Using FTP to Upload to your Web Site

Iain Laskey shows you how to use FTP to upload your web site.

AOL gives you 2mb of web space for each of your AOL screen names. You can use this space to hold any web site you wish to create. Once you have finished your web masterpiece, how do you upload it to AOL?

Using WS_FTP LE

One of the most popular FTP programs is WS_FTP by Ipswitch. Whilst the full version costs money, they also provide a free cut down version for home users. I'll use this version for this example.

To use FTP to upload the web site, there are three basic stages, connecting, uploading and disconnecting. The part that most people get wrong is connecting so let's look at that in detail.

When you run WS_FTP, you'll see it immediately prompts you for some session properties. This is where you tell the program how to connect to AOL and what username/passwords to use. You must have a username/password to stop anybody else uploading to you web site and causing problems (or embarrassment!).

Start by selecting AOL from the list, if it exists. If not, click on the New button and enter AOL in the profile name. Next, ensure the following settings are entered correctly:

Host Name: members.aol.com

Host_Type: Automatic detect

User_ID: Anonymous

Password: screenname@aol.com (replace screenname with your own screen name)

Account: <leave blank>

Make sure 'Anonymous' is ticked. You might also want to tick 'Save pwd' to avoid having to enter that bit manually each time.

Now click on the OK button. WS_FTP will try to connect to AOL. If all is well, you'll see the contents of your AOL screen name's web directory on the right. If not, double check the settings as outlined above. If you have a firewall, make sure WS_FTP has been allowed access.

Now make sure the left hand window shows the files you wish to upload. Use the 'ChgDir' button to change directory if necessary.

You can now select all the files you wish to upload on the left hand side by using the Ctrl key to select more than one file if required. Now click on the arrow in the middle of the screen. Your selected files will be copied one by one up to your AOL webspace. If you run out of room then you'll see some red error messages fly by at the bottom. You can easily miss these so be sure your site is less that 2Mb in size before you start uploading to avoid any errors slipping through.

It's probably a good time now to fire up your browser and look at your web site. If all looks well then go back to WS_FTP and click on the Close button to disconnect from AOL. Exit from WS_FTP, job done!.

Next time you need to upload your site, WS_FTP will have remembered the session details for you which is handy. You can also use WS_FTP to copy individual files or to delete any you no longer need from AOL using the various buttons provided.

 

Iain Laskey
See Iain's site at www.pcbookreview.com