FTP accounts, FTP client software, and using a browser for FTP

Most of our clients do not require an FTP account since their sites are managed through a content management system. Clients who manage their own hard coded web sites will have an FTP account to manage pages of their site, and some clients need an online method of exchanging large files with customers when they are too large to FTP. Many believe that files bigger than 2 MB are toot large to email, but it is really inappropriate to email files larger than 10 MB.

FMPWEB/Foster Enterprises can provide customers with an FTP account that allows you to have sub directories with separate usernames and passwords. This allows you to make files available to one customer without other customers getting access to those files. It also allows the account owner of the FTP account to keep certain files online that only they can access. 

The best way to access an FTP directory is with FTP client software. We recommend Transmit for the Mac and WS_FTP for Windows users which are commercial software. There are open-source choices like FileZilla too. You simply point the software to ftp.yourdomain.tld and enter the username and password. You can also learn how to FTP using the command line, but we will not go there in this article.

You can also download files using FTP from the browser. If your clients are using a browser to access your FTP directory, you should send them a link in the following format: ftp://username@yourdomain.tld - this will pass the browser the proper protocol and username. The user will be prompted for their password, and after entering the proper password they will be given a listing of the files in the directory. Then simply right click on the file link, and save it or download it to your local computer. If the file is a type of file (like JPEG, GIF, HTML) that the browser would normally process and you left click on it, it will simply be displayed in the browser window. Your browser may not know how to handle other file types such as TIF. It is recommended that you create a ZIP archive of these sort of files so that the browser will simply download the file to the local computer. This is another reason why we recommend FTP software or command line tools over using a browser.

That is all the FTP for today, but you can always contact us for more information or help with a specific isse you are having.