Use the Cisco TCP/IP Suite for Windows FTP Client to transfer files between your workstation and an FTP server.
This section includes these topics:
The FTP Client uses Internet standard FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to transfer files between your local system and a remote host configured as an FTP server. FTP was created so that users could transfer files over a variety of system types without being concerned about the different methods systems use to store data.
On text-based systems, FTP works by issuing commands to the remote host and receiving reply codes in return. Each action, such as connecting to a host or copying files, is accomplished by a specific command. The FTP server responds with reply codes that tell you if your command was successful.
When you start an FTP session, you do not actually log into the remote host. Instead, you connect to an FTP server process that is running on the remote host. FTP authenticates you on the remote host by checking the user name and password you enter against those in the accounts database on the remote host. After the FTP server authenticates you, you can issue FTP commands to perform operations on the files and directories that you have permission to access.
Some FTP servers allow anonymous FTP connections, where you can access files of general interest even though you do not have an account on that system. To allow anonymous FTP, the system manager creates an anonymous account that anyone can access. When connecting to an anonymous FTP site, you enter the user name anonymous and the word guest or your email address (such as HOLMES@PINE.YOYODYNE.COM) for your password. Most anonymous FTP servers restrict you to read- only access in a certain directory or directory tree.
Although the Cisco TCP/IP Suite for Windows FTP Client has a graphical interface, allowing you to copy files by using drag- and-drop, change directories by clicking the mouse, and log into a host by clicking a button, the FTP commands are still issued in the background. You can view them with the FTP Client message log.
To start the FTP Client on Windows 95, choose it from the Cisco Suite 100 group on the Start menu. On Windows 3.x, double- click the FTP Client icon in the Cisco Suite 100 group. The Connect dialog box appears.
You can connect to an FTP server by:
To stop an FTP session and exit FTP Client:
To connect to an FTP server, you either must have an account (user name and password) on the server, or the server must allow anonymous logins.
When you initially start the FTP Client, you are presented with the Connect dialog box. For subsequent FTP connections, click the Connect button to connect to an FTP server.
To connect to an FTP server:
The Connect dialog box appears.
If the system to which you want to connect has a profile listed in the Profiles box, double-click the profile. The FTP Client connects you to that system. Otherwise, continue with the following steps.
A profile lets you set a number of options for sessions with hosts you frequently access. When you create a profile, the FTP Client saves the information and adds the name to the Profile list and to the Quick Connect list, letting you quickly connect to the desired FTP server with your preferred settings.
If Save on Connect is checked in the Advanced options (click the Advanced button to see these options), a profile is created whenever you attach to a server, even if you do not enter a profile name (the name of the server is used as the profile name).
Check Passive Mode for IP packet-filtering firewalls.
See "Identifying an FTP Proxy Server" on page 58 for information for application-level firewalls.
Contact your network administrator if you are not sure whether you need to connect through a firewall.
When an FTP session is established, the FTP Client window appears and displays the contents of the local and remote directories.
To close the FTP connection, choose Disconnect from the Host menu. To close the FTP Client window, click the Exit button, or choose Exit from the File menu.
FTP Client automatically creates profiles for any FTP servers you connect to if Save on Connect is checked in the Advanced options. Click the Advanced button on the Connect dialog box to see these options.
You can also save your password in the profiles. However, if you save your password, anyone who has access to your machine can connect to the FTP servers using these profiles. If you have FTP server accounts that you want to keep secure, do not save your passwords.
The Save on Connect and Save Password settings are global settings: they can either be off for all profiles, or on for all profiles. You cannot, for example, save your password in one profile but not in another.
Here are some things you can set for each profile:
Many organizations use a firewall (usually on a router or computer) to protect their internal network from external access. A proxy server is a program, typically running on an application-level firewall machine, that can be configured to block external access, while permitting users behind a firewall to access Internet resources. If you are not familiar with firewalls or proxy servers, or do not know if your organization uses a firewall or proxy server, see your network administrator for more information.
If your firewall is an IP packet-filtering router, check the Passive Mode check box to enable FTP communications through the firewall.
If your firewall is an application-level firewall, you need an account on the firewall machine, which is called a proxy server. Once you have an account, you must identify the FTP proxy server in each FTP profile that must use the proxy.
To set up an FTP profile to use a proxy server:
Navigating the remote file system is like navigating your workstation's file system. This section includes:
To change from one directory to another on your workstation or the remote host using FTP Client do one of the following:
If you click the Change Dir button or choose the Change Directory... option in the File menu, the Change Directory dialog box appears. Enter the name of the desired directory and click OK. The contents of the specified directory appear in the appropriate window.
To view a file, select the file you want to view and do any of the following:
The contents of the file appear, using the application that you have configured FTP Client to use when viewing files. Choose Program from the Options menu to specify the application to use for viewing files.
To create a directory on your workstation or on the remote host using FTP Client:
FTP Client updates the affected directories automatically.
To copy a single file or multiple files from one location to another:
As an alternative, you can click the Copy button once you have selected the files.
To rename a file:
To delete a file or directory on your workstation or a remote host using FTP Client:
HTML file generated May 15, 1996.