ftp made simple

While different FTP clients have somewhat different interfaces, the basic concept is always the same. You'll need to enter the name of the server (aka the "hostname") to which you're connecting, your username, and your password. To avoid having to type everything in manually every time, you should start by creating a "bookmark" to store this information for you.

Important: If you're temporarily borrowing a computer from someone else, or using a public computer, DO NOT allow the bookmarking feature to store your password.

Remember, these screenshots are from Cyberduck for Mac OS. Your client may look somewhat different, but the concepts are the same.

To view the bookmark management screen in Cyberduck, click the Bookmark icon near the top left:

To add a new bookmark, click the "+" symbol at the lower left of the screen:

In the Nickname field, give the connection a friendly name, like "Ernie's Documents at the J-School"

Select SFTP or FTP from the Protocol picklist (preferably SFTP).

Enter your username. The dialog should now look something like this:

Close the bookmark box and you'll see that your new bookmark has been stored for future use. You can bookmark as many FTP servers as you like.

Double-click a bookmark to open that connection. You'll be prompted for your password, which you can optionally have the computer remember for future use. Again, if you're using a shared or public computer, don't let the computer store the password for you.