What is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. In very basic terms, it allows you to copy a file from a location on the Internet anywhere in the world (the remote host) and then bring it to your machine (known as the local host) or place a file from your machine to any server on the Internet that you have permission to upload to.

There are many FTP packages available on the Internet and they are usually platform specific. PC users have a program called WS ftp, whereas, Macintosh users have a program called Fetch.

Using Ws FTP
Using Fetch
 

 Using the WS FTP Program:

There are four lines that you need to fill in while logging into WS_FTP. Do not hit enter until all four are filled. To move your cursor, hit the [TAB] key or just use your mouse to click into the appropriate box.

1. BOX 1 -- Box one has two slots which will contain the same information. The information needed is the Profile Name and the Host Name Address. If you are using MiraLynx, it will be ftp.miralynx.com
2. BOX 2 -- Second, you always want this box to read AUTOMATIC DETECT.
3. BOX 3 -- Third, you will need to type in your User id. This is the same user id that you were given the first day you received your account. It is the same id that you use whenever you log in to retrieve your e-mail. Hit TAB and then type in your password.
4. BOX 4 -- This is the box in which your password must be typed. Type it in carefully.
5. BOX 5 -- Make sure that neither of the boxes are checked off. You do not want to use the Anonymous option, nor do you want to save your password. Both would be security risks. Now that all the necessary boxes are filled, go ahead and hit the ENTER key, or click the OK key on the WS_FTP login screen.
6. In this window the screen is broken into two parts, a left side and a right side. The left side is a complete accounting of every directory, folder, and file in your computer. The right side is a complete listing of everything in your MiraLynx account.
7. In the left window that contains the files on your system, find the directory where you have stored your web site.
8. In the right window, make sure you have the correct directory open that will hold the files you are about to transfer, i.e., /images for your image files (note: make sure when transferring images that the BINARY transfer mode is selected).
9. Back in the left window select the file/s you wish to transfer. Once selected, click on the right arrow between the two windows. Alternately, if you wish to download a file from your MiraLynx account to your system, repeat the steps in reverse from the right window using the left arrow to transfer the files.
10. When you are finished, make sure that you click the EXIT button.

 Using the Fetch Program:

After you have launched Fetch, follow these steps to connect to your MiraLynx account directory.

1. When you launch Fetch, the Open Connection dialog box appears. (The content of the fields may vary.) Type the host name of the machine you want to connect to. For MiraLynx, type ftp.miralynx.com
2. Press TAB to move to the "User ID:" field, type your MiraLynx account login name, and press TAB again.
3. In the "Password:" field, type your MiraLynx account password. note: Bullets will appear in the field as you type. This is a standard password security technique to keep others from seeing your password.
4. Press TAB once more to move to the "Directory:" field. Press the Delete key to remove any information from this field; doing so will place you in your MiraLynx account home directory.
5. When all of the information is entered correctly, press RETURN or click on OK to make a connection. The mouse pointer will turn into a running dog while the connection is being established.

   Once the connection has been made, a list of files in your MiraLynx account home directory will appear in the file list box of the Fetch window. Files in your account will be represented by document icons. If you have subdirectories in your account, they will appear as folder icons. The name of the current directory is displayed as the title in the pop-up menu above the file list box. To change to a subdirectory, simply double-click on the appropriate folder icon in the file list. (To move back up in the directory structure, click and hold on the directory-name box above the file list. A menu will open; drag to select the parent directory you want, and release the mouse button.)

6. If you are transferring a plain-text file, skip to Step 2. If you are transferring a binary file, such as a GIF graphic for the Web or a word-processor file, click on the Binary radio button in the Fetch window. (If you are transferring HTML files for the Web, they should be in plain-text format, so you can skip this step.)
7. Click on the Put File... button in the Fetch window.
8. An "Open" dialog box will appear. Use it to locate the file you wish to transfer, then click on Open.
9. A "Save" dialog box will appear. If you want, you can rename the file; it will then appear in your MiraLynx account directory with the name you enter. (note: If you are transferring a GIF graphic for the Web, select Raw Data from the pop-down menu to the right of Format: in the "Save" dialog box.)
10. Click on OK. The file will transfer to your MiraLynx account, and it should appear in the scrolling file list on the left side of the Fetch window.