Website Platter

Many business people have heard web designers talking about FTPs but few are familiar with what they actually involve. FTP is a simple and very effective way of updating websites and adding information to them. To understand what FTP involves, it is helpful to first understand what exactly it is.

What Is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is the mechanism that is used to transfer information and data from a basic format onto a website so the information is published online. Most often, the FTP program allows the transfers of many files at the same time to the host server. This means that once files have been transfer via FTP to a server, you can immediately go online and be able to see the information on your website.

Who Manages the FTP Process?

Naturally, you do not want just anybody to be able to access and upload information to your site. FTP access is therefore controlled; in order to use the protocol, you need to have user rights which are password protected. Most hosting providers allocate user rights in the form of an FTP account. Usually it is the web designer who will have FTP access in the form of these user rights. When you are creating or updating any of the information on the site, you will send the details to your web designer and they will FTP the information onto your website.

Allocating Users for FTP Accounts

In order to facilitate the FTP process, you will first need to set up FTP user accounts for those people who will be working on the website and require access to it. Each user account will be made up of a unique user name and password. This will grant users access to a specific website on a specific hosting account. When an FTP account is created, a folder is created on the public html level of your website; however, it is not available to anyone using the Web. In order to access the pages, you would need to known the account details and specific address. The user that knows the account login details will be able to upload information to the site. It is possible to set up several different user accounts for the same website, providing access to different parts of the website. It is also possible for one user to have access to more than one website they are working on.

Setting up an FTP Account

The technical side of setting up a FTP account will depend largely on what type of server and software you are using. The actual coding is slightly different in each of the programs but the principle of setting up FTP user accounts is basically the same. When you purchase your web hosting plan, it will come with an FTP connection you can use to upload information to your website. An FTP account needs to be set up manually. This is generally done through the web-based FTP management system which is usually provided by the hosting company. Once logged into the management system, you will can create, delete or edit the FTP user accounts. Once this is set up, your FTP will be ready to use. Typically, the FTP will be located at your domain name. In other words, if you were to type in ftp.domainname.com into your web browser, this will take you to the public FTP domain. Once there, you will be asked for a user name and password. When you have filled in these details, you will be able to view the files located in the FTP folder on the server.

Why Use FTP?

Some people may argue that FTP is not the most secure way to transfer files to a website. However, there is little debate that it is the most widely used mechanism to upload information onto a website. This is largely because it is the most proven method and subsequently, the most popular. The primary benefit of using FTP transfer compared to other web-based file managers is that the FTP type of connection facilitates uploading an entire directory tree at once. In addition, you stop the upload at any stage of the process and then resume it again at a later stage. FTP is used by CMS systems that use PHP applications, such as the widely known Joomla, evidencing its efficiency.

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If this were going to be a Top 10 list, most of the items would be fighting for the #1 position. Everything is important, and few details are unimportant, when it comes to finding the best Web hosting plan for your situation. Whether you are a sole proprietor, have a small firm or work in a Fortune 5 multinational, you need to consider the same basic things, only differing in a few specifics for the most part. The challenge is getting good information about the various Web hosting firms, since you certainly don’t want to trust their sales messages or Web site come-ons.

The key, then, is to do some objective research. If time is of the essence, however, you can augment (or even replace) your own efforts by availing yourself of some independent reviewers and rating sites. They go by various names, and offer different kinds of information, from a simple four-star rating system to a thorough discussion of all facets of a Web hosting plan. If you are finding good reviews of a particular host on several different rating and review sites, you are probably going to put that one on your short list. If you want to know the plain truth about Web hosting, of course, you need to know a bit about what is being rated. If you are in the dark on this topic, this introductory article will help.

First things first

The most important thing, just a bit more deserving of a #1 spot than other considerations, is reliability. This is measured in what is called uptime. A reliable, fast and stable hosting solution will guarantee at least 99% uptime, while adding a decimal point a few more 9s after it is becoming common for hosts. If the host is really serious about this uptime claim, you will see a guarantee for it.

Disk storage and data transfer (your traffic load in and out) are two other top considerations. Although many plans say they are unlimited, you have to read all the fine print to ensure this is true. If you will not be storing large video or audio files, and/or running a huge database with multiple sales checkout options, you are not likely to need completely unlimited storage. You may be able to get an even lower cost plan if you calculate your storage requirements and are certain you can keep below the limit you are paying for. The same holds true for your traffic (data transfer). If you don’t foresee needing an unlimited amount, find out just how much you do need before you shop around for a host.

Technical matters, service and support

Things like FTP, PHP, CGI-BIN access, SSL, etc., were once luxuries but are now necessities. If you need your host’s permission to install PHP or CGI scripts, that can slow you down. You will need these capabilities if you want to create your own special error pages, maintain online databases, add extra security measures and so on. You not only need to confirm the use of these tools, you need to know (right away) about any usage restrictions. The server type is another technical decision, since your desire to use, say, ASP will require a Windows server. Unix- and Linux-based hosts using the Apache Web server software give you much of the same flexibility without your needing to get approval to install anything. Make sure you understand why you would pick one server type over another, and if you don’t get it, get help and learn.

Unless your hardware and software is kind enough only to crash during normal business hours (not yours, the hosting company’s), you should opt for a host that has full-time, around-the-clock tech support with real people on the lines. Some claims of 24/6/365 support are based on the host having a FAQ page and an e-mail contact. You will also want to ensure that you can manage your site on your own, too, so some sort of browser-based control panel (like the popular cPanel) should be offered. This will allow you to manage e-mail and e-mail accounts, block spam, use various tools and maintain a level of control over your site.

Bottom line

It is not just a matter of assembling information. It is a matter of using your best judgment to get an objective, accurate review of potential hosts for your all-important Web site. That is the reason for the brief overview here, so that you know what things an independent reviewer should be telling you. When you start shopping around for a Web host, you also need to shop a bit for the best, most independent reviews, too. And that’s the plain truth!

Web Hosting at ReviewItOnline.net is a large team of experienced webmasters, web users, site owners and company leaders here to help you – webmasters of the future with all of your website hosting needs. Together we have years of online experience in creating successful websites and online products.