Start an FTP or SFTP Server in Mac OS X. Sep 29, 2011 - 29 Comments. If you’ve visited the Sharing Preference panel in the newer versions of Mac OS X you may have noticed there is no longer the direct option to enable an FTP server to share files and folders. Well, at least there isn’t an obvious option, but the FTP and SFTP server function.
One way to give others access to your files is to run an FTP server on your Mac. Mac OS X Snow Leopard comes with an FTP server built in, so you just have to activate it. You might wonder why you’d use FTP to share files when you can use Personal File Sharing or Windows File Sharing. The main advantage to FTP is compatibility: Not only can people on your LAN access files, but anyone on the Internet can also access your files, regardless of the type of machine they’re using.
Just as you do with the other file-sharing methods, you need to create a user account on your computer before someone can connect to and get files from your Mac. After you have accounts created for the users, you can enable FTP sharing like this:
1Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock.
The System Preferences dialog opens.
2Click the Sharing icon.
The Sharing Preferences pane opens.
3Click the File Sharing entry and click the Options button.
Your file sharing options display.
4Click the Share Files and Folders Using FTP check box to enable it.
Snow Leopard reminds you on the Advanced sheet that people can use ftp://<ip address>, where ip address is the IP address of your Mac.
5Click Done.
The Advanced dialog, and System Preferences window close and your changes are saved.
If you’re using an AirPort/AirPort Extreme Base Station or other cable/digital subscriber line (DSL) router to share your Internet connection, place the Mac that you want people on the Internet to access in a DMZ, or demilitarized zone. Check your cable/DSL router documentation for more information.
FTP is a file transfer protocol designed to move whole files from one computer or server to another. Transferring files by FTP is much faster than using other methods like HTTP, which is designed for transferring text and images, rather than data files. Mac computers have an FTP client built into the operating system. This built-in client allows users to transfer files to and from an FTP server and to share files with other users using FTP.
Connect to a Server
Step 1
Open the 'Finder' menu. Select 'Go,' then click 'Connect to Server' in the menu options that appear.
Step 2
Enter the address of the FTP server you wish to connect to, then click the 'Connect' button. If the server requires a user name and password, enter them into the respective fields.
Navigate the FTP server once connected. You may download or upload files as you would with any other computer on your network.
FTP File Sharing
Step 1
Open the 'Apple' menu. Select the 'System Preferences' option, then click 'Sharing' from the 'View' menu that appears.
Step 2
Choose 'File Sharing' from the menu on the left-hand side of the 'Sharing' window. Click the '+' icon under the shared folder list to locate the folder you wish to share, then select it and click the 'Options...' button.
Step 3
Click 'Share Files and Folders Using FTP' to allow others to connect to the folder using FTP.
Adjust your router's settings to allow incoming connections, if necessary. Consult the manual for the specific settings for your router's model.
Tips
- To send your username and password while connecting to an FTP server, format the server's address as 'ftp://username:password@ftpaddress.'
- Third-party FTP clients offer additional features like drag-and-drop file transfers.
Warning
- FTP servers do not usually encrypt user names, passwords and other connection information, making them significantly less secure than other connection types.
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