Cody371

De BISAWiki

How to Upload Files to the net

upload image - Most people have no problem downloading from the Internet. You usually click a link, then tell the browser where to store it. But exactly how do you get a file from the computer up to the internet?

To obtain a file up to the internet, use FTP. That represents File Transfer Protocol.

What's FTP?

FTP is really a very simple process. The assembler language code for straightforward FTP is only a few lines long.

upload pic - FTP software program is more elaborate obviously. It has error correction, login and safety measures, etc.

FTP Software

upload free - If you just want to upload a few files, you can use Windows Explorer to upload. It has some peculiarities. And it may try taking a little getting used to. But once you obtain the feel of it, it's not too bad.

You can also use FTP software. You'll find free FTP software. Filezilla is free of charge, and does not come with adware or any other such nonsense. And it works quite well.

There is CuteFTP that your lot of people like. It is very user friendly.

Then you have the professional FTP such as WS-FTP Pro. If you are going to upload a lot of files, or large files, you will want to spend just a little money of a professional FTP software. During the time of this writing (December, 2008) Professional FTP software runs less than $100 USD.

Where to upload files to?

For those who have a website, you can upload your files there.

If you wish to share photos with individuals, you may not even need FTP software. You can find websites like Photobucket who have FTP capability built in to their site. You receive what you pay for, though. Photobucket has its limits.

You can also buy "hosting". You may even want to buy a domain name. In the event you just want to upload photos or any other stuff to share with your friends, you can find a cheap hosting plan. You'll almost certainly want to buy a domain name. Domain names run about $20 annually or less.

How to upload the files.

After you have a place to upload to, no matter which method of uploading you select, you will need certain information. Here is a list of information you will need for almost any FTP connection. Your host will have a few more things you'll need to enter.

The FTP host: This is often an IP address (An Ip looks like 123.45.678.90) or even a domain name. Sometimes preceded with "ftp." A common FTP host may look like: ftp.somewebsite.com
Starting or Home Folder: Your host will need to let you know this. Some common starting folders for websites are /public_html, /wwwroot, /httpdocs... There are numerous more. Note: You will probably not enter any leading or trailing forward slashes (/) in your FTP configuration.
Passive or Active FTP? Try Passive FTP first if you aren't sure. It is the most common kind.
Username and password: Self-explanatory. Don't be surprised if your username seems like an email address.
The FTP Port: You might not ever have to enter the port. Port 21 is utilized almost universally.