GeekSpeak: FTP Explained

Posted by Annette Frahm

FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. As the name suggests, FTP is used to transfer files from one computer to another.

You can transfer text files or image files. FTP is commonly used to download or upload large files, such as web site pages, photos, presentations, videos and music.

One computer is typically acting as an FTP server. In most cases, both computers must have an FTP client or utility installed, and there must be a network connection. This is not a secure or encrypted connection.

Typical FTP clients or utilities are Filezilla and Cute FTP. This is very basic software. You will need to set up an FTP account. This commonly includes a server address, user name, password, and port number.

Once you are connected to the FTP server with your FTP Client, the process to transfer files is simple. You can just drag and drop, or copy and paste files from your local computer to the remote server or FTP server.

In some cases you can upload files to an FTP site using a web browser without having your own FTP utility. This method may be more familiar, but it often slower and more cumbersome.