Web Hosting and FTP Tips
Read these 6 Web Hosting and FTP Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Web Hosting tips and hundreds of other topics.
Finding FTP Web Hosting
Most web hosting providers offer FTP support, however you do need to check and make sure that the plan you chose includes FTP. The cheap web hosting packages sometimes only include web templates and do not allow you to build your own site and upload the files. If you have any question if FTP web hosting is provided and it is not clear on the web hosting company information page, then they probably do not offer FTP support. If that is the case, you should find another web hosting company. Even if you do not need FTP web hosting right now, perhaps in the future you will want to expand and enhance your site and will want the benefits of using FTP and you will spend more time and money changing web hosts rather than keeping the web host and changing plans.
Definition of FTP
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is a way to copy files from one computer to another. It allows people to transfer information over the Internet or between servers. FTP is a very common way to transmit large amounts of data quickly. There are many public FTP libraries where files can be uploaded onto a server and then be accessed by anyone who has FTP to download those files. FTP is also an easy way to build web pages on your home computer and then transfer those files onto your web hosting server. FTP software is widely available and inexpensive.
FTP Programs
There are many FTP programs on the market today and most are inexpensive. You can even find free FTP software. Some of the most popular FTP programs include WS_FTP, CuteFTP and FTP Voyager. Most of the software has similar features however some of the graphic interfaces are easier to use for a beginner. You will need to know specific information before you can use an FTP program. You need to know your domain name or IP address (where the information will be going to) as well as your account username and password (which you should get when you sign up for web hosting). You may also need to know if your web host has a specific folder in your account where you should put your files and if they require a specific extension for your homepage such as home.htm or index.html. Your web host may also offer recommendations for FTP Programs. With that information, you should be ready to start uploading your web pages.
Uses for FTP Software
Many new web site owners do not know HTML or any scripting languages and want to build a simple website. If that is the case for you, you should consider using web templates that are web site outlines provided by your web hosting company and you simply fill in your information. If you want a more complicated or custom website, you will need to use FTP software to transfer your files up to your web server. FTP also allows you to create or delete directories, rename files, upload and download files. You can work with large groups of files and images at one time and transferring files is really quick and easy. FTP is very powerful and used widely plus FTP software is easy to learn. If you have any web site needs beyond the basic personal website, you should consider using FTP which opens up tons of options.
Benefits of Using FTP
If you are a beginner on the web and just want to build a site with 3 or 4 web pages and never expect to want to add more features, then you do not need to consider using FTP (File Transfer Protocol). However, in most cases FTP should be one of the main considerations when finding web hosting. FTP software gives you the freedom to build your website at home with whatever tools you choose, and then upload those files quickly to your web host. With FTP you do not have the size limitations that email does, plus you have a more secure way of sending information. FTP software is usually easy to learn and it makes transferring files fast and efficient.
FTP Server
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. An FTP Server is a web server used with FTP software to store computer files. It can be compared to a library where files are uploaded onto the server using FTP software and then downloaded to another computer using FTP. There are many public FTP servers where you can find files you are interested in and download them freely. However, you should be aware that some files contain viruses and if downloading them from public sources can put your system at risk. Some FTP Servers are private and have controlled access where you need a username and password to gain entrance. There are also secure file transfer technologies available such as FTPS and SFTP.
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| Heidi Splete |
