Using FTP – File Transport Protocol

Let’s assume:
- We have registered a domain name (for example domain.com or domain.net)
- We found a hosting server
- We built the site; the files are on our computer
The next step you need to take is uploading the site on the server, or in other words the transfer of the files that the site consists of on your computer on the web server.
FTP – File Transport Protocol is the used protocol for uploading and downloading the files from and on a server.
The upload can be made in three methods, using:
- Specific FTP commands, typed from the keyboard similar to the MS-DOS ones
- A specialized software named FTP client

- The administration webpage of the account, indicated by the server administrator
The first method, of using FTP commands is not very used because it implies knowing the commands unlike the other two where the operating mode is graphic. The FTP Client is a type of software that will open a FTP session (connection), on the 21 port, between the local computer and the FTP server.
In order to set the FTP client, the following data is used by the server administrator:
FTP Host Address – can be the name of the FTP server or its IP address
FTP Site Username – the name of the user for the authentication
FTP Site Password – the used password for the authentication
FTP Site Connection Port – the 21 port
Loging Type – Normal
Transfer Type – preferable Auto-detect
The FTP clients, no matter the producer, have a similar graphic interface with 5 distinct zones:
- The required parameters for the connection (zone 1)
- Local Panel (the files on the local computer – zone 2)
- Remote Panel (the files on the web server, in the directory properly arranged for our domain – zone 3)
- Log Panel (the list of the messages from the local computer and the replies from the FTP server – zone 4)
- Queue Panel (the list of the send and received files – zone 5)

Using this is easy, all you have to do is right click on the desired folder and select from the menu the operation you intent to do (for instance: upload, download).
FTP Clients examples: CuteFTP, SmartFTP or the free versions FileZilla si WS FTP LE.
In order to transfer the files using the account administration webpage press the File Manager. The files will upload directly into the public_html directory from the web server. This method is good when you transfer only few files because it implies some operations that run every file by itself.
But if you want to transfer several files or an entire website it’s strongly recommended using a FTP Client, because it allows you to simultaneously select and upload more files.

Thanks to http://thewebit.com/