FTP: Use and Troubleshooting
- What is FTP?
o The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is an application program which moves files between computers connected to the Internet independent of machine type or operating systems. This means a user can put files on an FTP server that is located anywhere in the world, using any operating system (for example, Windows or Mac). Another user can download these files from his/her computer from that server. The only limitation in file size is the available hard drive space on the server. Some FTP uploads will time out, however, if the file size is too big. If this happens, try to use a program to split up the big file (Turbo File Split is an example program to do this which you can download here: http://downloads.theregister.co.uk/Windows/Utilities/File-Disk-Management/turbosplit.html).
- Where do I find the FTP program on my computer?
o FTP works with many Web Browsers. The most common is Microsoft’s Internet Explorer – the same program you probably use to surf the web. Some web browsers, however, do not support FTP. Examples are Firefox and Netscape. If you use one of these browsers, you will need to find a 3rd party FTP browser like SmartFTP – you can download a free copy here: http://www.smartftp.com/download/.
- How do I use FTP?
o
If you are
using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, type in
ftp.dcopy.net
.
You should see a list of files and folders (If not, please look at the
“How do I troubleshoot FTP” part of this document).
If you are putting a file on our FTP server, you can simply drag and
drop it into this window. Our FTP server is setup so you can only put
files on it – you cannot open files. This way, nobody except us will be
able to view your document. If you are using a 3rd party
program, like SmartFTP, you can type in
ftp.dcopy.net in the address location, and click Connect. If we
have supplied you with an FTP account, you will need to put in this
information. This will give you permissions to logon and add/delete
your own files in your directory. If we supplied you with a username
and password, open Microsoft Internet Explorer, and enter
ftp.dcopy.net in the address bar. Click on File, and click
on Logon As.
Enter your
username and password, and click Log On. You will now be in your
own directory where you can add or delete files and folders.
- How do I troubleshoot FTP?
o There
are a few changes you might need to make to successfully use FTP. The
most common FTP problem is experienced by Windows users using Internet
Explorer. You may see this error message:
This is
very common, but easy to fix. On the menu in Internet Explorer, click
Tools and click Internet Options.
Click the
Advanced tab and scroll down until you see Use Passive FTP for
firewall and DSL modem compatibility. Uncheck this box.
Also,
scroll up until you see Enable folder view for FTP sites. This
box
should be checked.
Click OK,
and close the Internet Explorer window. Reopen Internet Explorer, and
type in
ftp.dcopy.net.
If you are still having problems, try to click on this link (or type it
in your web browser/FTP program:
ftp://anonymous:IEUser@ftp.dcopy.net. You can replace anonymous
with your username and IEUser with your password if we supplied you with
an FTP account. If you do not see any files or folders when browsing
ftp.dcopy.net and receive no error message, click File and
click Logon as. You can logon as anonymous if you do not have an
FTP account setup with us. Finally, if you are still receiving an error
– or not able to access the FTP site at all, it is most likely a
firewall issue – in this case, please contact the system administrator
of your organization.