What is FTP?
It is a standard network protocol used for the transfer of computer files between a client and server on a computer network. FTP is built on a client-server model architecture using separate control and data connections between the client and the server. FTP is often secured with SSL/TLS (FTPS) or replaced with SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). FTP may run in active or passive mode, which determines how the data connection is established.
An FTP Client is a software designed to transfer files back-and-forth between a computer and a server over the Internet. It needs to be installed on your computer and can only be used with a live connection to the Internet. FTP clients’ interface is usually divided into two – the panel on the left shows the files and folders on your computer and the panel on the right displays the files on the remote server. One such FTP client is Cyberduck which is an open-source client for transferring files over the Internet.
Cyberduck is a libre server and cloud storage browser for Mac and Windows with support for FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, Microsoft Azure & OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox. It is a very popular FTP client and is used by webmasters from all over the world. Its main differences from other FTP clients are :
- Cyberduck is available for both Windows and OSX and the source code of the application is licensed under GPL and can be downloaded here.
- Cyberduck has an intuitive UI and includes a bookmark manager
- It supports many additional protocols and APIs
- It is available in multiple languages and integrates with any third-party text editor
Before looking into transfer (download or upload) files/folders via Cyberduck, first, let us check how to connect to your FTP account with Cyberduck.
How to connect to your account with Cyberduck:
- The first step is to get the FTP credentials such as FTP Server/host, FTP Username, Password, and Port number
- To access your account via FTP with Cyberduck, open the application and click the ‘Open Connection’ button.
- Provide the following connection details in the new screen.
Server: the hostname of your server
Port: 21
Username: your FTP username
Password: your FTP password - After providing the details, click the Connect button to establish the connection and you will be connected to your account via FTP
Now let us look at how to upload files/folders to your account.
How to upload files to your account from your computer with Cyberduck:
Use the following steps to upload files/folders to your account via Cyberduck:
- To upload a file or folder from your computer to your account using Cyberduck, first, connect to your account
- Navigate to the desired location (under the document root) of your account
- Then right-click in the application window and select Upload
- This will open a new window on which you can see all the files and folders on your computer
- Navigate to the desired item you want to upload, left-click it, and then click the Upload button at the bottom end
- A new window will appear named Transfers in which you can see the upload progress
How to download files from your account to your computer with Cyberduck:
Use the following steps to download files/folders to your account via Cyberduck:
- To download a file or folder from your hosting account to your machine, connect to your account first
- Navigate to the desired file or folder, right-click on its name and then click Download To
- This will open a new window in which you can see and navigate through the files and folders on your computer
- Navigate to where you want to save the file and click the Choose button to start the download
- A new window named Transfers will appear in which you can see the download progress
How to disconnect to your account with Cyberduck:
To disconnect from your FTP server, simply click on the Disconnect button on the toolbar.
Conclusion
Following this quick guide, you should now be able to upload and download files using Cyberduck like a pro!
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