FTP and SFTP: Transfer Files to Server

How to use FTP and SFTP to transfer files, with differences, setup and recommended clients

FTP vs SFTP: Which to Use?

	FTP	SFTP
Security	❌ Traffic in clear	✅ Encrypted (via SSH)
Port	21	22 (same as SSH)
Server Installation	Requires vsftpd/ProFTPD	Already included in OpenSSH
Firewall	Problems with passive mode	No problems
Recommended	Private networks only	✅ Always

Always use SFTP when possible. FTP sends username and password in clear.

SFTP (No Configuration Needed)

If SSH works on server, SFTP already works: uses same port and credentials.

From Terminal (Linux/Mac/WSL)

# Basic connection
sftp root@185.100.xxx.xxx

# With custom port
sftp -P 2222 root@185.100.xxx.xxx

# With SSH key
sftp -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@185.100.xxx.xxx

Interactive SFTP commands:

ls                    # list remote files
lls                   # list local files
cd /var/www           # change remote directory
lcd ~/Desktop         # change local directory
get file.txt          # download file
put file.txt          # upload file
get -r /var/www/html  # download entire directory
put -r ./dist         # upload entire directory
mkdir new-dir         # create remote directory
rm file.txt           # delete remote file
exit                  # disconnect

With rsync (More Efficient for Large Transfers)

# Upload folder (only modified files)
rsync -avz --progress ./dist/ root@185.100.xxx.xxx:/var/www/html/

# Download folder from server
rsync -avz root@185.100.xxx.xxx:/var/backups/ ./backup-local/

# With custom port
rsync -avz -e "ssh -p 2222" ./dist/ root@185.100.xxx.xxx:/var/www/html/

FTP with vsftpd (Ubuntu/Debian)

Use FTP only if necessary (e.g. CMS or software that doesn't support SFTP).

Installation

sudo apt install vsftpd -y

Secure Configuration

sudo nano /etc/vsftpd.conf

Recommended configuration:

# Enable write
write_enable=YES

# Local users (no anonymous)
local_enable=YES
anonymous_enable=NO

# Chroot: each user sees only their home
chroot_local_user=YES
allow_writeable_chroot=YES

# Passive mode (needed if firewall/NAT)
pasv_enable=YES
pasv_min_port=40000
pasv_max_port=50000

# SSL/TLS (FTP over TLS = FTPS)
ssl_enable=YES
rsa_cert_file=/etc/ssl/certs/ssl-cert-snakeoil.pem
rsa_private_key_file=/etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
force_local_data_ssl=YES
force_local_logins_ssl=YES

sudo systemctl restart vsftpd
sudo systemctl enable vsftpd

Open Firewall Ports

# FTP port + passive range
ufw allow 21/tcp
ufw allow 40000:50000/tcp

Create Dedicated FTP User (No SSH Access)

# Create user without shell
sudo useradd -m -s /usr/sbin/nologin ftpuser
sudo passwd ftpuser

# Set home as FTP root
sudo chown ftpuser:ftpuser /home/ftpuser

FTP Server on Windows

To create FTP server on Windows Server:

Server Manager → Add Roles and Features
Select: Web Server (IIS) → FTP Server → FTP Service
After installation: IIS Manager → Sites → Add FTP Site
Configure:
- Physical path: e.g. C:\inetpub\ftproot
- Binding: port 21, no certificate (or SSL if available)
- Authentication: Basic
- Authorization: specific users in read/write
Open port 21 in Windows Firewall

Recommended FTP/SFTP Clients

Client	OS	SFTP	FTP	Notes
FileZilla	Win/Mac/Linux	✅	✅	Free, intuitive GUI
WinSCP	Windows	✅	✅	PuTTY integration
Cyberduck	Mac/Win	✅	✅	Free, also cloud
Transmit	Mac	✅	✅	Paid, very fast

Guide: PuTTY and FileZilla for detailed FileZilla setup.

FTP and SFTP: Transfer Files to Server

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