Anonymous FTP
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- Overview of Anonymous FTP
- Can Anonymous FTP users upload files to my account?
- Can Anonymous FTP users move outside of the "designated ftp directory"?
- How many Anonymous FTP users can be logged into my account at once?
- How can I create or delete Anonymous FTP service?
- Does the Acceptable Use Policy apply to materials on my Anonymous FTP site?
- How do I make a link on my web page down load an anonymous FTP file?
Anonymous FTP is a feature which uses the File Transfer Protocol, allowing visitors to download certain files with a unique login and requires no password. This is very useful for clients who have large files they wish to distribute to visitors. FTP is preferred over downloading via HTTP because FTP is much faster. Below is the login dialogue that will appear when an Anonymous FTP connection is established:
Connected to 63.208.xxx.xxx.
220 ProFTPD 1.2.0pre10 Server () [63.208.xxx.xxx]
Name (63.208.xxx.xxx:user): ftp ("ftp" is the-user-name for this anonymous account)
331 Anonymous login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password.
Password: (there is no password for this anonymous account)
230 Anonymous access granted, restrictions apply.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp>
(NOTE - the text in red does not appear in an ftp session)
When the anonymous user connects to your account, they are logged into the directory you selected in the Web Control Panel "Home Directory" list. The user is also jailed to this directory, meaning that they cannot move outside of this directory. Anonymous users cannot make or rename any directories. Anonymous users can only move into different directories within the "Home Directory" you specified in the Web Control Panel and can only download and upload files and directories in there.
Anonymous users can access your Anonymous FTP site with any login name you specify in the Web Control Panel and any password (including null) is acceptable. To link to your Anonymous FTP website, just use ftp://yourdomain.com as the syntax.
Place all files you want accessible to Anonymous FTP users in the ftp directory that you selected from the Web Control Panel "Home Directory" list. Remember that all files and directories in your ftp directory will be accessible by anyone, so do not put sensitive data in this directory! In order to upload this data, you will need to log into your account, then change directory into your ftp directory. From here, upload any files/directories you want available on your Anonymous FTP site.
You can have no more than 10 anonymous FTP users logged into your account at one time. Each Anonymous FTP user can only occupy no more than 10 anonymous connections at once as well. This is to prevent anyone from establishing an unreasonable number of FTP connections.
Finally, you have the ability to create or delete Anonymous FTP service on your account at anytime. This can be done through your Web Control Panel, and changes you make are done in real-time. Deleting an Anonymous FTP service will not destroy any data in your "ftp" directory but will just make it unavailable to anonymous users. When you create or recreate an Anonymous FTP account, all of your information will be available once again for the directory you specify.
2. Can Anonymous FTP users upload files to my account?
Yes, this is allowed. You, as the ABHost.Net client, are responsible for content uploaded by an Anonymous FTP user which may be in violation of our Acceptable Uses Policy.
3. Can Anonymous FTP users move outside of the "designated ftp directory"?
No. Anonymous FTP users are restricted to the "ftp directory you designated" located in your web space. These users cannot move above this directory. However, they can move into directories inside of the ftp directory.
4. How many Anonymous FTP users can be logged into my account at once?
At most, there can only be 10 Anonymous FTP users logged into your account at any particular time. These users also include any normal FTP users that might be logged into your account as well. Therefore, you can have only 10 total Anonymous FTP and normal FTP users logged into your account at once.
5. How can I create or delete Anonymous FTP service?
First, you need to log into your Web Control Panel. From there select "Configure your ftp site". The first time you selecet "Configure your ftp site" a page page will load with one link asking if you would like to create an additional FTP account.
Looks like this:
FTP Users
Username: your-user-name Password: the same as the password to this web cotrol panel
Create an additional ftp user.
Click on Create an additional ftp user. Now you are ready to create. This page will create new password protected FTP user accounts and anonymous FTP user accounts. To make an anonymous FTP user account select "This user does not require a password". Now enter a login name for the anonymous user in the feild "Username". Leave the password feild blank. Now select the access directory for the anonymous user from the "Home Directory" list. Click "Update FTP User Information" and you are done creating a new anonymous user account.
To delete an FTP account you need to log into your Web Control Panel. From there select "Configure your ftp site". A you will see a page simmilar to what you see below. Now select "Delete this FTP user." and you are done.
Create an additional ftp user.
Examine or modify the ftp user with username 'xxxx'. Delete this FTP user.
Examine or modify the ftp user with username 'yyyy'. Delete this FTP user.
Examine or modify the ftp user with username 'zzzz'. Delete this FTP user.
6. Does the Acceptable Use Policy apply to materials on my Anonymous FTP site?
Yes the Acceptable Uses Policy applies to not only content on your website, but any contents available to Anonymous FTP users. Please respect all international copyrights and do not distribute work that is not your own or work of which you do not have permission to freely distribute.
7. How do I make a link on my web page down load an anonymous FTP file?
First go to the Web Control Panel and make sure you have created a user called "ftp". Make sure that the user "ftp" requires no password. The path for the user "ftp" should be set to /ftp/pub/. You will now need to FTP to your site & place the file you want to download via a web browser (link to) in the /ftp/pub/ directory (the ftp directory can be found in the same list of directories that public_html directory is listed "/virtual/account-name/ftp").
Place a link like the one below on your web page but with the correct domain & file name/description on your page and you are done:
<a href="ftp://your-domain.com/the_file_to_download.zip" target="_top" title="get a copy of 1999 catalog"> Our domain's 1999 catalog in .zip format.</a>
