Tutorial: Connect using FileZilla

There are three steps to using FileZilla as your SFTP program:

  1. Downloading/Installing
  2. Configuring
  3. Transferring files

Here are some precautions you should be aware of before following these steps:

These instructions assume that you have already obtained Georgetown Web space (or access to one), and will be using FileZilla to connect to a Georgetown shared-hosting web server (www7-www12).

You need to have the following information for these instructions:

  • NetID and NetID password
  • Hostname
  • Path

This information should have been provided to you via email when your account was created.  If you do not know your NetID and password, please contact the UIS Help Desk at extension 7-4949.  If you have misplaced your hostname and path information, please email the Georgetown webmaster.

Thse instructions refer to version 3.X.X of FileZilla.  If you are using an earlier version, it is highly recommended that you start with the Downloading/Installing portion of the instructions to upgrade to the latest version.

 

 

Downloading/Installing
  1. Go to http://filezilla-project.org/.
  2. Download the FileZilla Client for the operating system of the computer you are on (Windows, Mac or Linux).
  3. Make sure to save the installation file in an easily-accessible location on your computer (the Desktop is a highly-recommended suggestion).
  4. Once the download is complete, close out of the FileZilla website.  Then navigate to the location you saved the file to, and double-click to start installation.
  5. Agree to the license, and click Next.
  6. Leave the pre-selected options for 'Choose Installation Options', and click Next.
  7. Once the wizard has completed installing the program, click Finish.

 

Configuring 
  1. Double-click the FileZilla shortcut icon on your desktop (It was placed there during installation).  This will launch the FileZilla program. Note: At this point you will not be connected to your server.
  2. From the menu bar, select File and then Site Manager. This will open the Site Manager window.
  3. First, you will create a Site for your development server. Click on the button that says New Site.
  4. Enter a name for this server. You can use any name that is easy for you to identify. ("www7" or "Development Server" may be a good choice.)  Press Enter on your keyboard to accept the name.
  5. In the field that says Host, enter the Web address of the development server you were assigned by the webmaster (e.g. www7.georgetown.edu).  In the dropdown menu under Servertype, select "SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol". Under Logontype, choose "Ask for password". In the field that says User, enter your NetID.

  6. Click on the "Advanced" tab.  In the field "Default remote directory", specify the path where your website is located (For faculty, the path is '/web/faculty/NetID/'; for students, the path is '/web/students/NetID/', replacing the instance of 'NetID' with your NetID).

  7. After the settings are entered in correctly, click on the Connect button.
  8. If connecting to the server for the first time, you may receive a message about an unknown host.  Press OK to continue connecting to the server.

  9. Once you have successfully connected to the server, a list of files and folders will appear on the right side of the main window.  The files and folders that appear on the right side reflect what is present on your Web site.

  10. Repeat Steps 1-10 to create a site for your production server.  Just substitute instances of www7 for www12.

NOTE: When opening FileZilla for the first time, the program may be slightly confusing to navigate as there are multiple window panes open.  To make it more easily viewable, remove the local and remote directory tree by clicking on the corresponding buttons in the graphical toolbar.Screenshot of location of directory tree window panes

(if the graphical toolbar is not present, go to View >Local directory tree and View > Remote directory tree.  Ensure there are no checkmarks next to each of these options)

Now you're ready to begin transferring files.

 

Transferring Files

This example shows you how to publish a file to your development Web site www7.georgetown.edu account. Before you can transfer files, you must be connected to a server.

  1. To connect to your server, go to File then select Site Manager.  Select your www7 (a.k.a. Development Server) Site on the left hand side, then press the Connect button.
  2. When you have established a connection between your computer and the Web server, the files and folders stored in your Web site will be listed in the right window pane.  The current location is shown in the Remote Site field above the right window pane.

    The left side of the window will show the files and folders on your PC. The current folder is shown in the Local Site field above the left window pane. You can change this folder by either double-clicking on a folder within the window.  Navigate through your folders until you see the file(s) you want to publish to the server.
  3. The first file you will want to publish is your index.html file (if you have not done so already).  To publish this file, click on the file in the left window pane and drag it to the right window pane. (Note: You can select more than one file by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while you select the files.)
  4. Once the file has finished transferring, the file will appear in the right window pane. If you published the file into a folder, double-click on that folder to see that it has been successfully published to the server.

To download a file from the server to your computer, follow the same procedure above in reverse. First, navigate to the desired destination location on the left window pane.  After finding the file on the right window pane that you want to download, drag it to the appropriate directory in the left window pane.