What Is FTP & How Can I Use It to Transfer Files?

Hey, guys, it’s Alisha, and today we are talking about FTP and how you can use it to transfer files. The File Transfer Protocol isn’t on everyone’s mind these days, so seeing it mentioned somewhere may confuse you. In this video, I’ll help you understand what FTP is and what it’s used for, but before we get started, I wanna let you know that there will be links to more resources in the video’s description. And remember, subscribe and ring that bell to get notifications for future helpful content. Now, what is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. This communication protocol is used for file exchange between a server and a client. FTP is useful for transferring files between computers, either remotely, or within a local network.

Your personal computer can even act as an FTP server. FTP can also be used to upload files from a computer to a web hosting account.

The protocol was first developed in 1971 by a student at MIT. FTP has since undergone several revisions in attempts to make it more secure. FTP uses and relies on transmission control protocol to ensure all the data packets are sent correctly and to the proper destination. TCP establishes a connection between two devices, divides the data into segments, and sends the segments to the destination device, where they’re reassembled into the original data stream. FTP is built on a client server model architecture.

The protocol uses a separate control and data connections between the client and the server. The control connection is always the first connection established with an FTP server. Its ultimate purpose is to enable clients to connect and send commands to the server, as well as receive server responses. The second type of connection is called the data connection. This is the channel through which an FTP server exchanges file listings and transfers files.

When a client uses the control connection to ask an FTP server to transfer a file, this channel sends the said file.

The default ports for FTP, port 21 for the command connection and port 20 for the data connection, are standardized and widely used, so it is generally recommended to use these ports for FTP. However, changing the ports used by FTP, if necessary, is possible. For example, you may need to change the ports if you’re running multiple FTP servers on the same machine and want to avoid port conflicts, or if you want to customize the port numbers for security or other reasons. You may have also heard the term active FTP mode.
In FTP, the terms active and passive refer to the mode in which data connections are established between the FTP client and the server. In active mode, the client lets the server know which destination port should be used for the data connection. In passive mode, the server tells the client which server side port they should connect to and the client initiates the connection. By default, most FTP clients use active mode FTP, but they also often have the option to use passive mode FTP. Passive mode FTP avoids connectivity issues caused by client side firewalls, allowing the client to initiate the data connection.

Overall, the choice between active and passive mode FTP depends on the network configuration and the firewall rules in place, and either mode can be used to transfer files between computers. Some FTP servers require a user account with a username and a password, while others can be used anonymously. The latter is a riskier option. Someone could mess with your files, upload illegal content, or simply fill up your storage space.

There are multiple ways to transfer files using FTP.

You can use a command prompt, an internet browser, or an FTP client. To access an FTP server using a command prompt, you can use the FTP command, which is a built-in command in most operating systems. Once the connection is established, you can send FTP commands to the server to obtain, upload, edit, or manage files.

You can also use FTP to transfer files between computers using any popular browser, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. Open your internet browser and enter ftp:// followed by the FTP server’s IP address or domain name in the address bar.

For example, ftp://ftp.example.com. If prompted, enter your FTP login credentials, such as a username and password. Once you’re connected to the FTP server, you’ll see a list of directories and files on the server.

You can navigate through the directories and view the contents of the files as you would in a normal file explorer. To download a file from the server, click on the file and select Save As from the context menu.

Choose a location on your computer to save the file and click Save. To upload a file to the server, click the Upload button and select the file you want to upload. Choose a location on the server to save the file and click Open.

In Chrome and some other popular browsers, FTP support is disabled by default. You can reenable FTP, but using a dedicated FTP client makes more sense. An FTP client is a software program that allows you to connect to an FTP server and transfer files between your computer and the server. FTP clients provide a user-friendly interface for transferring files and typically support various features, such as the ability to upload, download, delete, and list files on the server.

In short, a good FTP client is like a dashboard for your car.

Sure, you can remove it and manually connect the necessary wires, but that’d be a painful, risky, and time-consuming job. The dashboard provides you with an intuitive driving experience, so does an FTP client. You can’t go wrong with FileZilla, the most popular FTP client. Despite its outdated interface, it’s intuitive and compatible with different operating systems. In short, an FTP client can make it easier for you to manage your files on an FTP server and provides additional security when transferring sensitive data.

Unless you’re an experienced CIS admin, you should always use an FTP client for your transfers to monitor downloads and keep your data safe. Secure FTP, or SFTP, is a secure version of FTP that uses Secure Shell to encrypt the connection. SFTP is often preferred over FTP because it provides a safer way to transfer files. SFTP uses a single connection to transfer both commands and data, unlike FTP, which uses separate connections. The default port for SFTP is 22.

