FTP

FTP or File Transfer Protocol is a method of transfering files to and from the Internet. Some small programs that use this protocol are free like, WS_FTP and LapLink FTP. Like going to a site on the Internet, you need the address first. This is usually just "ftp. whatever.com". These two programs operate in a simular maner. The WS_FTP has your PC folders and files displayed on the left and the FTP site on the right. To upload a file you highlite the file you want to transfer and select the direction arrow inbetween the two windows to start the transfer. The LapLink FTP displays over and under windows, with your files and folders displayed above in a double window that looks just like your "windows explorer". In this program, you highlite the destination folder then you can "Drag & Drop" the files to be transfered or you can use "Copy & Paste". Except for highliting the destination folder, it operates just like windows explorer. I found both to work well.

Both of these programs enable you to make folders on your web space (the space not used by your web site). These can then be use as a large file mail drop for your friends. It is slow, difficult and in some casses impossible to send large files via e-mail. If you have 10 meg of web space (common in free sites) and your web site is 10 or 15 pages, you probably have not used 2 meg. So, you have 8 meg free in this case. Be sure to check how much is unused space that you have as some ISPs do not allow over use of the space you are alloted.

You can then put up a folder for file transfer or even a folder for each of you friends. You can only use 8 megs for transfer if you have that amount unused, but if you were wanting to send a 5 meg file to each of five friends, you only need to put it in one folder one time and tell each friend by e-mail that the files in a certain folder. As each goes to your ftp site and downloads the files, they are only copied so the original is still there. Thus you only have to upload it once. However, when everyone has downloaded their copy, you or the last one in must delete the original to free up your site for further transfers or add more pages to your web site.

Some ISPs put types of files restrictions. Like no .exe files. This would rule out many small programs. However, by Zipping it, you have changed the file extentsion so it is not a .exe file, thus satusfying the rules. Another method is to just rename the file extentsion to anything else. However, you will need to inform whoever you are sending it to, that they must change the name back to the .exe at the other end. You are not actually changeing the file extentsion, only relableing it. This may not work with all ISPs, it depends on the method used by the ISP to ID the file. Some of the free ISPs do not allow any file downloading at all, so check first. If they don't and that is a feature you want, just get another site, there are hundreds.

Durring a file upload or download in an FTP program or even just on the net, you will get a small window with info about the transfer. This usually tells you the file size, and sometimes the time to transfer, the rate of transfer and sometimes even the elapsed time and time remaining. The size of the files I find fairly accurate but you have to be bad in math to believe some of the rest of the info. For example; I attempt to transfer a 90 K file and it tells me the time to transfer will be 1 hr 53 min. transfer rate is 30 K per sec. Actual transfer took about 45 sec. Duh! I was not great in math but!!! The only useful thing I see in the additional info is that as you see the numbers ticking away, you at least know that the transfer is still going on. Sometimes about half way trough the transfer, it settles down to something close to the real world. If you are connected by cable to the Internet, you don't need to worry about all of this since a 90 K file would be transfered before you can get your finger off the button.

Some ISPs have their own method of uploading and downloading at your web site. Even some of the web authering programs can do that also. However, the small free FTP programs will be able to do that to any of the FTP sites, plus they can make the unused site space into either a storage area or double as a file drop for friends and associates. See page 18 (Internet Access) for the address to get an FTP program.