FTP

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a protocol used to move files from one computer to another across a network. It usually works between a client, the computer you are using, and a server that stores the files.

Uploading and downloading

FTP moves files in both directions:

• Upload a file from your computer to the server.
• Download a file from the server to your computer.

For example, a school robotics club could keep its match videos on a partner college's FTP server. A club member could download last year's videos to edit, then upload the new recordings so the rest of the team can use them.

Managing files on the server

To use FTP, you usually log in with a username and password, so the server can check that you are allowed to access its files. Once connected, FTP does more than move files: you can list the files in a folder, rename a file, or delete a file you no longer need. That means you can tidy and organise the server's storage without sitting at the server itself.

When to choose FTP

Choose FTP when the job is to transfer whole files between two computers, especially between a client and a server. If you need to send a large folder of photographs to a server, or fetch a document from it, FTP is designed for that job, because it moves whole files in either direction.