SFTP uses the same command set as FTP, so client software that supports one protocol can usually be used with the other protocol with minimal changes required.

Let’s look at how these protocols stack up against each other. Security. SFTP is effective against password sniffing and interception attacks, and protects the integrity of the data using encryption and cryptographic hash functions. This makes SFTP a better choice for transferring sensitive data.

Channels. FTP uses separate connections for control and data transfer between the client and server, while SFTP uses a single connection for both control and data transfer. This makes SFTP more efficient and scalable than FTP. Prevalence. FTP is a well-established protocol supported by most operating systems and FTP clients.

SFTP is also widely supported, but it may not be as widely available as FTP. Overall, SFTP is a more secure, modern, and efficient alternative to FTP for transferring files between computers. File Transfer Protocol Secure is a secure version of File Transfer Protocol that uses secure sockets layer, or transport layer security, to encrypt data transmitted over the network. FTPs is similar to FTP in that it transfers files between computers, but it provides an additional layer of security by encrypting the data transmitted over the network.

This makes FTPS a good choice for transferring login credentials or financial information.

The most popular FTP client, FileZilla, allows you to enable FTP over TLS in a few clicks.

There are two versions of FTPS, explicit and implicit. Explicit FTPS requires the client to initiate an SSL TLS session before transferring files, while implicit FTPS assumes that all data transferred over the FTP connection is encrypted. FTPs is widely supported by FTP clients and servers and is often used as an alternative to Secure File Transfer Protocol for secure file transfers. However, it may not be available on all platforms.

The main benefits of using FTP include, no secret knowledge is needed. FTP is a straightforward protocol that is easy to set up and use. FTP clients, such as FileZilla, provide a user-friendly interface for transferring files. FTP is a well-established protocol that has been around for decades. It’s supported by most operating systems and FTP clients.

The protocol is well suited for local networks and intranet. FTP is optimized for transferring large files and can transfer data at high speeds, which is great for uploading large files all at once.

Technically, there’s no limit on the file size. The protocol is a good choice for transferring non-sensitive data, and FTP can be used in scripts or scheduled tasks to automate the transfer files between systems. You can pause or resume your transfers.

There are also some drawbacks to using FTP. FTP does not encrypt data transmitted over the network, making it vulnerable to third party interception. Without an FTP client, it can be tricky to keep track of your FTP file transfers. FTP uses separate control and data connections between the client and server, which can be inefficient and may not scale well to large numbers of simultaneous connections.

PCI DSS compliance requirements can force you to abandon standard FTP due to security concerns.

FTP requires a dedicated server to host the transfer files, which can be an additional financial burden for its users. Now that you know what is FTP and its benefits and drawbacks, it’s time to talk about its actual usage. There are a few cases in which you’ll want to rely on FTP. Transferring large files. FTP is often used to transfer files that are too large to send via email or other means.

Transferring files between servers. The protocol is extremely useful for uploading or downloading files from a web server in bulk. Sharing files with multiple users. You can make a folder on an FTP server available to multiple users, allowing them to access and download the shared files easily.

Automating file transfers.

FTP can be used in scripts or scheduled tasks to automate the transfer of files between systems. Backing up files. You can rely on this protocol to transfer files from one system to another for backup purposes. FTP is still commonly used to transfer files behind the scenes for various B2B applications. You’re also very likely to use this protocol if you’re maintaining a fully functional commercial WordPress website.

Kinsta, for example, supports the Secure FTP version, SFTP. File transfer protocol can be used to manage a WordPress website in several ways. For instance, FTP is helpful for uploading WordPress themes, plugins, or media files without visiting your WordPress dashboard. If a WordPress website becomes corrupted or lost, FTP can help restore the website from a backup by transferring the backup files to the server.

FTP can be used to access and edit WordPress files directly, which is helpful for troubleshooting and debugging issues from the website.

To use FTP to manage a WordPress website, you’ll need FTP client software, such as FileZilla or Cyberdeck, and the FTP login credentials for your website. With the FTP client and login credentials, you can connect to your website server and transfer files as needed.

Thankfully, many FTP clients, including FileZilla, support SFTP, so you can use the same tools you’re already familiar with to transfer files securely. Kinsta’s WordPress hosting can speed up your website by up to 200%, and you’ll get 24/7 support from our expert WordPress engineers. We offer two months free with any annual plan, a 30-day money back guarantee, and unlimited free basic migration from any host.

Head over to kinsta.com/plans to get started. Thank you so much for watching. If you found this video helpful, please don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more tutorials, explainers, and helpful content like this.

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