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General discussion

CuteFTP or WS_FTP

Jan 13, 2005 2:35AM PST

I am a bit slow in getting started. I have been trying to use one or the other of the above FTP to upload a web site but no success.Does anybody have a simple step by step how to instruction?
I am a bit confuse with terms like site LABEL, HOST ADDRESS and SERVER Address.

Discussion is locked

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I use WS_FTP and only have it open long enough
Jan 13, 2005 3:06AM PST

to get my files to the site and then shut it down completely. It's not a very secure FTP program, but quick, easy, and functional when I need it. I don't use it all for sharing files with people because it is a security risk.

As for setting it up.....you will need to fill in the Connect area with the actual website log in information (including the actual path they have assigned to your URL so if your site is at www.joeblow.com as the hosting site, but your account is named bettyboop, then you might have to enter the URL as www.joeblow.com/bettyboop instead. Check with the hosting site first. (This is the HOST ADDRESS) Then you have to enter your username and password they gave you. And put a checkmark in 'save' or you will have to enter it every time you have changes to upload. The Remote Site area will be the URL assigned to you, and will fill in automatically.

If you have a Firewall (and you should have one) set it up in this Connections area as well.

As for the folders themselves.....on the left hand side of the screen, it defaults to the folder where WS_FTP installed to, which is ridiculous in itself, so use the Browse button to get to the folder My Webs or wherever your website files are located on your harddrive. Once you have that path correct on the left hand side, you should be able to use that same path as the default "Local Folder" to be shown every time you open the program.

The Advanced/Options area has places to 'use passive' so that most times you don't get errors when transferring your pages or files to the site, among other things that are mostly self-explanatory.

Now, when your website files/folders show up on the left hand side, you can select them all and click ADD and it will send the files to the hosted URL on the right hand side. When you have new files to transfer later, just highlight the new ones or ones you have changed and click ADD again and it will send the new files over and overwrite the older versions if you have changed any of the files with the same name.

You have to click the Connect button before you can transfer and it will use the saved information to log in with. If something needs to be changed in that saved information just go to the Connect button, get the window up again, make your changes, and click SAVE again so it will now save your changes.

TONI

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Toni,
Jan 13, 2005 3:27AM PST

Can you tell something more on the security risk of ws_ftp (compared with other ftp-programs, maybe?).

TIA,

Kees

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There is a security risk because these
Jan 13, 2005 5:34AM PST

older types of ftp programs actually wind up showing your username and password in regular text to the world. Newer ftp programs from what I understand actually are SFTP (S=secure), but I have found that I've not had any problems still using the older, easy to configure and use, ftp programs for uploading stuff to my website since it's not being used for usually any longer than five or ten minutes to update pages or send a small file to the site and then shutting it down immediately. I don't use that program to share large files with.....and instead try to split the file if it's fairly large with a free file splitting program and then emailing the pieces. The program I use includes a .bat file that is part of the last piece sent via email that the person on the other end just needs to click on to put the file all back together again, and they don't have to have the program installed at their end.

TONI

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May not help you guys.
Jan 14, 2005 5:09AM PST

I make it a point to service my page from my Linux and not my Windows. I use Gftp(free, but Unix/Linux only) included with my Mandrake. Very easy to use program, and fairly secure( I think). Don't know if this is an option.
Good luck. chuck

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Logon to your website.
Jan 13, 2005 3:18AM PST

To logon to a website, you need the url or ip-address (something like ftp.myprovider.com or 134.45.67.123), a username giving access to the part of their hard disk that's linked to your home page (like home.yahoo.com/~kuyo17 or www.kuyo.yahoo.com) and the corresponding password. You need to fill in those 3 things in the logon screen of your ftp-program. That's the whole trick, and that's all. Your isp has to tell you all three (while recommending to change the initial password).

The graphic user interfaces of an ftp-program (I'm using an older version of ws_ftp or leech_ftp, both free), once logged in, generally consists of a window showing the contents of your own hard disk and a window showing the contents of your storage area with the provider, and allow you to drag and drop from the one to the other (or a similar way to copy files). Of course, you also must be able to make folders and subfolders, and delete or rename files.

Personally, I use windows command line ftp-program to transfer files routinely, and the graphical interface only in special cases. I don't like to make mistakes, so the transfer is automated. But, of course, there's nothing wrong with a freeware or shareware graphical program for everyday use, if you prefer that.

Kees

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How to WS_FTP
Jan 20, 2005 6:12AM PST

I have an old verson of WS_FTP95LE, but I expect it will be similar to what you are using. The first thing you want to do is click on "Options" in the bottom row of buttons that appears when the program opens. (If a window labeled "Session Properties" is open and above the main WS_FTP window, close it.) When Options opens, click on the tab "Extensions". Now, make sure that .html and .htm are listed in the window below "ASCII filenames and extensions". If they aren't, ADD them, then click on OK. Now, on the main window, click on "Connect". Choose "NEW". At "Profile Name" type any name for your website that you will remember. At "HostName/Address" type your domain name with its extension (for example, mydomain.com). If in doubt, confirm this with the company hosting your domain/website. "Host Type" should probably be "UNIX". If you find it doesn't work, ask your web host what it should be. "User/ID" and "Password" are the login name and password you use to access your account at your webhost. You can probably leave "Account" blank, and also "Comment". Now, click on the tab "Startup" at the top of that window. At "Initial Host Remote Directory" you want to enter the directory or folder location where you web files are stored at your webhost. You will need to get that information from your webhost. At "Initial Local Directory" type the directory or folder address where your web files are stored on your computer (something like c:\my documents\my webs\domainname. Click "Apply", then "OK". You should connect. If not, click on "Connect".