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Help
Center
FTP Site
Maintenance
We recommend using WS_FTP because of its simplicity and
ease of use for the beginner. We have a free, full
version copy for you to download if you need it DOWNLOAD FREE
COPY
The process by which files are transferred to the web
server is called "FTP" (File Transport
Protocol). You have unlimited access via FTP 24-hours a
day. As such, you can create and maintain your web pages
on your own computer and upload files to your web site at
your leisure.
Internet providers such as AOL, CompuServe, and Prodigy
may have a built-in FTP interface. If you have a PPP
internet account and need an FTP program.
Configuring
Your FTP Software
The
following information is contained within your account
activation notice and is needed to connect to your web
site via FTP:
- USERID
- PASSWORD
- FTP HOSTNAME
The hostname tells your FTP software to connect to the
web server upon which your web site resides. In general,
the process of configuring the various FTP
software/interface is the same. We recommend WS_FTP for
PC computer users and will be using it in the upcoming
examples.
Each time you run WS_FTP the Session Profile window will
be displayed. A profile contains the information needed
to connect to your web site. Creating a profile now will
eliminate the need for you to configure the software each
time you wish to connect to the web server via FTP. To
create a new profile, click the "New" button
and enter a generic profile name at the top of the
Session Profile window. Next, enter the userid, password
and hostname for your web site as illustrated below.
Fig.1
Be sure to always select "Automatic Detect" for
the Host Type. (see Fig.1) It is best to select
"Save Password" and "Auto Save
Config" to maintain these settings for future use.
All other fields can be left blank. You are now ready to
connect to the web server. Click "Ok" to
continue.
How
to Transfer Files
When
you connect to the web server, you will connect directly
to the root ("home") directory of your account.
WS_FTP will display a split screen where files on the
left-hand side are within your own computer. You will see
several folders on the right-hand side such as www, and
infobots which are landmarks suggesting a successful
connection to your web site.
You need to double click on the "www" directory
to get to your web directory, this is where all your
files will be downloaded, and/or you will create
subdirectories. The only system directory that you may
need to use is cgi-bin; this directory is reserved for
custom scripts. To make your home page load
automatically, name the HTML document
"index.htm" in lowercase and upload it to the
www directory of your account. To upload a file or files,
simply highlight the file(s) on the left and click the
right-arrow button (=>) in the center of the screen.
Be sure to upload HTML documents and scripts in ASCII
mode and images in BINARY mode. To transfer a file to a
subdirectory, double-click the appropriate subdirectory
to open it before transferring the desired file(s).
As soon as a file is uploaded to the web server, it is
available for all to see. If, after uploading a file, you
are still unable to see the updated file via Netscape,
you need to clear both disk and browser cache. This
function can be found by selecting Options > Network
Preferences in Netscape. Remember that you must first be
connected to the internet through your local internet
service provider in order to connect to the web server.
Notes
to Mac Users
Select
"raw data" transfer mode when using Fetch to
transfer both HTML and images.
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