Uploading Files to Your Server
If you want other people to be able to view your Website on the Internet, you'll need to upload it to a server. The logistics of this process are a little hazy for some beginners, so we've gone over some of the basics here. If you already have a Web hosting provider and just need the gritty details, click here to skip ahead.
Exactly What Is the Internet?
In simple terms, the Internet is a series of special computers (called servers) that are all linked together. These servers contain the data needed to display Webpages, search engines, or other online applications.
How Do I Fit Into the Internet?
There are a variety of ways to connect to the Internet, but you are most likely connected using an ISP (Internet Service Provider). Comcast, EarthLink, and Verizon are all ISPs. When you connect your computer to the ISP, the ISP connects your computer to the rest of the Internet (all those servers we mentioned before).
Where Does My Webpage Go When I Upload It?
Just because you have an ISP and are able to connect to the internet doesn't mean you have a server where you can store your Webpages. ISP and hosting servers are two very different things. A server keeps your pages on file and allows other people on the Internet to view them; an ISP only allows you to see pages already stored on servers.
So, if you want your Website to go online, you'll need to get some server space. How do you go about doing that? Through a hosting company. There are two different types: those that will host your site for free and those that charge a monthly or yearly fee. Lycos Tripod is an example of a free hosting company, whereas 1&1, Lunarpages, and GoDaddy are all paid hosts.
So why doesn't everyone choose the free option? Because it comes with tons of strings attached. With free hosting, there are limits on how much information you can store on the server, you may have permission to run cgi scripts (which is important), you probably won't get to choose your own domain name, and you'll be required to put annoying, ugly banner ads on your site. By paying for your hosting, you get flexibility and capabilities beyond what any free host can give you — and best of all, most hosting providers have plans starting from a few dollars a month.
How do you choose a hosting provider? Well, the links we provided above are a good jumping-off point, but your best bet is to jump on Google and do a little research until you find a host that provides services that meet your unique needs. Important factors to take into account are price, quality of customer support, and the amount of allotted server space.
Enough Already! I Have a Host, and I Want to Upload My Work.
If you have a host, you'll need to set up a server profile in the HTML Editor. To do this, go to File > Upload File to Server > Add or Edit Servers. This opens the Server Configuration window. Click the Add button to open the Server Configuration - Add window, which allows you to add a new server profile.
We'll go over the information you should put in each field. If you are unsure of this information, contact your hosting provider.
Nickname of the Server Profile: This is a nickname for your server profile. Since it's just a personal reminder, you can name it anything you want. This is helpful if you have multiple server profiles.
Username and Password: Your FTP username and password. Be sure to enter the information exactly how it was given to you by your provider. Usernames and passwords are case sensitive, so if there are capital letters in your username or password, you must enter them that way.
Port: By default, this is set to 21. You should only change this if your hosting provider has instructed you to do so.
Use Passive Mode: Check this box if you experience trouble connecting. For more information about passive mode, read this article.
Web Server Address: This is the TCP/IP hostname of your FTP server. It should be in the form of an IP address, your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com), or your domain name preceded by ftp. (e.g. ftp.yourdomain.com). Do not include ftp:// or any directory name such as ftp.yourdomain.com/mysite, because these are invalid TCP/IP hostnames.
Examples of valid hostnames
ftp.mysite.com
24.24.100.100
mysite.com
Examples of invalid hostnames
ftp://ftp.mysite.com
ftp.mysite.com/mysite
http://www.mysite.com
Remote Directories: This is the directory on your server where you store your Website files. Common names include public_html, web, and www. When you have finished typing the name of your remote directory, click Add.
When you are done entering this information, click OK.
Uploading
When you're ready to publish your work, go to File > Upload File to Server and select the server and remote folder where you want to upload your files. A window will appear displaying the progress of your upload. When the upload is complete, the window closes automatically. You can then view your updated Website online.
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