++| A M V - What is FTP? (original) (raw)

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. But don’t let the name scare you. It’s just as easy as HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol), which is web browsing. ;-)

As the name implies, FTP allows you to transfer files between your computer and other computers. Web browsing allows you to download files and web pages for display on your computer. But unlike web browsing, FTP is for downloading and uploading files.

In order to use FTP, you will need three things:

1. An FTP program - CuteFTP is good commercial program for PC and Filezilla is a good free program; Transmit is good for Mac. But, any FTP program will do. Check out the variety of ones found at http://www.download.com
2. An FTP site - Just like you need a web address to view web pages, you need an FTP address to transfer files.
3. A username/password combination - These are not required for all FTP sites (some allow you to transfer anonymously), but it is required for here at the Org.

Once you get your FTP program installed, simply fill in the site, username, and password provided on the “upload videos” page. You should then be able to drag-and-drop your file onto the storage server.

WARNING: Depending on the file size and your upload speed, uploading a file to the server can take a long time. Upload time can range from a few tens of minutes to a few hours. Your FTP program should have some kind of status indication with an estimated time to upload. Please be sure that your entire file is uploaded before attempting to confirm your file.

Once your file is uploaded, check back to the “upload video” page to test the file and then confirm it.