Connecting with FTP

Most FTP clients have a similar interface, even if the styles are different. For the purpose of this tutorial we have screenshots of WS-FTP LE, because it is one of the more common programs.

When you open WS_FTP LE, you're taken directly to the Session Properties Window. To set up a new connection, click on "New".

The information you will need to fill in is:

Profile Name: This is a nickname you can use to identify this particular server connection. Use any nickname you want.

Host Name/Address: For connecting to your website, this will be your domain name (without the http://www.)

User ID: Your user name is assigned by Industrial Strength Websites. Contact us if you don't know what it is.

Password: Your password is also assigned by Industrial Strength Websites. Passwords are case-sensitive, so be careful to type it exactly, capitalizing the correct letters.

The "Anonymous box should be left unchecked. If the "Save Pwd" box is checked, it will save your password; only check this box if you are the only user of your computer.

When you click "OK, you should be connected to the server. You will see two windows. On the left you will see a list of files and folders on your local computer, and on the right, files and folders on the server.

By clicking once on a file name to highlight it and then clicking on the left or right arrows, you can copy a file from one side to another (in some FTP programs, you move files by dragging them from one window to the other). If you double-click on a folder, you will open that folder. To move up one level, you can click on the green arrow at the top of the window.

You may notice check boxes for ASCII, Binary and Auto. It is safest to leave the Auto box checked; the program will determine the best way to transfer your files.

The program you use probably has more detailed help information, if you want to learn about other functions available.