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So you’d like to start sharing files across the Internet, allowing visitors to get these files at their own convenience. Where do you start?

Unless you have your FTP site outsourced to a virtual hosting company, you’ll need a computer with adequate storage space for your FTP site. This computer will become your FTP server and, similar to a Web server, will need a constant connection to the Internet (i.e. a T1, Cable, DSL orISDN connection). This computer may or may not be the same computer that hosts your Website.

Along with a constant connection, you’ll need a ‘static IP address’. An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a numeric Internet address for your computer. It is a set of four numbers, each between 0 and 255, that are separated by periods (dots). For example, the IP address for my FTP site is ‘206.151.165.244’. A static IP address is one that is permanently fixed to your computer.

You will also need FTP server software which allows you to serve files over the Internet, much like a Web server software that allows you to serve Web pages.

There are a number of options when choosing FTP server software. The server that is best for you depends on your computer’s operating system and how many people you expect to access your FTP site.

For those who need a robust FTP server, I would recommend our own product, WS_FTP Server. WS_FTP Server runs on Windows NT/2000 and is a popular choice for schools, ISPs or any business organization that needs to share files with an unlimited number of users. You can download a free 30-day evaluation of WS_FTP Server from the Ipswitch Website.

As demonstrated earlier, IP addresses are not very user-friendly. As a result, FTP sites will typically use a domain name for their Internet address – just like a Website. A domain name is simple text and is much easier for visitors to remember than an IP address (ftp.FTPplanet.com vs. 206.151.165.244).

If you already have a registered domain name for your Website, you will most likely want to use the same domain for your FTP site. If you do not have a domain, you can purchase one from a number of sites including Register.com or Internic.com.

Typically, an FTP site uses the subdomain ‘ftp’ instead of the ‘www’. The DNS (Domain Name System) is like an Internet directory that controls the redirect of each domain to a site’s IP address. Once you have your domain, you will need to adjust the DNS configuration so that your domain points to the static IP address of your FTP site. If you do not have DNS capabilities internally, you can use the free DNS service ZoneEdit.

Setting up your FTP Server
Setting up an FTP server is quite simple. Some software has the ability to set passwords, directory access permissions, and a number of other FTP server functions. You can experiment with these attributes as you get more comfortable with your FTP server. For now, let’s start with the basics.

To begin, you will need to set those directories you’d like to share, or ‘host’, on your FTP site. You can select an entire drive or any subdirectory of the computer you’re using for your FTP server. (continued on page 2)

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