Looking for Setup an FTP server on Windows PC? Here this post we go through step by step How to Setup an FTP Server in Windows, Setup a folder on your Windows computer as an FTP repository, Allow an FTP server through Windows Firewall, Share the folder and files to Access Via FTP server and Access them from a different machine Via Lan or Wan. Also, Give access to your FTP site by restricting users with username/password or anonymous access. Let’s start.
What is FTP?
FTP stands for file transfer protocol A useful Feature to transfer files between the client machine and the FTP Server. For Example, you share some File folders on a configured FTP server on a port number, And a user can read and write files through the FTP protocol from anywhere. And most browsers support FTP protocol so we can access the FTP servers through the browser using FTP:// YOURHOSTNAME or IP address.
How To Setup FTP Server in Windows
In order to host an FTP server, your computer must be connected to a wireless network. And need a public IP address to access Upload/Download files folders on the FTP server from a different location. Let’s prepare your Local PC to Act as an FTP server. To do this first we need to enable FTP Feature and IIS (IIS is a web server software package you can read more from here).
Note: Below steps also applicable to setup and configure the FTP server on windows 8.1 and 7!
Enable FTP feature
To Enable FTP and IIS features,
- Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl and ok.
- This will open Windows programs and features
- Click on ‘Turn Windows features on or off’
- Toggle on Internet Information Services, and select FTP SERVER
- All features which are ticked need to be installed.
- Press OK to install the selected features.
- This will take some time to install the features, wait until complete.
- After that restart Windows To take effect the changes.
How To Configure FTP server on Windows 10
After successfully enable The FTP feature now follow the steps below to configure your FTP server.
Before you go ahead first to Create a new folder Anywhere And Name it (for example Howtofix FTP server)
Note down your PC IP address (To check this open command prompt, type ipconfig) this will display your local IP address and default gateway. Note: You must use static IP on your System.
Also if you are planning to access your FTP files over a different network, you must need a public IP address. You can ask your ISP for the public IP address. To check your Public IP open chrome browser type whats my IP this will display your public IP address.
- Type Administrative Tools in the start menu search and Select it from Search results.
- Also, you can access the same from the Control panel -> all control panel items -> administrative tools.
- Then look for Internet information service(IIS) manager, And Double click on it.
- In the next window, expand the localhost (basically it’s your PC name) on your left side panel and navigate to “sites.”
- Right-click “sites” and choose “add FTP site” option. This will create an FTP connection for you.
- Give a name to your site and enter the path of the FTP folder that you want to use to send and receive files. Here we are set the folder path we previously created for the FTP server. Alternatively, you can also choose to create a new folder to store your FTP files. Just depends on your personal preferences.
- Click “next.” Here you need to select the local computer’s IP address from the drop-down box. I hope you have already set up static IP for the computer.
- left the port number 21 as the default port number of the FTP server.
- And change the SSL setting to “no SSL.” Leave the other default settings.
Note: If you’re configuring a business site, make sure to choose the “Require SSL” option, as it will add an extra layer of security to the transfer.
- Click “next” and you’ll get the authentication screen.
- Navigate to the authentication section of this screen, and select the “basic” option.
- In the authorization section, type “specified users” from the drop-down menu.
- In the text box below, type the username of your Windows 10 account to give you access to the FTP server. You can add more users too if you like.
- In the permission section, you need to decide how others will be accessing the FTP share and who will be having Read-only or Read & Write access.
Let’s assume this scenario: If you want specific users to have read and write access, so obviously they must type a username and password for it. Other users can access the FTP site without any username or password to view the content only, it’s called anonymous users access. Now Click Finish.
- Finally, click “finish.”
With this, you’re done setting up an FTP server on your Windows 10 machine, but, you have to perform some additional things to start using the FTP server to send and receive files.
Allow FTP to pass through Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall security feature will block any connections trying to access the FTP server. And that’s why we need to manually allow the connections, and tell the firewall to give access to this server. To do this
Note: Nowadays firewalls manage by Antivirus application, So either you need to configure/Allow FTP from there or Disable Firewall protection on your Antivirus
Search for Windows firewall in the Windows start menu and press “enter.”
On the left-side panel, you’ll see “allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall” option. Click on it.
When the next window opens, click on the “change settings” button.
From the list, check the “FTP server” and allow it on both private and public networks.
Once done, click OK
That’s it. Now, you should be able to connect to your FTP server from your local network. To check this open Web browser On a different PC connected to the same network type ftp://yourIPaddress (Note: here use FTP server PC IP address). use the username and password whom you previously Allowed to access the FTP server.
FTP port (21) Forwarding on Router
Now the Windows 10 FTP Server is enabled to be accessed from the LAN. But if you looking for accessing the FTP server from a Different network (our side LAN) then you need to allow FTP connection, and you must enable Port 21 in your router’s firewall to allow incoming connection via FTP port 21.
Open the Router configuration page, using the Default Gateway Address. You can check your default gateway (router IP address) using the Ipconfig command.
For me it’s 192.168.1.199 this will ask for Authentication, Type router admin username, and password. Here from Advanced options look for Port forwarding.
Create a new port forwarding that includes the following information:
- Service name: You can use any name. For example, FTP-Server.
- Port rage: You must use port 21.
- PC’s TCP/IP address: Open Command Prompt, type ipconfig, and the IPv4 address is your PC’s TCP/IP address.
Now Apply the new changes, and save the new router configurations.
Access an FTP server from a Different network
All is set now, Your FTP server is ready to access from anywhere the PC is connected to the internet. Here is how to quickly test your FTP server, I hope you have noted down your Public IP address (Where you configured the FTP server, Otherwise open the browser and type whats my IP)
Go to any computer outside of the network and type FTP:// IP address in the search bar. You should enter the username and password again and click OK.
Download and Upload files, Folders On FTP server
Also, you can use third-party applications like (FileZilla) to Download Upload manage files, Folders between the client machine and FTP Server. There are multiple free FTP Clients available you can use any of them to manage your FTP server:
FileZilla: an FTP Client available for Windows
Cyberduck: FTP Client available for Windows
WinSCP: A free and open-source SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, and SCP client for Microsoft Windows
Manage FTP using Filezilla
Let’s use FileZilla client software to manage (Download/Upload) files folders on the FTP server. It’s very simple, Visit Filezilla’s official site and download the Filezilla client for windows.
- Right-click on it and Run as administrator to install the application.
- To open the same type Filezilla on the start menu search and select.
Then Input the FTP Server details, for example, ftp://10.253.67.24 (Public IP). Type the username to whom you are allowed to access your FTP server from anywhere type the password for authentication and use port 21. When you click Quickconnect this will list out all file folders available for download. The left side windows in your machine and right side are the FTP Server
Also here Drag files from left to right will copy the file move to the FTP server and Drag files from Right to left will copy the file move to the Client machine
That’s all you have successfully created and configured the FTP server on Windows 10. Did you encounter any problems while following these steps, let us know in the comments below, we do our best to guide you?
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