Many IT specialists, and not only them, use programs for transferring data to the server, the so-called FTP clients. For example, in this article we will examine in detail the configuration of an FTP server using the example of the Filezilla program. Let's start, of course, with the theory, we will gradually move on to installing the software itself. And after we get to setting up a Windows FTP server.
It is best to start with a theory and talk about the significance of a program like FileZilla and examine in more detail its functionality and importance in a development environment and everyday life.
What is FTP?
Let's start from the bottom and talk about the meaning of this word. If you know about the decoding of this mysterious word, we recommend that you proceed to the next chapter and read about the features of FileZilla.
In short, FTP is a data transfer protocol. It is mainly used by website holders to transfer files between the local computer and the site server. This protocol is indispensable for any website holder who does not use designers. In addition to simple FTP, there is also the so-called TFTP.
What are their differences? And the fact that FTP carries out data transfer through the so-called TCP. A new concept is emerging that requires analysis.
What is TCP?
TCP is a data management protocol that makes the transfer of your files safer, which allows you to transfer without missing some data.
That is why most people pay attention to FTP, not TFTP. Now let's look at a program called FileZilla and talk in more detail about installing the product and how to use it.
What is FileZilla?
Simply put, this is a client that allows you to transfer files via FTP to your server. This program has a wide range of possibilities and open spaces for fantasies. In addition to everything that will be discussed later, this program has a good data transfer speed, which makes it a good choice for most webmasters.
This client is released with open source code, which makes it available not only on Windows and MacOS, but also on Linux, which also has a lot of networking tools. You can easily configure the FTP server for CentOS and many other distributions.
If you do not want to sit with a constant and boring interface, you can change it. The program has a built-in function for changing themes, so you can easily change it if you are tired of the previous one.
The functionality of this software
Speaking about the basic functionality, it immediately comes to mind to work with the FTP, SFTP, and FTPS protocols.
This client is one of the most convenient in working with remote servers, because with it you can change the position of objects, search for them on the server, and synchronize directories. This is a very useful feature.
If your Internet connection was disconnected while downloading files, the program will be able to download the missing files. This will help save your time and nerves. You can perform multi-threaded file downloads if you suddenly need to drop several files into different directories. It is also worth noting that you can configure to an FTP server with Windows Server 2008 or 2012.
How to download and install FileZilla
Let's start from the very beginning - download the installation file. You can do this from the official site. Trusting third-party is not recommended, as information leakage is possible. The source code will contain lines that can be used by attackers to transfer your logins and passwords. Go to the official website and just click on the red "Download" button.
After downloading the file, open it and follow the simple installation instructions. After completion, you can run this program and use it as your heart desires.
It is also worth noting that the installation and configuration of the FTP server on Windows 2012 and many others does not change, you can do it without problems.
If you are a user of the excellent Linux operating system, then the next step will be just for you. There is nothing complicated, so even a beginner will figure it out.
How to install FileZilla on Linux?
Setting up an FTP server for Ubuntu and other distributions is very similar, so we will only look at one way.
In order to download and install this program, we just need to open the terminal and register the command:
sudo apt install filezilla
And if you use CentOS or RedHat, then we prescribe a similar command that performs exactly the same action:
sudo yum install filezilla
Done. After that, this software will be installed on your computer.
Note: depending on the distribution, the spelling of the commands will change, but not so significantly, therefore, understanding this will not be difficult.
FTP server setup
To begin with, open the program we need and go to the settings section by going to the "Edit" menu. Then go to the "Settings" section. After you get to the right window, perform the initial setup. Every user using the program should know about it.
You need a data transfer mode. There are only two types:
Let's talk about them individually.
Active mode works when the server connects to the client and after that downloads the file.
With passive mode, the opposite is true - the client connects to the server and after that the files are downloaded.
There is already a choice for you, but it is worth mentioning that if suddenly your computer is connected via NAT, then the active mode will simply not work. Check if this is the case, then enable passive mode.
In this fragment of settings under the name "sFTP" you can specify your own keys for encrypting the transferred files. This will increase security and allow you to transfer files without the risk of interception and subsequent decryption.
Going to the next tab under the name "Transfers", you will see settings that allow you to specify the maximum number of transferred files, as well as change the speed of their transfer. In addition, there you can enable or disable filtering of prohibited characters.
Moving on to customizing the interface, you will see themes that are available by default. Here you will also find the basic settings - date and time correction. There is also a language change function.
In the file editing you can select your favorite editor, with which you can adjust the documents you need.
Done. We went over the main settings of the FileZilla program. Now let's configure our FTP server for more productive and convenient work without errors. Just follow the instructions and recommendations below.
Server setup: adding a site
For initial setup, we need to add a site for quick connection and reliable connection. To do this, we need to go to the "File" menu, then to the "Site Manager".
After that, a menu will open in which you need to click on the "New Site" button. Done, now you need to create a connection by entering the necessary data. Of course, you can change the name of the site at any time to the one you like best and it will not affect anything.
In the "Host" field, we need to enter the IP address or the letter server, with which we need to connect. The standard port is 21, but most often it is simply not used and it is not necessary to specify it.
Let's go to the server connection settings. Here we need to specify the type of connection that the server supports. The most commonly used standard is the FTP File Transfer Protocol.
Security
In the "Encryption" column, the best option would be to enable "Use explicit FTP over TLS if available." This will best protect your connection from information theft attempts. If you have problems connecting to the server via TLS, then select "Use regular FTP". But you need to take into account the fact that it does not have encryption and at any time the information can be stolen and subsequently decrypted.
The next field is very ambiguous. In the "Login Type" column, the default setting is "Anonymous", but most modern hosting companies cannot support it, so you have to choose either "Normal" or "Request a password." Let's take a closer look at them. From the point of view of security, the best choice would be to "Request a password", but if you do not want to constantly enter the code when connecting to the server and do not really care about security, then you can select "Normal".
In this case, you do not have to enter a password every time you enter the server, which will save you time, but will make a small "hole" in security. Because of this, all data, if it is of great importance, can be stolen.
The rest is simple. You need to write the username and password that was provided to you on the hosting. Naturally, it can be changed if you follow the necessary steps on the hosting itself.
All of the following tabs do not need to be changed. The program set everything by default. Then you just need to connect. In the other tabs, you should enter something when you have obvious connection problems, otherwise you risk breaking everything.
On this, the configuration of the FileZilla FTP server can be considered complete. Then you can use your program and safely connect to your server without worrying about data theft.
And finally
At this stage, the configuration of the FTP server, as well as the configuration of the FileZilla program itself, can be considered complete. You can safely connect to your server and not be afraid that information will be lost. However, this does not mean that you do not care about information security. You need to constantly improve and erect new walls for your information fortress. There are many more ways to connect to the FTP server, as well as programs that allow you to do this.
In the article, we examined an FTP client called FileZilla. And we talked about how you can configure the connection to the FTP server using this program. We examined the configuration of this program, and also mentioned security issues that should not be neglected. Windows FTP 2008 is configured in the same way as on Windows 2007.