No matter what FTP program you're going to use you'll need to do the following

1. Connect to the Internet
   Most will automatically call up dial up networking as happens when you launch your browser. If not you'll either have connect by other means (e.g. launch your web browser or just use the dial up icon)
   
   A point worth nothing is some ISP won't let you log in to their server (see 3 below) unless you dial up using one of the dial up numbers they have give you. This is for extra security but can be a bit of a pain
   
   
2. It'll need to know the address you're sending the files to
   Your ISP/Webspace provider will give you the address if you don't know. This isn't difficult as it'll usually be the same as the URL for your site
   (e.g.www.yourserver.com/webspace/~joe.bloggs/). Sometime you don't need to put in your area the server and FTP client will work that out for you when you do step 3 (i.e. just give the server's address not yours for example here you would put in www.yourserver.com/webspace/). Don't put in http:// unless asked to do so.
   
   Once your site has been loaded up most FTP programs will allow you to transfer just one or more files rather than the whole site again. You can load files into individual subdirectories as long as you know the directory name. For example say our above website has a folder/subdirectory containing all the graphics called "pics" below the main folder and you want to add a file to it you would need to set the address as
   www.yourserver.com/webspace/~joe.bloggs/pics/
   
   Note once you've set the initial link up some FTP programs give you an explorer like window to the files on your webspace allowing you to select folders without having to type them in.
   
   
3. It'll need to log on to the webspace server
   To prevent unauthorised FTP access to your webspace you will need a username and password to access it (some also require special connection see 1 above). Your ISP/webspace provider should give you these details. Often they are just the same as the password and user name you need to connect to the Internet
   
   More often than not your username is based on your e-mail name e.g. joe.bloggs@hisserver.com is likely to have joe.bloggs as his user name
   
   
4. You'll need to pick and highlight the files
   Once the above steps are completed you'll need to establish what files you want to upload. Most FTP programs will have some sort of way for you to browse and select the files out.
   
   You'll need to use some care here. Some simple FTP programs only allow you to send up folders of information at a time( you select the folder and it sends up the contents.) Others however send up exactly what you specify so if you select the folder you've been creating your website in not only will it send all the information but in that folder (thereby creating your site in a subdirectory no the root directory
   
   e.g. say your site is in a folder called "website" instead of loading it to
   
   www.yourserver.com/webspace/~joe.bloggs/
   
   you can accidentally create a subdirectory/folder so your site is loaded into-
   
   www.yourserver.com/webspace/~joe.bloggs/website/
   
   If you can send individual files, a useful tip for some FTP programs, is to highlight the selected file and then hold down the shift key. By selecting the up or down arrow on your keyboard you can select directly adjacent file.
   
   
5. Set you transfer type to automatic
   Graphic files need to be uploaded in Binary form or they will be corrupted. Text/HTML files can have probs if not uploaded in ASCII form. Your FTP program should keep you right (for more see our section on this)
   
   

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