What Is FTP?

What is FTP?

FTP, or File Transfer Protocol is a network protocol used to transfer data from one computer to another via a network, such as via the internet. FTP can be used for a wide variety of different connections, such as between game servers, voice servers, internet hosts, and other physical servers.

The objectives of FTP are:

• To promote sharing of files (computer programs and/or data).
• To encourage indirect or implicit use of remote computers.
• To shield a user from variations in file storage systems among different hosts.
• To transfer data reliably, and efficiently.*

Positive Aspects of FTP

• The FTP protocol supports resuming of interrupted downloads using the REST command. Always a good thing, especially if your firewall is gay (and not in the good lesbian kind of way), or if your computer decides that it doesn't like you and crashes. I have had this happen to me more than once, especially when I was downloading a really huge file on extremely slow bogan dial-up. I cried for hours ):

Negative Aspects of FTP

• While data is being transferred via the data stream, the control stream sits idle. This causes issues with large file transfers due to the fact that firewalls time out sessions that have idled for extended periods of time. Even though the file may have been transferred successfully, the firewall may cause an error message to appear.
• Resuming an interrupted uploading file is difficult even though the FTP protocol has the option to restart an upload, the client can not pin point the exact point where the upload was interrupted. To be able to find this out the client has to obtain the size of the file some other way, for example by using a directory.
• Passwords are sent in clear text so they can be intercepted. However, this can be stopped by using computer security protocols.
• Multiple TCP/IP connections are used, this may result in your firewall needing to be configured to support the extra connections.
• It is difficult to filter active FTP traffic.
• It is possible to abuse the protocol's built-in proxy features to tell a server to send data to subjective port of a third computer.
• There is no integrity check in the receiver FTP server. To avoid this, integrity checks have to be managed externally.
• The FTP servers have a high latency protocol due to the high number of commands that are needed to initiate a transfer.

*information taken from wikipedia