Uploading Your Site
  1. What is FTP?
    FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is a protocol designed to allow for the transfer of files from one computer to another. 

  2. What FTP program should I use?
    There are many different FTP client programs available and any of them can be used to upload your site. There are links to some popular FTP software downloads on our support page. There is also an FTP manager built in to our control panel.

  3. What hostname do I put in my FTP program? 
    You need to use ftp.yourdomain.com. Until your domain is active you can use the temporary address given to you in your welcome email. You will need to use your username and passord to log in that were given to you in your welcome email. 

  4. Which file do I upload my website into?
    You need to upload your site into the folder "public_html" , which is your "web accessible directory." Upload the files you want accessible to your visitors and feel free to make the appropriate sub-directories you'll require. 

  5. What is the home directory?
    When you first FTP into your account, you'll be taken to your "Home" directory. Don't confuse this with your "web directory." The home directory is "not" accessible to the World Wide Web; it's a private directory where critical system files reside. DO NOT delete files that have been created by the system, otherwise your web site may disappear. 

  6. I have uploaded my website but I can't see it when using my browser.
    There are three main reasons that this happens. Firstly you need to check that you uploaded you files into the public_html folder. Secondly you need to check that you first page of you site is called index.html, index.htm or index.php. These are the default settings for our servers, the pages that a browser will automatically look for when someone enters your domain name. Finally, for new domain registrations, remember that it takes time for your domain to be fully up and running.

  7. Do my file names need to be in uppercase or lowercase?
    The Unix file system is very particular about "uppercase" and "lowercase" file names. For example, if you name a file picture file called me.jpg, then this is what you must call it as. Naming it me.JPG for example, (observe the uppercase) tells a Unix web server to treat it as a totally different file name. Unix file servers are exceptionally fussy on this issue, so make sure you pay close attention to case when uploading files, or installing and configuring cgi based scripts. The same rule applies for all files including your .html pages. Again, the server treats .html and .HTML as two entirely different files. Try to stick with lowercase letters in all file names and extensions. Also avoid using spaces in your file names.

  8. Uploading your files in the correct mode (ASCII or Binary)?
    Uploading in the wrong format for images or binaries will result in a strange mess appearing in place of the file. For CGI scripts, this mistake has to be the most common cause of the Server 500 Internal Error, or something similar. While this can be the result of many various programming errors, the most popular amongst new users are uploading their scripts in the "WRONG" format. Your cgi scripts "MUST" always be uploaded in ASCII mode. Alternatively, if you upload an image or .exe file, it must be done in "BINARY" mode. Some FTP clients allow "auto detect" of file upload format - this sometimes fails and it is better to make the choice yourself.

  9. Can I use Microsoft Frontpage to upload my site?
    Yes, you need to have FrontPage Extenssions installed on your account to do this. 

  10. Can I use FTP and FrontPage to publish my site?
    FrontPage does not always conform to the rules of Unix, so you should be extremely careful when accessing a FrontPage web via FTP. It's easy to damage the FrontPage web, as well as it's associated server extensions, and if it happens, you may loose the ability to administrate it from your FrontPage Explorer. To avoid problems like this: Do not alter, or delete files that are part of a FrontPage web Do not delete, move, or alter directories ending in _vtf. These are the FrontPage extensions. 

  11. Can I upload my site from the Control Panel?
    Yes, the Online Control Panel has a file manager system built into it that you can use to upload your site. Please see the documentation within the Control Panel for how to use this. 

  12. Popular standalone FTP clients
    There are many FTP programs out there. Most of them are self explanatory, though some have more bells and whistles than others. Here is a list of just a few FTP clients and where you can find them:

    Cute FTP — Everyone's favorite FTP Program! It's very fast and reliable, and gives you the ability to run multiple transfers without interference. It features drag and drop functionality, the ability to set most server-side permissions, and very detailed logs of transfer information.
    http://www.globalscape.com/products/cuteftp/index.shtml

    FTP Voyager — Similar to Cute FTP but more difficult to use. It provides some added benefits for UNIX-based servers, and once connected to Serv-U, the local time and date are automatically retained instead of the time of the upload.
    http://www.ftpvoyager.com 

    WS FTP — WS FTP has a modern user interface by which you can run multiple connections to your web server. Two useful functions included in the pro version are the Firescript Editor and SSL encryption support. The Firescript Editor gives the user the ability to customize scripts to comply with your firewall configurations. And the addition of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) provides a very safe method to transfer confidential data over the internet.
    http://www.ipswitch.com

    Fetch — Fetch is the premiere FTP client for the Macintosh platform. Some of the key features are the ability to create and edit remote text and image files with BBEdit and Graphic Converter, support for 11 different types of proxy servers, and the capability to view images, sound, and movies.
    http://fetchsoftworks.com 

    There are many things that you need to remember when using FTP:

    Make sure that you are uploading your files into the correct directory. 
    If you have a duplicate file(s) on the server, be ABSOLUTELY, positive that you want to overwrite the existing file(s). Once the file is overwritten it is gone! 
    Making backups never hurts, it very well could come in handy. 
    Look at your error logs to see reasons of why you are having upload/download trouble. Some common errors are permission denied, out of disk space, or a trashed response (basically the server timed out). 
    When uploading a database through an FTP client check to make sure that the permissions are set correctly, because the permissions tend to reset themselves when reuploaded.

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