FTP: File Transfer Protocol Explained for Beginners
Published: 2023-09-29 07:42:43


FTP is a very common term you encounter regularly if you are into web development. If you are a tech-savvy person, knowing the basic use and meaning of FTP is just an easy thing. However, for beginners, FTP may sound unfamiliar and complicated.

Website developers understand that FTP helps them make updates to the website and securely send an extensive amount of files effortlessly. The term "FTP" is broad and contains a lot of information to learn. So we have written this article to give you with a full explanation and to serve as a step-by-step manual for beginners to learn all about FTP.

By the end of this article, every beginner will have the basic knowledge, know-how, and methods of FTP and will understand the application of the protocol. Let's get started then.

**What does File Transfer Protocol (FTP) mean?**

FTP stands for the File Transfer Protocol. The protocol is used to establish a connection between two computers. The main purpose of this connection is to facilitate communication and transfer a large number of files between the connected computers. The transfer of files is done on the internet, commonly known as TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).

To transmit files with FTP, both computers must network together and configure correctly. Users must install FTP software on the computers and set it up efficiently to run the FTP features. Hosts are the users that form the connection for receiving and transferring files. In this  connection, the server is referred to as the remote host, and the user at the computer end is referred to as the local host.

An alternative to FTP is HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It allows users to transfer files, but FTP has more popularity and is commonly used.

**How does FTP function?**

As we discussed earlier, FTP works by facilitating communication between two connected servers/computers. These connections build communication channels among themselves. There's one command channel that gives commands to the servers, it initiates requests for various operations. Whereas, the other channel is the data channel, it accepts the requests and transmits/distributes the data as per the request.

**Functioning of the FTP servers:**

To access all the content of FTP, the user must install the FTP software. Once the software is installed, the user must log in to the software using login credentials. There are two types of FTP servers: authorized and anonymous. Authorized servers require login credentials, whereas anonymous servers do not, so the user must log in to perform the transfer of files.

Once the login process is completed, the user can perform operations like:  downloading, uploading, copying, cutting, renaming, and deleting files using FTP. The operations are initiated from the local host's side when the user places  request to the server.

There are two ways of performing operations in FTP: active mode and passive mode. In active mode, authorized users request the servers for permissions to transfer or gain the file. In return, the server grants the permission to make the  transfer process is complete. This mode is called the active mode.

However, if the local host’s computer has firewall security protection, the host must use passive mode for transferring files. The channels of the FTP come in handy during passive mode. The FTP server sends the information to the user via the command channel. 

The information contains the commands required by the user to perform the operations he/she wants. The user then uses this information and opens the data required from the data channel. Thus, the process of transferring or gaining the file is completed. This type of mode is  passive mode.

**Types of FTP servers**

Though the work of FTP is the same all around - file transfer and performing various operations. There are different types of FTP servers that help to complete these tasks. Below are the common types of FTP servers:

1. **Authorized FTP (Password-protected FTP)**: Password-protected FTP services require login credentials (username and password) to download or perform any other operations. Even though it operates on port 21, it does not support data transfer without encryption.

2. **Anonymous FTP**: It is the most common and basic form of FTP. It enables users to perform data transfers without using login credentials (username and password) or encrypting the data. Since it operates on port 21, it is frequently used for downloading files from unrestricted sources.

3. **Explicit FTP - SSL/TLS (FTPES)**: FTPES is a method that converts an FTP connection to an encrypted connection on port 21. With the help of this conversion, explicit TLS support are enabled. It also allows web and file sharing services to secure file transfers.

4. **FTP Secure Sockets Layer (FTP-SSL)**: FTP-SSL, also known as FTP Secure (FTPS), is a more secure form of FTP. It establishes the Transport Layer Security (TLS) as soon as an FTP connection is set up between the two servers.

5. **Secure FTP (SFTP)**: SFTP is actually not an FTP protocol, but it operates in a similar manner. SFTP uses port 22 and is a part of the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol. It is frequently used by systems administrators to securely access systems and applications. SSH also includes a technique for secure file transfer protocol called SFTP.

**What are the uses and importance of FTP servers?**

File transfers across the network can happen without FTP (HTTP and emails allow large file transfers); however, the drawback of such file transfers is that there is no attention, control, and accuracy like FTP. FTP is a standard form of the network protocol used for large files. 

These files get transfers across IP networks without glitches and errors. It works precisely and with all the focus on the file transfers, giving the best results.

**Along with data and file transfers, FTP is also used for several other functions like:**

● **Backup Function**: Data can be backed up via FTP, in this process data files are transferred from one location to a secure backup server. This enables the users to restore the data files easily.

● **Replication Function**: Replication of data via FTP is similar to backup, here it copies data files from one system to another, with increased availability and resilience.

● **Data loading and Access**: In remote systems, FTP loads data for access to shared [web hosting](https://www.milesweb.in) and cloud services.

**FTP Security**

FTP comes with no inbuilt security feature, which means it's quite vulnerable to getting hacked. Moreover, it transfers files without encryption, which means any third party that gains access to the data will be able to see all the data from the files clearly. Hence, FTP is prone to malware attacks and security threats.

To enhance its security, FTP has been upgraded with many updates. Authorized or password-protected FTP, implicit TLS FTP, SFTP, etc., are all secured versions of FTP that provide security to the user's data.

The updated FTP protocol now has the feature of encrypting the data to hinder the attacker's eavesdropping. However, the updated FTP is not foolproof safe; it can still be attacked by hackers that can forge user/password authentication.

**Advantages of Using FTP:**	

- Easy transfer of a large number of files
- Simultaneous transfer of large files
- Allows using FTP client
- Uses the synchronizing utility

**FTP Clients**

FTP allows FTP clients feature; these FTP Clients help the users and provide easy functions for downloads, uploads, delete, rename, or transfer and gain files. Some of the popular FTP clients are as follows:

● **Cyberduck**: An open-source client with an easy-to-use interface, extremely helpful for beginners.

● **FileZilla**: A free FTP client that supports FTP, FTPS, and SFTP for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

● **FTP Voyager**: It allows users to simultaneously connect to multiple FTP servers, enabling uploading to whichever server the user wants to access, without interrupting other servers.

● **CrossFTP**: It is a file transfer protocol client that helps users handle data sync, transfer, delete, or upload on Windows, Linux, and Mac.

● **Transmit**: This is an FTP client tool for macOS that helps users manage files on numerous servers, supporting FTP and SSH.

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**Conclusion**

Finally, here we are! As a beginner, it becomes very difficult to understand technical terms and use them. But we hope this article has answered all your questions related to the file transfer protocol (FTP). It is helpful in sending and receiving files between two connected servers. It has different ways of file transfer, various advantages, and many free FTP clients for your help.