Features

It's easy to upload and download files to and from your web server via the Internet using FTP.

File transfer Protocol (FTP) is a simple way to move files between your PC and a server via the Internet. It's what you'll normally use to transfer web pages you've created, typically in a folder containing your entire website, from your PC to your host server so they appear online.

Basic FTP access is built into Windows itself. From the Desktop, open a window onto any directory (such as My Computer). At the top of the window, an address bar shows the directory's location. Highlight this and erase it, then type your ftp address, such as ftp://ftp.mywebservername.com, and press Return. Your PC connects to the server, a box appears requesting your username and password, and the contents of that server directory then appear in the window.

It's generally better, though, to use an FTP program to upload and download files. Plenty are available free; here's how to use the enticingly named CoffeeCup.

	1 Install and run CoffeeCup Free FTP from www.coffeecup.com/free-ftp/. In the My Sites dialog box, click Add at the bottom left. In the Wizard, add your FTP location's name; the username and password to connect to the server; the hostname (usually something like www.mydomainname.com or ftp.mydomainname.com); and the default remote folder, if required. Your host will supply these details.

2 In steps 4 and 5, click No and then Finish. Back in the My Sites box, you'll see your location in the left-hand pane and the details you added in the right-hand pane. If you'll be uploading regularly from the same folder on your hard disk, for example to upload your website each time you update it, you can define a default local folder. Click the icon by Initial Local Folder, browse and select the folder you want.

3 Click Connect and you'll now see a two-pane interface. On the left, My Computer shows files on your own computer. On the right, My Site shows files on the remote server. You can drag and drop between the two to upload or download items, or select items and right-click for other options, such as deleting unwanted files. Once you're done, click Disconnect. To reconnect later, use the Servers menu.