ftp-client-HowTo
================

First of all you have to _get_ an ftp-client because I think it's unlikely
that you already have one except something buggy from Microsoft ;-) [3]

Open a browser[1] and visit http://www.tucows.com (tucows = the ultimate
collection of winsock software). There you get all kind of software for
using the internet! Bookmark this page ;-)

Choose Windows and at the "Top 50" there has to be "WS FTP LE" because it's
the most commonly used ftp-client.

Download it and install it for your operating system.

Unfortunately I don't have any Windows around here so I can't give you a
detailed description for installing it and configurating but [2] contains
screenshots and an alternative explanation.

When you start WS FTP there should be something like "open server" or
"connection" or similar. There, you have to enter the name of the server
you're connecting to (like aserver.acompany.com) and username and password.

You may have to enter the port-number but 99.999% of all ftp-services are
using the default-port which is 21.

Username and password can be given to you by some person who is admin of the
ftp-site or you can use (if avaliable!) the so called anonymous-account:
  username = anonymous
  password = <your email address> (most of the time)
OR
  username = ftp
  password = ftp

You may have noticed some links in the WWW like
  ftp://username:password@aserver.acompany.com/adirectory/something
Well, that's for downloading a file via your web-browser over the
ftp-protocol. Username/Password are optional and can be neglected for
anonymous-ftp.

Be aware: using services like telnet, ftp or many microsoft-protocols, the
password is transferred in clear form. That means that every person who is
listening on the line from you to the server (mostly ISP - internet service
providers) can (automatically!) log passwords. So the anonymous-access is
preferrable for ftp.

So once you entered the informations upon a site (server,
username/password), you can store it in any better ftp-client. So you
doesn't have to enter them every time when you visit a stored site.

When you start an ftp-session (e.g. doubleclick on the saved site or press
"connect" or similar), you'll see two windows (at the most clients): the
local file system and the remote file system.

Now, you can drag and drop everything from remote to local and vice versa -
voila: file transport ;-)


OK, now what's for the usage of a client. What can you profit by installing
an ftp-server on your own computer?


You can give someone access to files over the internet via ftp which has
several advantages:
* big files are handled in a more clever way (faster, efficient!)
* broken downloads can be restarted to append to the already-transmitted
  data
* ...

If you want to offer ftp-services, you have to be aware, that the machine
where the ftp-server runs at has to be online all the time when you want to
offer the service all the time. Alternatively you can email your
"ftp-partner" (if only one or several) to access your files at specific
times.

Maybe your ISP has an ftp-server running where you can upload things that
other can download?


If there are open questions, please mail me back!


[1] my suggestion: use Opera from www.opera.com - it's the best and fastest.

[2] http://www.whatevercomputes.com/support/ftp.html

[3] I don't like the "quality" of products from Microsoft because they're
    simply bad designed, contain a LOT of security holes, they are very
    expansive and the company lies and they don't want to learn the easiest
    things. These are facts and it's not only MS-bashing.[4]

[4] For the sake of your data and if you don't want to be the one who has to
    argue with the FBI if someone cracks some government-computers using
    your computer[7]: DON'T use Internet Explorer (IE)[1] and DON'T please DON'T
    use Outlook[5][6] (in any form) because you're cracked by simply sending
    some malformed EMail any you can't do a thing against it - believe me!

[5] my suggestions for Windows (ordered): The Bat, Pegasus, Mozilla Mail,
    Opera Mail

[6] To be exact, Outlook is not even a standard-conform Mail client! And it
    cannot generate standard-conform EMails either!

[7] Yes, that's the main reason to crack a computer: use as a hop for
    illegal activity and/or use it for denial of service attacks. YOU have
    to proove, that you have not been the bad guy!
    And since you are online all day long (flat-rate is neat ;-) on a big
    line too, you're computer is a perfect target.

;-)

PS: Sorry for being paranoid but I've seen a LOT data deleted by crackers and
I know how astonishing easy it is to hack into a Windows-machine using Outlook/IE.


Sincerly, Karl