File Transfer Protocol and Telnet

A brief introduction to Telnet -- remote connection to a computer in the Internet using a text based interface -- is also provided at the end of this tutorial.

What is FTP

How to use FTP in Windows 98/NT/2K/XP -- WS_FTP LE

• Getting a free copy of WS_FTP to work off-campus:

  • I recommend that you download a free copy (for students) of WS_FTP LE and install it in your PC. For a Windows version of wsftp just select this link to go for the page that will allow you to download it -- look at the bottom right side for the free WS_FTP LE.
  • Choose Download 5.xx 32 bit Self-Extracting. This is a self-extracting file that will install WS_FTP LE in your machine. Save it in a temporary directory in your PC (make a note where you saved it).
  • Go to the directory you saved the file ws_ftple.exe and double-click on it. You will see installation messages (you can accept the defaults) and at the end you will see the following in your desktop, if you accepted the defaults:

    

  • drag and drop the WS_FTP95 LE shortcut in your desktop because you will use FTP frequently.

• Creating a profile to connect to another computer

  • double click on the WS_FTP icon and you will see a profile window to create connections to remote ftp servers:

    

  • give a name to the profile (in the example I called mine 0cisnt).
  • enter the ftp server name like: home.ubalt.edu
  • select host type: automatic
  • enter your HOME (network ID) username (UBxxxxx or NWSxxxx at UB) and password and leave account blank as in the example.
  • select the Save Password check box.
  • press OK and the profile will be saved and the connection will start as shown below:

    

    (If you are a UB student: once the connection is started with home.ubalt.edu, double-click on students, then look for your account number of the format UBnnXnn and double-click on it. You will be placed in your directory in the home.ubalt.edu Web server.)

  • From the next time on, all you have to do is select the profile and click OK. It works similar to File Manager under Windows:

    It is graphical and you do not need to know how to use FTP or other commands by heart, you just select a file or directory and select the arrow in the direction you want it to transfer data. It will also allow you to create and manipulate directories. You can copy a full directory from your PC to a remote site that you have permission to write to, like in HOME.

• Customizing your profile once you are connected:

  • You will see a file manager window as shown above with your local files in the left side and the remote computer files in the right side.

    Note: I suggest you create a directory to store your Web files. In the example above I created a directory 0cisnt in my drive D: to store all my files, organized as sub-directories of the 0cisnt directory.

  • Setting default directories:
    • select (change into) the directory you save your files regularly in the left side of the WS_FTP screen -- your local PC. To select a directory you can do one of two things: (a) double-click on the directory name, or (b) click on the directory name and select ChgDir (change directory).
    • If you are at UB: students should select students and then their accounts UBxxxxx or NWSxxxxx in the right side of the WS_FTP screen -- the remote server (HOME in the example). Again when you double-click a directory name you select and move into it. Faculty should select staff and their accounts NTxxxxx or UBxxxxx also in the right side. Double-click move you in the directory you select. Students should see /students/UBnnLnn in the top right side of WS_FTP after they changed into their accounts.
    • select options and you will see the following :

    

    • select Remember Folders and click on Save Current Folders as Connection Folders. This will select both the directory in your PC and the directory of your account in the Webserver.
    • when you click OK WS_FTP will save this information and the next time you select this profile it will automatically place you in the above directories.   Problem: if you are at any UB Lab you will not be able to save this information for security reasons, since multiple students can use the same PC.

  • Making upload types automatic

    • You have two types of files to transfer: text files (ASCII files) or programs, graphics, sound files (binary files). If you transfer a binary file as text it will not work later. Tipically when you transfer images to your Web directories they should be transferred as binary.
    • again select options and this time select ASCII extensions.
    • a dialog will show the existing selections for text files

      .

    • add all types that you do not see in your copy that are included in the example. Just type like I did for the new type .htmlx and press add.
    • Click OK and you are back in the original display.
    • Select Auto, and from now on WS_FTP will upload text and binary files automatically for you without you having to choose a type.

  • To copy a file or directory to/from a remote server is just a question of selecting it and pressing the right arrow (upload) or left arrow (download).

What is anonymous FTP?

What is Telnet?

This page is maintained by Al Bento who can be reached at abento@ubmail.ubalt.edu. This page was last updated on April 5, 2003. Although we will attempt to keep this information accurate, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.