Publishing Your Web Site FAQ

What is FTP?
What tools can I use to transfer my files?
Can I upload my files at any time?
What information do I need to connect to my Web site via FTP?
What information do I need to connect to my Web site using Microsoft FrontPage?
I’ve been denied access to my site. What is the problem?
Does it matter what I name my files?
Where do I put my files?
Can I set up sub-directories?
How do I set my home, or default, page?
My links are not working. What is wrong?
My images are not showing up. What is wrong?

What is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is a protocol that enables you to transfer files between computers on the Internet. FTP is most commonly used to transfer Web page files from an individual’s computer to the Web server hosting the Web site. You can also use FTP to download files from a Web site to your own computer.

 

What tools can I use to transfer my files?

There are a number of tools you can use to FTP files. We provide a Web-based FTP tool that enables you to quickly and easily connect to your Web server directly from within SiteControl. Because you use this tool while logged into SiteControl, the application uses your account information to automatically establish a connection and authenticate you.

There are also a number of third-party FTP applications that you can use. Many of these can be downloaded from the Internet or purchased online. Some common FTP tools include:

•   CuteFTP
•   Netscape Composer
•   Windows 2000 Network Place

You can also use Microsoft FrontPage 2000 or 2002 to transfer your files to your Web server. If you use FrontPage, you should not use FTP as it can corrupt the required FrontPage Extensions.

 

Can I upload my files at any time?

Yes. YourHosting provides you unlimited FTP access to your account 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, allowing you to set up, change or maintain your Web site at any time.

 

What information do I need to connect to my Web site via FTP?

In order to connect to your Web site and transfer files via FTP, you will need the following information:
Host Name This is the location to which you will publish your files. The host name is your domain name, including your domain extension. For example, sampledomain.com or sampledomain.net.

If your domain name has not been transferred yet (see the Domain Name FAQ for more information), you can use your temporary URL instead of your domain name. See Temporary URL.
Host Directory or Directory Path This is the directory that will hold all of the files for your Web site. This is also known as your “root” directory. Your Host Directory will always be:

www

For UNIX plans, the directory path for the www folder is /home/domain/www.

For Windows plans, the directory path for the www folder is /domain/www.
User Name

This is the user name for the account you will be using to FTP files. You FTP files using your Master User account. If you have set up an additional user account with FTP rights in SiteControl, you can use that user name as well. If you have a Linux plan, you will need to modify permissions before users can use the FTP account to upload files.

Remember that your Master User name is not the same as your SiteControl login name (Customer ID). You cannot FTP files using your SiteControl login name.
Password This is the password associated with the User Name you are using. You can reset and change passwords for all your accounts on SiteControl’s Users/Passwords page..

 

What information do I need to connect to my Web site using Microsoft FrontPage?

To upload your site using FrontPage, you will need:
Host Name This is the location to which you will publish your files. The host name is your domain name, including your domain extension. For example, sampledomain.com or sampledomain.net.

If your domain name has not been transferred yet (see the Domain Name FAQ for more information), you can use your temporary URL instead of your domain name. See Temporary URL.
User Name

The FrontPage user name is also your Master User name (which is generally your domain name without the extension.)

Remember that your Master User name is not the same as your SiteControl login name (Customer ID). FrontPage cannot upload files using your SiteControl login name.

You can view a list of all your user names and their account types on SiteControl’s Users/Passwords page..
Password This is the password associated with the Master User Name. You can reset and change passwords for your accounts on SiteControl’s Users/Passwords page.

 

I’ve been denied access to my site. What is the problem?

There are a number of reasons that you may be unable to access your root directory via FTP. Make sure that:

•   You are connected to the Internet.
•   You are using the correct user name (Master User name, not your SiteControl login name) and password to log on.
•   Your FTP client or FrontPage is configured correctly.
•   You are using the correct host name, user name and password.

If you are still having difficulty connecting, contact our Support team and inform them of the program you are using, the settings and the exact error message you are receiving.

 

Does it matter what I name my files?

Yes. File names should not include spaces, special characters or punctuation marks other than underscores (file_name.htm) and the period between the file name and the extension (filename.htm). In UNIX, file names are case-sensitive. Also make sure that you are using the correct extensions. For example, .htm, .html, and .asp.

 

 

Where do I put my files?

You will put all of your files in your /www directory. This is your “Web” directory.

 

Can I set up sub-directories?

Yes. You can set up sub-directories within your /www directory. Setting up sub-directories makes it easier for you to organize and maintain your files. For example, many people create a sub-directory named “images” to hold all of their image files. If you use sub-directories, be sure to reference the correct directory path when using images and links and to upload files to the correct directory.

 

How do I set my home, or default, page?

Your home (default) page is the page that first displays when someone types your domain name in a browser. Your default page should be named one of the following:

•   index.htm
•   index.html
•   default.htm
•   default.html
•   index.asp (Windows plans only)
•   default.asp (Windows plans only)

For example, when a visitor types http://www.sampledomain.com the page that actually displays may be http://www.sampledomain.com/index.htm. The default page must be located in the /www, or “Web,” directory.

 

My links are not working. What is wrong?

Make sure that you have specified the correct file path, especially if you are using sub-directories. Your links should not refer to a physical location on your computer’s hard drive, such as the a: or c: drive.

You should also be sure that you are using the correct file names and that you have uploaded all of the referenced files to the correct directory.

 

My images are not showing up. What is wrong?

First you should verify that you have uploaded all of the images files in binary format and have placed them in the correct directory.

If you have done this, then the problem most likely has to do with the path to the image file you used in your HTML code (the src attribute of the <image> tag).

Finally, check that the file name is correct and that you have used the correct extension (typically, .gif or .jpg).