How to set up an FTP Server using FileZilla

An FTP server lets you move files between devices over a network. It sits between the computer sending the files and the one receiving them. FTP servers are es­pe­cially common in web de­vel­op­ment. In this article we explain what an FTP server is, what it’s used for and how to set one up with FileZilla.

What is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It has been around since 1985, which makes it one of the oldest internet protocols still in use. FTP is a network protocol for trans­fer­ring data between computers on the same network. With FTP, a client can upload files to a server or download them from it.

What are the benefits of an FTP server?

An FTP server lets you transfer files between a client and a server. You can connect to the same server from different computers and use it to move files back and forth between them. FTP servers are pre­dom­in­antly used in web de­vel­op­ment, where they make it much easier to upload large amounts of data. With an FTP server, you can keep all the files you need to update your website in one place and sync them between your computer and the server.

You can run FTP servers on a variety of operating systems. For instance, you can set up an Ubuntu FTP server, run a Debian FTP server, or install an FTP server on a Windows system.

How to set up your FTP server with FileZilla

FileZilla is one of the most popular ways to set up your own FTP server. It’s a *free, open-source program for Windows, macOS, and Linux. In the steps below, we use FileZilla as our example.

Step 1: In­stalling FileZilla

Begin by down­load­ing the latest version of FileZilla. Allow FileZilla to make changes to your device, then follow the in­stall­a­tion in­struc­tions on your screen. While it’s being installed, you will be asked which setup type you want to use. Choose the ‘Full’ option to install all FileZilla features and create desktop shortcuts. Then decide whether the service should run auto­mat­ic­ally at startup or only when you start it manually.

Make a note of the port number shown in the next step. You can also set an admin password here, which is re­com­men­ded for security.

Step 2: Setting up the FileZilla server

First, start the FileZilla server. Your own computer, localhost, is already selected as the host and the port you chose during in­stall­a­tion is usually filled in. If this is not the case, enter the port number manually. If you set an admin password, log in with it. Otherwise, you can connect and start con­fig­ur­ing the FileZilla server right away.

To configure the server, click Server in the menu bar, then Configure…. Al­tern­at­ively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F. In the server settings, you can also change the port if needed. By default, port 21 is preselec­ted and in most cases, you should keep this setting. Under Protocol settings > Timeouts, you can define how long the server waits before it ter­min­ates an idle con­nec­tion.

Step 3: Define the server’s users

In the settings, go to Rights man­age­ment > Users to manage your FTP server user accounts and assign passwords. Click Add, choose a username and set a password. Click ‘OK’ to confirm your changes.

Step 4: Access the FTP server using the FileZilla client

Start by in­stalling the FileZilla client. It is available for all major operating systems and lets you connect to your FTP server. Open the client on the computer you want to use to access the server. In the input fields below the nav­ig­a­tion bar, enter the server’s IP address. On Windows, you can find this address by running the ipconfig command in the Command Prompt. Then fill in the remaining fields with the username you just created and the matching password. If you haven’t changed the port, use port 21.

Step 5: Disable the firewall

If you can’t connect to the server, Windows Firewall may be blocking the con­nec­tion. Open the Windows Defender Firewall settings and check the rules. There, you can add an exception for the FileZilla server or disable the Windows Firewall al­to­geth­er.

Step 6: Transfer files between client and server

You can now transfer files between your computer and your FTP server. In the FileZilla client, the Local section lists all the files and folders on your computer. Upload these to the server with a single click. The Server section shows the files stored on your FTP server. You can download these to your computer just as easily.

What other FTP clients are available?

FileZilla is one of the most widely used FTP clients, but it’s not the only option. Other FTP clients you can use include:

• WinSCP: A free, secure FTP/SFTP client for Windows with a wide range of features and strong protocol support
• Cyberduck: Cross-platform freeware for Windows and macOS with support for FTP, SFTP, and cloud protocols, among others
• Transmit: A com­mer­cial FTP client for macOS with modern features and cloud con­nectiv­ity
• Classic FTP: A simple, user-friendly client (es­pe­cially for Windows)
• CuteFTP: A paid FTP client with ad­di­tion­al tools and auto­ma­tion

The right client depends on your needs and pref­er­ences. Whichever option you choose, running your own FTP server makes large file transfers much easier.