FTP and FTPS

FTP was developed more than 50 years ago, and it lacks the security and functionality compared to modern protocols that organizations depend upon, commonly requiring making exceptions in corporate firewalls. Files.com is trusted by thousands of customers to provide hosted FTP services for legacy compatibility.

While Files.com remains committed to supporting FTP connections, our Desktop, Mobile, Web portal, SDKs, API, and Command Line app, offer better performance and security than FTP. Visit our Preferred Apps For File Transfer page to learn about and download the Files.com native apps as an alternative to FTP.

We offer FTP primarily for customers who are forced to use it, typically because they are interacting with a legacy application, or legacy hardware, that only supports FTP.

For those customers, we are happy to help you get FTP working, but be aware that it will never be as fast or secure as our native apps.

Getting Started

When you're setting up a new FTP/FTPS connection, start with Connection Settings In Your FTP App.

For information about ports used with your FTP/FTPS connection, read Supported Connection Profiles and Ports.

When transfers are slow, review the guidance in FTP Performance Tips.

Terminology

The acronym FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, which is defined by the standard RFC 959. It encompasses both the unencrypted "plain" FTP and the encrypted FTP protocols. The encrypted variant is commonly known as FTPS, but it may also be referred to as FTP(S), FTPeS, explicit FTPS, or implicit FTPS.

In our platform settings and documentation, when we use the term FTP, it inclusively refers to both unencrypted and encrypted versions. If a setting or document specifically pertains to unencrypted "plain" FTP, it will be explicitly noted. The same clarity will be provided for encrypted FTP.

FTP and FTPS are often used interchangeably because encrypted FTP has become the de facto standard. Unencrypted "plain" FTP is now rarely supported, typically only found in legacy systems that cannot be updated to modern security standards.

FTP can sometimes be used generically in conversation to refer to any file transfer method, not just the File Transfer Protocol. For instance, someone might say "I'm FTPing a file to you," which could mean using FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, HTTPS, or another file transfer method. In all instances within our platform and documentation, FTP specifically refers to the File Transfer Protocol as defined in RFC 959.

FTP Topics

The subpages in this section are the primary documentation for FTP on Files.com. They cover both correct configuration and common failure modes, so you can debug issues without needing a separate troubleshooting section.

• Start here to get connected: Connection Settings In Your FTP App
• Need ports and connection profiles (explicit/implicit, passive ports): Supported Connection Profiles and Ports
• Need to pick the right FTPS security mode: Implicit vs Explicit Security FTPS
• Need to understand firewall behavior (Active vs Passive): Active vs Passive Mode FTP
• Need a login banner (MOTD): FTP Custom Welcome Message
• Transfers are slow: FTP Performance Tips
• Users see the wrong folder structure when connecting: Per-User Folders
• Files look corrupted after transfer: ASCII vs Binary Transfers
• Uploads “succeed” but files don’t arrive: Automatically Creating Folders Upon Upload
• Your client leaves partial files behind: Partially Uploaded Files