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File Transfer Protocol governs how Files or Programs will be sent over the Internet. When uploading your newly created website (or subsequent updates), this needs to be done by FTP using a dedicated FTP program.
| WHAT IS FTP? |
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FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, and is a protocol that governs how files and programs are transmitted over the Internet, and how the downloading will be done, as far as error correction, and compression is involved. It also deals with how the actual data will be sent (how many segments at a time etc).
The FTP protocol ties in with web design, as many web servers (where your web-site is hosted), requires you to upload your files and pictures using FTP. There is a large variety of different FTP software that will allow you to transfer the website you have designed, to the web server that is hosting your website. We recommend the following two FTP softwares, as they are free for personal use, and easy to understand.
| WS_FTP |
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The WS_FTP LE (Light Edition) software is simple to use, and available free of charge to students, and for personal use at home or non-commercial purposes. Before you can use this software, you will need to download it from the Internet. Just click on download WS_FTP below in the related links.
Once you have installed WS_FTP, just go into the Windows start menu to open the program, and you will be presented with the following window:
The ‘Session Properties’ window contains information on how to connect to the web server hosting your website. The following is a simple explanation for each of the fields:
Profile Name: This is the name that appears in the list of configured sites; it can be anything you like, but not longer than xx characters. This name can (and should) be different than the Host Name/Address.
Host name/Address: This is either a fully qualified Internet host name or an IP address.
Host Type: This option allows you to choose If you know the host type, select it from the drop down list. If you don't know, try "auto detect."
UserID: If you have an account on the FTP site, enter the User ID you use to access the site. (Or, you can click the Anonymous check box to automatically enter anonymous as the user.) Anonymous: Selecting this box will automatically enter anonymous as your User ID and enter your e-mail address as the Password.
Password: If you have an account on the FTP site, enter the appropriate password for the User ID that you entered. If this is an anonymous login, enter your full e-mail address. (You can place a minus (-) sign in front of the e-mail address to reduce the number of site administrator messages you receive.)
Save Pwd: Select this box only if you are the only user of your computer and no one else has access to your WS_FTP folder. (Passwords are stored in the WS_FTP.INI file in an encrypted form.)
Account: If you have an account, enter the account name here. (In most cases, you will leave this blank because most FTP sites do not use accounts. The account name is used on VM/CMS hosts for the initial password to the user's default folder. When you change folders (ChgDir) on a VM/CMS host you are prompted each time for the password to connect to that folder.)
Comment: Enter any comments you want to include with this site. Once connected, just double click on the folder showing on the right-hand panel (e.g. mywebsite.orcon.net.au), and then double click on the folder htdocs. You will then see the following window:
The left-hand window pane contains a copy of files contained on your harddrive. The window pane on the right-hand side, are files contained on the remote web hosting server. Transfering files is done by clicking on the <- button (in the middle of the two window panes) to transfer files from the remote server back to your computer, and -> to transfer files from your computer to your website. Once you have finish, just click on the Close button to end your FTP session.
| CUTEFTP |
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CuteFTP is a shareware program that comes togetherwith CuteHTML, a simple to use software for creating a website.
Before you can use this software, you will need to download it from the Internet. Just click on download CuteFTP below in the related links.
Once installed, run the program. An advert will appear, so just click close for now. You should see an image similar to the one shown below. From the picture below, you will see that the main part of CuteFTP is broken into two separate window panes.
The section on the left will display the files on your computer that you wish to upload to the Orcon webserver. The section on the right will be the files you have already uploaded to the Freehosting server.
You click and drag the files between the two sections to transfer files back and forth.
You will need to set up CuteFTP so it displays your files in both sections. To do this, the Site Manager will automatically appear. To access the Site Manager at any other time, simply hit the Site Manager button.
Site Manager is where you change the settings to CuteFTP. You can add more than one site to CuteFTP, and you manage those sites using the Site Manager window.
When you click on the Site Manager icon in CuteFTP, it opens up a window similar to the one displayed on the left. Your sites will usually be displayed within the right hand box. The information cuteFTP stores, about your connections, are stored in the folder highlighted in the box shown below.
To add a new site, click on the Add Site button. You will be taken to the screen below.
To change a password, or the default folder of an existing site, click on the site you wish to edit within the right hand box, and then click on the Edit Site button.
The screen below lets you edit the connections you make via CuteFTP. You can create more than one, and editing an existing connection will take you to the same screen.
Site label: can be what ever you want to call this connection.
Host address: will be your Domain name: Do not use ftp or www at the beginning. If you are using our FreeHost plan, you will enter your site name, followed by Orcons domain name.
eg sitename.orcon.net.au
Initial Remote Directory: will be as above: Only add /htdocs to the end. eg sitename.orcon.net.au/htdocs, or domain.co.au/htdocs
If you are behind a firewall of some kind, you will need to switch to Passive Mode to enable sucessful File Transfers.
User ID: This is supplied to you by Orcon, and the Password associated to that user, to login to your Orcon provided WebHost space. If you are using our FreeHost site, this will be your email Login and Password. Or the one you set up when you first joined Orcon.
Initial Local Directory: can be anything, but to get it exactly where your files are stored on your computer, use the browse button to find the folder those files are stored in. You can do this once connected, but if you set it here, it will always connect with these default settings.
Click on OK then Connect to connect immediately, or just click OK to save your settings.
The disconnect button can indicate if you are connected or not. You will only see it highlight when you are connected. You can not use it unless you are connected.
 means you are connected.
 means you are disconnected.
| RELATED LINKS |
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- Download CuteFTP
- Download WS_FTP LE
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