This guide is a basic walkthrough of how to use SmartFTP, a free FTP program. SmartFTP is available for download at http://www.smartftp.com/download/ . You will first need to download and install SmartFTP using the default settings for this guide to be of use.

Once SmartFTP has been installed, launch the program from Start -> Programs -> SmartFTP -> SmartFTP .

If this is the first time running SmartFTP on this computer you will automatically be taken to the SmartFTP settings window. If you do not see the settings window as displayed below, bring up it by clicking on Tools -> Settings on the menu bar at the top of SmartFTP.

I could go on for days explaining all of the different options that can be set in SmartFTP but I feel that they all ready do a pretty good job of that on their own http://www.smartftp.com/support/ , so I will only be going over the basic setup, settings and use of SmartFTP.


Initial Setup


Settings - Default Download Path

Default Download Path: Step 1 - Bring Up The Browse For Folder Window.



The Default Download Path should be set for easiest use. To set the path, click the yellow folder button to the right of the path as pointed out with the red box.


Default Download Path: Step 2 - Selecting Destination



The Browse For Folder window will display and My Documents will automatically be selected. I recommend leaving it set to My Documents although you can set it to whatever you want. The Default Download Path is where the files you download will be stored on your computer. Once you have set the path, click on the OK button as pointed out with the red box.


Default Download Path: Step 3 - Destination Set



Once you click on OK you will see the path you selected, My Documents in my case, in the Default Download Path Text Box as pointed out with the red box. If the path is not what you wanted it to be, go back to Settings - Default Download Path Step 1 . After setting the Default Download Path to your liking continue on to the next step.


Settings - Navigation

Navigation: Step 1, 2 & 3 - Selecting The Double Click Action



Click on Navigation underneath the General Setting as pointed out with the red box marked with a 1.

Click on the button labeled Non to the right of Double Click Action as pointed out with the red box marked with a 2 and the selectable options will drop down.

Click on Download - Default as pointed out with the red box marked with a 3 to select it as the desired option.



Navigation: Step 4 - Double Click Action Set To Download



After following the instructions above, the Double Click Action should now display as Download - Default as pointed out with the red box. If it does not display as such, go back to Navigation: Step 1, 2 & 3 - Selecting The Double Click Action and follow the directions again. Once it is properly set to Download - Default continue on to the next step.



Settings - Connection

Connection: Note PASV Setting



Please note that the PASV Mode is enabled by default as pointed out with the red box. FTP Servers (or Daemons) will require the PASV Mode to be set one way or another for a proper connection and communication between the FTP Server that you are connecting to and the program you are using to connect to it. In most cases, you will not be able to tell which setting to use unless you are told by the person running the FTP Server. The FTP Server I will be connecting to in this tutorial requires the use of PASV Mode to connect properly, so I will leave the checkmark as it is, as pointed out with the red box. After setting the PASV Mode option to the requirement of the FTP Server you will be connecting to, click on the OK button at the bottom of the settings window to save the changes we've made.


At this point we have done all of the configuration necessary to make SmartFTP an easy to use FTP client. You May now continue on to Basic Program Usage .



Basic Program Usage


SmartFTP Main Program Window



This is the main screen of SmartFTP where all of the work is done. Once again, there are many different things you can do with SmartFTP that I am not going to get into on this tutorial. If you want full details about every little thing you can do with SmartFTP, I recommend you visit the http://smartftp.com/


You will need to type in the FTP Address you want to connect to in the red box marked with a 1 . Then you will need to type in the Login ID (otherwise known as the User Name ) marked by red box # 2 and the Password marked by red box # 3 . Lastly, you will need to put the Port number for the FTP Server you are trying to connect to as pointed out with red box # 4 . After all of this information has been typed in, you can connect by pressing the button pointed out with red box # 5 (on the far left).



SmartFTP - Connection Window

Small Connection Window




If all of the information for the FTP Server was correct, you should get a window that looks something like the one above. If not, you will need to get the correct information for the FTP Server and start back at SmartFTP Main Program Window . If you did get a window like the one above, congratulations! There is very little more to it! After you have a connection window I recommend Maximizing it by clicking the box as pointed out with the red box.



Maximized Connection Window



After maximizing the window it should look as it does above. On the far left is the directory structure for the Site you are connected to, and to the right of it is a list of files and folders on the Site. Navigation thru the site is similar as within Windows. Double click on a folder to open it and see it's contents.



SmartFTP - Downloading A File



If you find a file you want to retrieve, double click on it to begin downloading it to the directory you previously set in Default Download Path: Step 2 - Selecting Destination . I have selected to download Andy's Light Show1.avi . By double clicking on Andy's Light Show1.avi the download has begun and you will see different statistics on the download listed below. The red box marked with a 1 shows you the progress bar. The red box marked with a 2 displays the estimated amount of time remaining for the file to download completely, and the red box marked with a 3 shows you what percent of the file has been downloaded.



SmartFTP - Uploading Files



To upload files from your computer to the FTP Site, you will need use the normal windows "Drag-and-Drop" method. Locate the file you want to upload, click on it and hold the mouse button down. While holding the button down, drag the file anywhere over the file section as pointed out by red box # 1 and release the mouse button. Once again you will see the progress bar (red box # 2 ), time remaining (red box # 3 ) and percent complete (red box # 4 ).



SmartFTP - File Upload Complete



After the file has uploaded completely the file section marked with red box # 2 will refresh and you will be able to see the file you uploaded (red box # 1 ). After you have uploaded the file, others that connect to the FTP Site will see your file and be able to download it.


This concludes the basic usage tutorial for SmartFTP.

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