How To Upload To Your Website Using FTP

In order to upload files and pages to your website you must use an FTP client. Various FTP clients can be found here (new window).

We STRONGLY recommend that you make use of the following information to upload to your server via TLS (often called FTP OVER SSL). Standard FTP broadcasts the username and password in plaintext meaning it is trivial for an attacker to obtain your details. This type of attack is growing.

We are using a generic FTP client here. Although different FTP clients are used by different people the principles are the same. We cannot realistically provide guides for every single FTP client in existance.

Open your FTP client and open a new connection. Ensure that FTP OVER TLS or FTP OVER SSL is selected. This option may be in the advanced settings, or more settings. By default virtually every single FTP client uses standard unencrypted FTP.

Enter the details of your FTP site. If this is your first site with 3dpixelnet i.e. you've just received your welcome email, your FTP details for this site will be the username and password in your welcome email. If you have created additional domains within plesk, the details here will be the username and password used to set up that domain.

Whilst using FTP OVER SSL or FTP OVER TLS usually you will get a warning about SSL certificates. It's important to remember here that 3DPixel always provide a certificate to prove a secure connection. However, in FTP terms this is not really possible when you connect to ftp.yourdomain.com. The certificate is set up for your server name as 3DPixel name it - in this example: cobalt.3dpixelnet.com as you can see below. Accept this SSL certificate and if possible, tell your FTP client to save it.

Once connection is established securely, the following list of folders will present themselves. Looks confusing, but don't worry, you only have to deal with 1 folder most likely: HTTPDOCS. This is where you're webfiles/webpages/web accessible documents are located.

Inside the HTTPDOCS folder will be the generic files that we use to show your website is working. These need to be removed before your site can be uploaded.

Select all the files inside HTTPDOCS and DELETE.

Any files you upload are put in HTTPDOCS. To properly show your site the first page / home page / index page must be called index.html / index.php / index.shtml / index.htm or default.html / default.php / default.shtml / default.htm

Please note all the index files are lowercase. Index.html for example will not work. Best bet is always use lowercase for all your filenames with no spaces.

Common Questions and Problems

Q: I have uploaded my pages but either I get a blank REDHAT holding page, or I still see your 3dpixelnet holding page.

A: Your first page, or index page must be called one of the following:

index.htm
index.html
index.php
index.shtml
default.htm
default.html
default.php
default.shtml

Please also remember to remove the original 3dpixelnet files.

Q: I have a script such as a weblog or some other CGI/PERL script where do I upload this?

A: The CGI-BIN directory as shown in the following image:

Q: I have to CHMOD or "change permissions" of certain files to get them to work. What is CHMOD and how do I do it?

A: CHMOD is the unix directive to change file permissions. In your FTP window right click the file and select CHMOD or PROPERTIES:

The resulting window gives you the permissions and ability to change them:

CHMOD adjustment is especially important in scripts residing in the CGI-BIN.