Uploading files using FTP
From Blue Lightning Internet
Contents |
Conventions
Throughout this document, the URL "www.yoursite.com" should be replaced with the hostname of your own website.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
File Transfer Protocol, commonly known as FTP, is one of the most well established Internet applications and has been used for many years to transfer files from one site to another across the Internet. There are a plethora of FTP software applications available for all platforms, and you will require such software in order to upload your website to our web server.
Due to the numerous different FTP applications available, we are unable to provide direct step by step instructions on the use of any of them. However, the majority of the popular packages come with very good documentation to help you get to grips with FTP.
Most modern operating systems, including Windows XP, Mac OS X and Linux, have built-in FTP clients, whether they are graphical or command line. Consult the documentation for your operating system for more information.
Here are a few suggestions for third party FTP software packages:
- Globalscape CuteFTP (Windows evaluation)
- WS_FTP LE (Windows)
FTP settings
In order to log into the server using FTP you will need the FTP username and password associated with the web hosting account. If you do not have this information, you may generate a password report. The password report contains all the settings you will require to connect to the server via FTP.
If you already know your username and password, the only other piece of information you require is the server hostname. In most cases, this will be the URL of your site except without the "http://" at the start and the trailing forward slash at the end. For example, if your website URL is http://www.yoursite.com/, the FTP server hostname will be "www.yoursite.com".
Ensure that you set your FTP software to transfer files in binary mode, as sometimes problems occur when files are transferred in ASCii mode, which is the default on many FTP applications.
In some cases, and especially with new web hosting accounts that have only just been created, the DNS may not have updated, causing the normal hostname to fail. If this transpires, use the hostname "web.host.blinet.net". Within a couple of days you should be able to use the normal hostname.
Changing your FTP password
To change the FTP password for a web hosting account:
- Log in to the Support Intranet
- Choose "Web Hosting"
- Choose the "Password" link next to the site for which you wish to change the FTP password in the Your Sites table
- Follow the subsequent instructions and guidelines
Uploading data
Once you have successfully logged in to the FTP account, you will see four directories on the remote system. These are:
- docs - This directory is the root of your website and you must put all your website content into this directory. You may use as many subdirectories as you wish. For instance, if you create a directory within "docs" called "corporate", that directory can be accessed from http://www.yoursite.com/corporate/. Anything in the "docs" directory is subject to quota control and will contribute to your quota usage.
- logs - This directory holds the access log and error log for your website, which are maintained by the web server itself. The logs are not subject to quota control and will not contribute to your quota usage (the access log can get very large indeed). It is very important that you do not delete this directory or the log files, otherwise the system will not be able to generate site statistics for your website.
- cgi-bin - This directory is for your custom CGI scripts. Anything in the "cgi-bin" directory is subject to quota control and will contribute to your quota usage.
- data - This is an auxiliary directory that allows the web server to write data to the server should a web application need to do so. It is not normally used on the majority of sites, however if you are using scripting technologies on your website you may find it useful.
Select the "docs" directory with your FTP software and transfer your website files.
The time it takes to transfer the files will depend on how many files you have, how big the files are and how fast your Internet connection is. Once the transfer is complete, go to http://www.yoursite.com/ to test your website.
Do not upload your web content directly into the root directory of the FTP account. You must use the "docs" directory.
