Updating your site via FTP

Unless you use a full featured web design application such as Adobe Dreamweaver to maintain your web site, you'll need a FTP client to transfer files between your computer and the web server. There really is no reason to pay for such software since free FTP clients have the same features as licensed software. Download the latests version from one of the following choices if you do not already have a client installed.

FTP Client Recommendations

FTP Software For PC: FileZilla - SmartFTP - WinSCP
FTP Software For MAC: FileZillaCyberduck - Fugu

Connecting To Your Site

After launching the FTP application you will usually have the choice to make a quick connection or create a profile for your connection, which you can later load to make a connection to the server without having to provide your login information again. Plug in the following values.

FTP Host: Input ftp.yourdomainname.com or servername.nextmill.net, refer to your setup email. You can also make a connection via the IP directly.
FTP User: This is your account user name, refer to your setup email.
FTP Password: This is the password we provided and is case sensitive, refer to your setup email.
Remote Directory: This setting can be left blank if your site is on a control panel server, for other servers refer to your setup email.
Connection Port: This is usually set already by the client. If not, you want to make sure you are connecting over port 21.

Now select the option or button to make a connection to the server.

Putting Files In The Correct Location

In order for your pages to be seen by your visitors they need to upload to your web root folder, the location of this foolder in relation to where you arrived after making the FTP connection depends on your connection settings.

Control Panel Site: If you site is on a control panel server you did not use a Remote Directory setting and will be in your main user folder upon connecting via FTP. There you will see a folder names after your domain name. Double click this folder and then double click the /www folder.

Non Control Panel Site: If your hosting plan setup documentation includes a Remote Directory setting and you have properly configured your FTP connection you will log in directly to the web root of your site.

Adding New Content & Updating Your Site

Now that you are in the web root of your site you can start transferring files to or from your web site. Think of the FTP window as an open folder on your file system, you can create new sub directories and drag and drop files between your system and the FTP server window. To update pages simply select to overwrite the old file.

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