FTP Basics

Contents

• Getting FileZilla
• FTP clients for users on Mac or Linux
• Getting Started
• Creating a FileZilla site profile
• Connecting to a pre-configured site in FileZilla
• Once connected, upload content using FileZilla
• Viewing your newly uploaded files
• Common Problems

Using FileZilla or other FTP client to upload content

Once you have developed your web site, FTP is a convenient way to publish it to your EasyStreet web space.

Getting FileZilla if you don't already have it (PC users only)

We have customers using many different FTP programs to upload their content. If you call with questions about your specific FTP program, our support staff will do their best to answer your questions. However, if we cannot help you locate the specific settings needed to get FTP working, we might ask you to use our recommended FTP client for PC users, FileZilla, which can be downloaded at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/filezilla/. Scroll down the page slightly and click on the download link next to the Package that says FileZilla.

FTP Clients for users on Mac or Linux

If you are using Macintosh, your favorite FTP client, such as Fetch or Transmit, should work fine using the settings below.

If you are using Linux, we've seen some users have trouble using the FTP that comes as part of their OS build. NCFTP client works well on multiple Linux versions.

Also see the Common problems section below for further suggestions or call our 24/7 technical support staff at 503-968-3279 or 1-800-207-0740 for further help.

Getting Started

To upload your content with an FTP program, you'll need several settings, which will be in your User Account Info email that we sent you when your account was created. Here are the settings you'll need (replace yourdomain.com with your domain name, or the appropriate settings from your User Account Info or Migration email if your site was migrated). If you no longer have that email, contact our 24/7 technical support at 503-968-3279:

• FTP Host Name:  ftp.hosting.easystreet.com
  

• User Name:  yourdomain.com

• Password:  password from your User Account Info sheet

Once connected, all your web pages go into the public folder. Cgi scripts should go in the cgi-bin folder.

Setting up a site profile

The first time you use FileZilla, it is good to set up a profile that saves your setting for future use.

1. Launch FileZilla.
2. Under the File menu, choose Site Manager
3. Click on the New Site button.
4. You'll be able to type the name of the new site in the left column under My FTP Sites, as shown in this graphic:

   

5. Name the site ftp.hosting.easystreet.com unless you have SSL, in which case you'll be issued a different address to connect with once the SSL is activated.
6. Click with your mouse into the hostname field at the right under Site details. Enter ftp.hosting.easystreet.com.
7. Under logontype choose normal.
8. In the User box type yourdomain.com. In this example, we're using hahnmeyerphotos.org.
9. In the Password box, type your assigned password.
10. Click the Advanced button, which brings up the following menu. In the center of that window, choose Use passive mode:

    

    Also in the Server timezone offset section, set Adjust remote file time by to -3 hours.

    Here, you may also specify the local and remote directories for your web content. In general, your content will go under the public directory on the remote server. Click OK to save the advanced settings.

11. Click the Save and Exit button to save your site settings.

Connecting to a pre-configured site in FileZilla

1. Just under the File menu at the left of your screen is an icon with two computers, and next to that icon is a small down arrow. Click on that arrow, and you should see the names of any sites you've configured:

   

2. Click on the site that says ftp.hosting.easystreet.com and FileZilla will attempt to connect.

3. At the top part of the window, you'll see status information about the connection. Errors show in red. A successful connection will look like this:

   

Once connected, upload content using FileZilla

1. Unless you have specified a remote directory, your FTP program will log you onto the top level directory for the site, also known as /. Web content either goes into your public folder, for regular html and php files, or into your cgi-bin directory for cgi or Perl (.cgi .pl) scripts.

2. The right side of the window shows the files on the remote server. To get to the directory for your web content, double click on the public folder in the right side of the window.

   

3. The left side of the window is for your local files. Navigate to the directory with your web content.

4. On the left side of the window, right mouse click on any files or folders you would like to upload, and choose upload from the menu that appears. You'll see the status of your uploads and downloads along the bottom of the FileZilla window.

   

5. When done, go to the File menu and choose disconnect. Or, if your connection has been idle for awhile, you might find that you've been automatically disconnected.

Viewing your newly uploaded files

Please see the instructions here for viewing your site.

Common Problems

• Problem: My FTP program connects and then won't display a list of files on your server, or immediately disconnects

  Solution: You need to toggle the Passive Mode setting on your FTP program. If it is currently off, turn it on. If it is currently on, turn it off. If that doesn't solve the problem, you might need to try a different FTP program.

• Problem: My FTP program seems to disconnect often without warning

  Solution: Our server has a timeout of 300 seconds. If it does not see any files transmit during that time it disconnects your FTP client. To reconnect, look for an menu option or button that says Connect or Reconnect. On FileZilla, Reconnect is found under the File menu.

• Problem: Files I publish on the remote server have the wrong timestamp

  Solution: In your FTP program you will need to find the setting which allows you to adjust the server time zone. You would change the remote time stamp by -3 hours. In FileZilla, this setting can be reached under the Advanced menu Server timezone offset section when creating a site profile.

  The load-balanced, clustered web servers hosting your site are physically located at two different time zones. One set of servers is located on the East Coast and the other is located in the Mid-West. All servers are standardized to reflect EST regardless of timezone they are actually in.