What is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, which is the standard Internet protocol for the transfer of files. There are many programs that use FTP to upload files to the Internet. Included in this guide are directions to using several of the most popular programs for both Macs and PCs to upload your files to directNIC servers.

Important Tips:

Home Directory vs. Domain Directory
All domains hosted by directNIC in a specific account use the same username and password when accessing the server via FTP. This is because for each account there is one Home Directory on the hosting server. Each hosted domain and virtualhost has an individual Domain Directory within the Home Directory for the account. FTP programs will log the user into the Home Directory unless you specify otherwise. When in the Home Directory, all the Domain Directories are listed and usually accessible simply by clicking on them. Whenever uploading files, make certain they are being uploaded to the Domain Directory and not the Home Directory.

Default Page
The default page for your site must be named index.html or index.htm, all in lower case.

Firewall
If a computer is behind a firewall, connecting via FTP may require adjusting certain settings on your FTP program. Though these settings may be found in different areas of the program, generally the way to connect via FTP from behind a firewall is to set the program to Passive mode. In addition, many programs have an option to Enable Firewall Access.