Why do you need an FTP server?

This document is designed for use by students with a permanent internet connection, such as those here at Virginia Tech. If you’re a student living on-campus, chances are you do some work in computer labs and often find yourself needing to save projects to floppy or Zip disk. If you were running an FTP server on your dorm-room PC, all you would need to do from an internet-connected lab PC or Mac is connect to your computer and send the file to yourself, eliminating the need for disks that can be lost, get dirty, or even break. This document will teach you how to do all of that.
 
 

Before we begin…

These instructions assume you have the following readily available:

• A PC running Windows 95, 98, or NT. These instructions work best under 95 or 98, but users of NT may find them helpful as well.
• A permanent Internet connection – if you have a dial-up connection, you will need to determine your IP address each time you reconnect. See note before glossary.
• A working knowledge of your operating system, browser of choice, and a few other basic programs which will be used in the body of the instructions.
• Roughly 10 MB of hard-disk space to work with.
• About half an hour of free time.

Part 1: Getting Ready

In order to create an FTP server, you will need software to allow you to create and maintain the server, as well as some form of client software to connect to your new server once it is set up. For this tutorial, we will be using Serv-U FTP server software, and connecting using Netscape Communicator.
 

1.	Visit www.ftpserv-u.com. This will take you to the Serv-U FTP server homepage.
2.	Click "Download" – the 4th button down on the left side-->.  A form will appear.
3.	Fill in the form. Note that only the fields with a red star next to them are "required." It is advised to check all 3 boxes at the bottom of the page-->  This will ensure you don't get "spam" (unsolicited commercials) in your email.
4.	Click "Next" when done.
5.	Click any one of the "Download Site" links on the right of the page that comes up. This tutorial assumes you know how to save a file using your browser of choice.
6.	Once the download completes, open the file. ZIP files can be opened with WinZIP.  You can get an evaluation version from www.winzip.com for free.
7.	Run SETUP.EXE from within the ZIP file. An installation screen should appear.
8.	Click Next four times. You may change the options shown if desired.  They allow you to specify your preferences about the installation process.
9.	Click Finish when installation has completed.

Remember, if you were running WinZIP you should close it once installation is done.
 
 
 
 

Part 2: Configuring the Server

Now you have the server software installed. All you need to do to start running the server is configure it to suit your taste and make sure it is always running
 

 

1.	Select "Programs" from the Start Menu.
2.	Open "Serv-U" under the "Serv-U FTP Server" group. A screen displaying 2 choices will appear. Under the second choice, your server will be crippled but have no usage limit.  Under the first, you can see how the full version works, but only for a limited time.  I reccomend the first option.
3.	Click "I Agree" under whichever choice you have made. Now you should see the main screen for the server. You need to create a "User" so you can connect to your new server.
4.	Click the "Users" button – it is the 6th button on the toolbar, with a picture of a man’s head on it. A new window should appear:
5.	Add a new user to the list, which is probably empty now: Click the "New" button on the right side of the window (red arrow). Another new window will appear that says "New Name." Enter a username for yourself. It is recommended that you avoid spaces in this username, as different clients handle spaces differently. Back at the Users window, click the name you just created for yourself on the left side. You should see the name in the "User Name" box change (green arrow). Enter a Password for yourself in the Password box (blue arrow).  WARNING: make sure your password is hard to guess. Don't use your name, birthday, phone number, or the username you just chose.  People will be seeing your FTP information on any lab machines you use to connect and if they can guess your password, they can connect to your computer just like you can. Enter a Home Directory in the Home Directory box (purple arrow). This is where you will start when you connect to your computer later on.  This can be the root of your hard drive ("C:\"), your Documents folder ("C:\My Documents"), or any directory on your computer. The "…" button to the right can be used to browse for the appropriate directory. Add access rules to various places on your computer with the "Add" button at the bottom (orange arrow). You must add access to the Home Directory (purple arrow), and you can add access to anywhere else on your computer. Check the boxes to the right (black brace) for each access rule you add. See the glossary for more about these options.  For your "master" account (since it is YOUR computer, after all) I reccomend checking: Read, so you can get files from your computer Write, to be able to send files to your computer Append, which allows you to add to existing files Delete, which lets you remove old files Make, so you can create new folders/directories Remove, to be able to get rid of old folders/directories
6.	Click OK at the bottom of the window.
7.	Click Setup-->FTP-Server.
8.	Check the "Auto-Start as System Service" box.  Now Serv-U will run when Windows starts.  Unless you turn it off, your FTP server will run as long as your computer is on.

Part 3: Connecting to Your Computer

To use your FTP server, you need a client. You can use:

• CuteFTP,
• BulletProof,
• WSFTP,
• CrystalFTP,

1.	Obtain your IP address by running "winipcfg.exe" from the StartàRun box.  Look in the box marked "IP Address." (blue arrow) If you’re on the Tech campus, it will probably start with 198.  Write this number down.
2.	In Netscape, enter the following URL: ftp://yourusername@yourip where "yourusername" is the User Name you gave yourself in Part 2, Step 6, and "yourip" is the IP address you just found in Step 1. A box will appear asking for your password.  Once you enter it, you should see a listing of all the files in your Home Directory, specified in Part 2, Step 9.

• To send a file:

1. Under the File menu, click "Upload File…" A dialog will appear to allow you to choose a file. You may have to click the "Files of Type" box to be able to pick different files from the directory you are in.
2. Click "OK" to send the selected file.

• To get a file:

1. Right-click the file.
2. Choose "Save Link As."
3. Select the directory where you wish to save the file.

Note to users with dial-up connections: After Part 1, step 5, there is a link at the bottom of the page marked "Enhance FTP Serv-U with our available Add-Ons!" Click this link. One of the add-ons offered will update a web page displaying your IP address when it changes. If you wish to run a server from your PC with a dial-up connection, you may wish to try this utility, though no support will be offered for it here.
 
 

Glossary:
 

Access Rule:	A guideline for your FTP server that tells it who can do what on your computer.  Each access rule has certain permissions set for it.  An access rule gives a user access to the named directory according to these permissions.  Each user must have at least one access rule -- the one that controls his home directory.
Client:	Software that allows a user to connect to a server.
Directory:	A directory (sometimes called a "Folder" in Windows 95/98 and MacOS) is a subdivision of a drive on a computer.  Some folders common to most Win95/98 computers are c:\windows, c:\My Documents, etc.  A directory may contain subdirectories, e.g. c:\windows\desktop or c:\My Documents\english.
FTP:	File Transfer Protocol. Similar to HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol). Allows easy transfer of files from one computer to another.
IP Address:	Similar to a street address, it is a unique identifier for a computer on the internet. On the campus LAN, computers have a "static" (unchanging) IP. If you use a dial-up (modem) connection, you probably have a "dynamic" IP address.
Permissions:	File permissions allow or disallow actions by a user on a directory-by-directory basis. Read - Allows a user to see and download files in a directory. Write - Allows user to send (write) file to a directory without overwriting a file of the same name. Append - Allows a user to add data to the end of a file without changing the existing portion of it.  Not commonly used. Delete - Allows a user to remove a file from the current directory. Execute - Allows a user to run an executable file (like the WINIPCFG.EXE file mentioned in Part 3, Step 1) from your computer List - Allows a user to see all subdirectories of the current directory Make - Allows a user to create a new subdirectory in the current directory Remove - Allows a user to delete an entire subdirectory of the current directory The "Inherit" checkbox under the other permissions means that the current rules (permissions) apply to all subfolders of the current directory.
Server:	Software that allows users (clients) to connect to it and perform a predefined set of functions, such as sending and recieving data