Using your FTP program What is FTP? FTP (File Transfer Protocol) lets you copy files to and from another computer (called the FTP host). Copying files to the host computer(server) is called an upload, while copying from the server is called a download.

What do I use it for? There are a lot of things you can do with FTP. One of the most common uses would be uploading web pages to your personal website. FTP is also used to exchange files, such as MP3s, with other users.

Okay, now how do I make it work? First, you'll need an FTP program (also called an FTP client). You probably already have one installed with your Keystone Connect software, and you can open it by clicking the FTP button on your toolbar:

If you don't already have an FTP program, you can get one from our download page. 

Next, you'll need the address of your FTP host computer (ours is ftp.keyconn.net), as well as the name and password you'll use to sign in. Many FTP hosts use an anonymous login, which means that don't need a specific name. Others are stricter, and will require a specific account name. If you want to upload a personal web page, you'll have to call us at (814) 941-5010 and set up an FTP account first.

Now we'll look at uploading a web page using WS_FTP, which is the program available from our download page. (The basic steps will be similar in other programs.) We'll upload a file to ftp.keyconn.net, using the username sample and the password jamesbond.

STEP 1: First, you'll need to dial in to Keystone Connect in the usual way. Then open WS_FTP, and you should see a box called Session Properties (see picture). This is where you put your information. Notice that we've named the Profile "My Web Page" to save the settings for next time. You can leave the Host Type selection as "Automatic Detect". Then hit the OK button and WS_FTP will connect to the FTP host.

Tip: If you are connecting to an FTP host using an anonymous login, you can check the Anonymous box. It will automatically enter "Anonymous" as the User ID. You can still enter a password, too. Some FTP hosts will ask for your e-mail address instead of a password when you log in anonymously.

STEP 2:

Once you've connected to the FTP host, it's a piece of cake. You'll see a window like the one pictured below. Notice that there are two similar sections, with two arrow buttons in the middle. What's on the left is your computer, and what's on the right is the host computer(server). To transfer a file, just select it and press the proper arrow key to move it.

In the picture, we have moved to the "Web Files" folder on the desktop of our computer, and clicked on the file "index.html". Next, we will click on the arrow pointing to the right. 

STEP 3:

After we hit the arrow, the file is copied to the host computer. If you look at the picture below, you'll see that "index.html" is now on the server, too!  You can repeat the steps for as many files as you want to copy. To copy a file from a server to your computer, just switch sides: choose a file on the right side and hit the left arrow to copy it.

STEP 4:

That's it! It's as easy as hitting the arrows. Here's a few hints to help you get even more out of WS_FTP: 

• To copy more than one file at a time, hold down the shift key while selecting the files. This will let you select more than one file at a time.

• Check out the buttons next to the file windows. You'll find that you can Rename and Delete files right from WS_FTP! You can also use View to read text files, Exec to execute (run) files, and MkDir to create new folders.

• Does WS_FTP always go to the wrong folder when you launch it? You can tell it exactly where to go. Just move to the correct folder, and press the Options button at the bottom. Then choose the Session tab and press the Save Current Directories as Connection Directories button. 

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