How to upload your files to the Internet using FTP

What is FTP

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. A protocol is a language (a set of rules) that enables computers to speak to one another. FTP is used to make files and folders available for transfer over the Internet. FTP uses the Internet, but is not the Web. You will use FTP to move your folders and HTML files from your computer or zip disk to the server so that your files are online and can be viewed on the Web.

There are many ways to FTP your files to the server.

FTP using a browser

Note: The computers in the Humanities Labs may be set up to disallow this ability. If you are having problems getting your browser to login, then try another method below.

To FTP to the Web server using your browser, type this address into the Address URL box:

Notice that we are typing in ftp:// instead of the more familiar http://

Remember that http is the protocol for the Web, so when we FTP we are not using the Web, we are using the Internet.

A log-in box should pop up, saying that you cannot login anonymously and it prompts you to enter a user name and password.

For the username, enter your last name after lcws/ like in the illustration below.

For the password, enter your student ID begininning with zero.

Do not click Save Password

Click Login after you have entered your information

You should now be logged in to your folder on the server. If this is your first time logging in, you should see that there is nothing inside the folder yet.

To upload your files: just drag the files or folders from your disk into this window.

Remember: YOU MUST KEEP THE FILE STRUCTURE THE SAME on both the server and your zip disk in order to get your links to work and your images to show up.

This is what your folder on the server SHOULD look like if you have followed the instructions correctly for setting up your file structure on your zip disk:

FTP using WS-FTP software

If you cannot login with your browser, another way to FTP your files is to use a piece of software called WS-FTP.

On your computer, go to Start-->Find-->Files or Folders and search for ftp, look in the C drive and check "Include subfolders"
Then click "Find Now"

Once the computer finishes searching, find the blue icon for the WS_FTP software and double click on it to launch the application.

When the software opens, enter your login information.

Hostname is nmc.loyola.edu
User ID is lcws/lastname
Password is your student ID beginning with zero

Do not click Save Password, you will have to enter your password again after you click OK

After you click OK and re-enter your password, you will be automatically logged into your folder within the nmc file structure.

 

On the left hand side of the screen, double-click the drive for the zip drive. It is now the F drive, although it was the D drive before the new computers in the lab.

Once you see the contents of your zip disk in the left hand window, find the www folder which should be inside the internet folder, if you followed the directions for setting up your file structure correctly on your zip disk.

Notice the address of the Local System is the path to your files on the zip disk

Once you see the files and folders inside the left side window, then highlite the file you want to put online and click the left arrow button to move a copy of the file to your folder on the server.

Here the files and folder structure have successfully been copied from the zip disk (seen in the left window) to the server (seen in the right window).

The URL of your site (depending on the semester) will be:

SUMMARY: How to FTP your files using WS_FTP

The right window represents the remote server, and the window on the left is your local computer.

1. In the local window, find your disk -- you might have to type in F:\
   
   
2. Highlight the file you want to put on the server.
   
   
3. Click the right arrow button to move the file from your disk to the server.
   
   
4. To get a file from the remote server, click the left arrow. The file will be downloaded into the folder which is visible in the left window

 

FTP using Dreamweaver

Once we start using Dreamweaver, you can use the FTP capabilities that are built into Dreamweaver. See the section on how to manage a site and set up ftp in the Dreamweaver section for more details.

 

 

File Structure : How to set up your folders on your zip disk and on the server

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