FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, is a standardized protocol used to transfer files between computers on a computer network over the TCP/IP protocol. FTP allows users to copy files from one computer to another over the Internet, while also providing facilities for access control and file manipulation on a remote server.
There are two main types of data transfer using FTP:
- Active mode:
- In active mode, the client opens an active connection to transfer data, and the server creates a new connection to transfer data back to the client.
- Active mode may encounter problems in some cases if the client has limited access to open new ports.
- Passive mode:
- In passive mode, the client establishes the connection for data transmission and the server receives it.
- Passive mode can be useful in cases where the client cannot open new ports for connectivity.
FTP is often used to upload and download files to or from web servers, and is included in many file transfer programs and tools. The most well-known programs for working with FTP include Total Commander, WinSCP, FileZilla. Nowadays, however, FTP is often replaced by more secure protocols such as SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) or FTPS (FTP Secure), which provide encryption of data transfers and authentication using secure certificates.
