Netbook Network

FTP clients are widely used and a preferred method for network file management, great for people who want an easy way to host files onto a server. Various FTP clients already exist such as FileZilla, though as it turns out, Windows Explorer already has one built in. It works similar to how SDExplorer links to a SkyDrive account, without the need for a third party application. Windows Explorer as an FTP client is a good option for those who don’t need advanced options and want a simple way to upload files to their server, and here’s how to do it.

Linking up Windows Explorer to an online file server is similar to accessing a webpage in any web browser – however, instead of placing “http://” in the address bar before the address itself, you’ll be typing “ftp://“. Open a new Explorer window, and in the address bar (for Windows 7 users, you can show the address by clicking on a blank space in the breadcrumb navigation bar) type “ftp://” and then the name of your server afterwards. For example, if I wanted to access Netbook Network, I would type in “ftp://netbooknetwork.net“.

This will take a second, and then you’ll be presented with a login screen. Simple enough – type in your credentials and press “Log On”. Windows Explorer will connect to your FTP server and all your folders and files will be presented in a similar fashion to an ordinary hard drive. The ability to move, rename, and copy your files/folders are all there, and you can upload and download files/folders via drag and drop as well.

Windows Explorer however was never really designed to be an FTP client, and therefore your options are quite limited and it’s not nearly as fast as a dedicated client such as FileZilla. I’ve found that the general connection speed seems to be a little slower than what I usually get with FileZilla, and it turns out most of the context menu options are blocked.

The only reason I see to use Windows Explorer as an FTP client is because of its general ease of use compared to dedicated clients out there. Basic users will be more familiar with the Explorer interface, and as long as you don’t spend too much time using FTP, the slower connection speed shouldn’t matter all that much. It’s even possible to set your FTP server as a favorite location for ease of access, something you can’t do in a dedicated client.