfer Protocol. An FTP client is a program that allows you to easily move files from one computer to another.
An FTP client will allow you to transfer files from one computer or server to another with the click of a button. All you need is the computer's name and a user name and password for yourself. After entering this information into the client you will be able to transfer files to and from your computer from other computers.
This is useful in Web page design if you have composed a Web page on your computer and want to upload it to your hosting provider online. It is also useful if you want to edit one of your existing pages. All you have to do is download the page from the hosting provider's server to your computer, edit the file and re-upload it.
In the case of creating a Web site, this means that if you create the pages for your site on your computer, either using a text editor or some other Web page editor, then you will need to move it to the server where your site will be hosted. FTP is the main way to do this.
There are many different FTP clients that you can download from the Internet. Some of these can be downloaded for free and others on a try before you buy basis.
How Does It Work
Once you have your FTP client uploaded to your computer and you have an account set up with a home page hosting provider that offers FTP then you are ready to get started.
Open your FTP client. You will see several different boxes that you will need to fill out. The first one is the "Profile Name". This is simply the name you are going to give to this particular site. You can call it "My Home Page" if you want to.
The next box is the "Host Name" or "Address". This is the name of the server that your home page is being hosted on. You can get this from your hosting provider. It will look something like this: ftp.hostname.com .
What is the difference between passive and active FTP?
FTP is an unusual protocol in that it uses two ports, one for commands and the other for data. (This is one of the reasons it is superior to HTTP for transferring large files.) Active FTP was invented first. The client initiates a connection on the server’s command port. The server then initiates a connection with the client from its data port. In Passive FTP, the client initiates both connections with the server, which remains “passive”.
Active FTP may cause problems if your client is behind a firewall. From the firewall’s point of view, the FTP server that is trying to initiate a connection with your client looks like an intruder and is usually blocked. This is why many users have difficulty using FTP to download files from behind a firewall.
Passive FTP solves this problem, but creates other problems, notably where FTP server security is concerned. The server must listen on a large number of ports. This requires the firewall to let a lot of unqualified traffic through. Most firewall administrators do not like this.
As a rule, you do not need to be concerned about passive and active FTP unless you administer an FTP server or a firewall. If you experience difficulty using your FTP client from behind a firewall, this is likely the reason. Perhaps you should discuss the matter with your firewall administrator.
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