WS-FTP is used to transfer files from a local computer to a server to make files available on the Internet. There are many ftp programs available. They all serve the same function and all behave in a similar fashion. WS-FTP is available only for PCs. Macs commonly use a program called Fetch.
Connecting...
Open
WS-FTP from the Programs section of the Start menu. The following dialog
box should appear:
The program immediately asks for some information about you and the server
your would like to connect to.
1. Field number 1 asks for the address of the server you would like to connect to. This is similar to a web address but not the same. The ftp address for the main Bryn Mawr web server, for example, is ada.brynmawr.edu.
2. In the User ID field, enter the first part of your e-mail address (The part before the @ symbol).
3. And in the Password field, enter the password you normally use for your e-mail. If you do not know your password, contact the help desk to have it reassigned.
4. To the right of these fields are two more options. 'Anonymous' is used to log on to server that allow anonymous log-ins. This does not apply to you. The 'Save Pwd' (Save Password) option should be used only if you are using your own machine. Do not enable this if you are using a public computer.
5. Click the "OK" button to log in to the server. If you have problems, click the 'Startup' Tab at the top of the box and make sure there is nothing entered in the field labeled 'Initial Remote Site Folder'.
Navigating...
After you have successfully logged into the server, you should see a screen similar to the one pictured at left. The screen is divided into two parts. The left hand part shows you the files found on your local computer and the right hand part shows files found on the server.
6. Navigate to the files you wish to upload in the left hand pane. Double click on the small green arrow pointing upwards to go up a level. Double click on a folder to go into that folder. If your files are on another drive, the 'ChgDir' button will allow you to change the drive letter.
7. In the right hand pane, the server automatically puts you in your home directory on the server. Every user has a home directory. This is where information about your e-mail is stored. You may upload files here, however this part of the server is not used for publishing web pages on the Internet. There is a special directory on the server used for this. On the Ada server, it may be found at: /web/www_pages. Click on the 'ChgDir' button in the upper right, enter /web/www_pages/ and, and click OK. The slash at the beginning of this is extremely important and it will not work without it. This should bring you to a list of folders, most of which are names of academic departments. These are the folder in which the websites for these departments are stored. The folder name correspond to the names of directories that follow http://www.brynmawr.edu/.
8. Navigate to the folder in which you have permission to upload.
Uploading...
9. When uploading to a server it is very important to keep in mind that files with the same name will be automatically overwritten. Always keep backups of all work you do and be very careful when working with other people's files. To upload a file, highlight the file you would like to upload in the left hand pane by clicking it once, then click the arrow button pointing to the right in the middle of the screen. This will send the file up to the server. The arrow pointing left will bring files down from the server.
10. You cannot of course send files into any folder on a server. Servers are set up with security in mind. Every file and folder on a server has a code associated with it that determines who is allowed to read or overwrite that file. If you receive a permission denied error at the bottom of the WS-FTP screen, this means that you do not have permission to upload to that particular directory or folder. If you feel you should have permission, contact the help desk.