What is FTP?
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol for transferring files between a client and a server over a TCP/IP network such as the internet. With an FTP client, you can upload, download, and manage files and directories on a remote server. Because plain FTP doesn’t encrypt logins or files, use SFTP whenever the server supports it.
More About FTP
An FTP connection gives you direct access to the files on your server. Once connected, you can upload, download, create, edit, and delete files and directories, much like managing folders on your own computer. FTP is one of the internet’s oldest protocols: the first specification was published in 1971, and the current one, RFC 959, dates to October 1985.
It’s not the only way to manage a website’s files, though. Your host’s browser-based file manager handles a quick one-off edit with nothing installed, a content management system (CMS) dashboard manages posts and pages rather than raw files, and your host’s control panel covers account-level settings. An FTP client earns its place for bulk uploads, large files, and anything you want to script.
How FTP works
FTP uses a client-server model with 2 separate connections. Your client opens a control connection to TCP port 21 on the server and sends commands over it; the files themselves travel over a second data connection. In active mode, the server opens that data connection back to your machine from its port 20. In passive mode, your client opens it instead, connecting to a port number the server supplies. Passive mode exists because firewalls and home routers block incoming connections they didn’t request, and an active-mode server opening one toward your machine is exactly that.
That two-connection design is FTP’s weak spot. It made the protocol fussy behind firewalls from the start (RFC 1579, “Firewall-Friendly FTP,” was already recommending passive mode for this reason in 1994), and it’s part of why single-port SFTP replaced it. One later extension is still useful: if your client and server both support REST, standardized for stream-mode transfers in RFC 3659 (2007), you can resume an interrupted transfer instead of starting over.
Connecting to a server
A connection needs 4 things: the server’s hostname, your username, a password (or an SSH key for SFTP), and the port. Enter them into a client such as FileZilla or Cyberduck, both of which handle FTP and SFTP, or run ftp or sftp from a terminal. If you’re choosing a client, we’ve compared Cyberduck and FileZilla.
Bulk transfer is where a dedicated client shines: it can queue hundreds of files and keep folder structures intact. Set the client to SFTP before you start, so your login and files travel encrypted.
FTP vs. SFTP
Plain FTP sends your username, password, and every file unencrypted, so anyone positioned between you and the server can capture them. That’s why Chrome and Firefox both dropped FTP support in 2021, and why SFTP replaced it: SFTP encrypts everything over an SSH connection on TCP port 22. A third option, FTPS, is classic FTP wrapped in TLS encryption; it protects your data but keeps the awkward two-connection design.
The decision is short: use SFTP whenever your host supports it, and reserve plain FTP for nothing. DreamHost’s help center notes that all website users are configured to use SFTP and port 22. The SFTP entry covers the full FTP vs. SFTP vs. FTPS comparison, plus what to check when a connection fails.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my FTP credentials?
In your host's control panel. It lists your server hostname and username and lets you reset the password. The port depends on the protocol: 22 for SFTP, 21 for plain FTP.
How do I connect FileZilla to DreamHost?
Connect with SFTP: in FileZilla, enter your server hostname, username, password, and port 22, then connect. DreamHost configures website users for SFTP rather than plain FTP, and your hostname and username are listed in the DreamHost panel.
Why isn't FTP used anymore?
Security. FTP predates modern encryption, so logins and files cross the network in plain text. Firefox dropped FTP support in version 90 (July 2021), and Chrome removed it in version 95 the same year. FTP still works; use SFTP instead whenever your server supports it.
