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FTP Tutorial

This section provides an in-depth tutorial for using Webcam32 to upload images using the File Transport Protocol (FTP).

What is FTP?

FTP is an Internet (or more properly a TCP/IP) communications protocol to allow you to upload and download files from a machine connected to your local machine via the Internet.  FTP is composed of two parts; an FTP client and an FTP server.  The FTP client is the software you execute on your local machine to send or receive files.  The FTP server is software which executes on a server machine on which the files are to be saved or retrieved.  Most (if not all) machines which provide Web serving capability also serve as FTP servers to allow you to upload your web pages.  Web pages are usually composed of HTML source files and images (either JPEG or GIF format).

What do I need to know to use FTP?

To be able to FTP (send) files to your FTP server and Web server, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) should provide you with four pieces of information.  These are:

• The name of the FTP server - Each FTP server on the Internet executes on a separate machine.  Machine's on the Internet have both DNS names (eg. members.aol.com, ftp.flash.net ...) and TCP/IP addresses (eg. 152.163.199.41, 209.30.0.100, ...).  To be able to FTP a file to an FTP server, you must know the name or TCP/IP address of the machine hosting the FTP service.
• The userid to login to the FTP server - FTP servers are protected to allow only authorized users the ability to save and retrieve files from the server.  To gain access to an FTP server, the administrator of the FTP server (usually the ISP) will provide a userid used to access the FTP server.
• The password to login to the FTP server - To gain access to the FTP server, the password for the userid supplied by the FTP server administrator must also be known.
• The directory in which to save files - When connected to an FTP server, the server will allow upload of files only to particular directories located on the server.  The FTP server may place you in such a directory when you connect or you may have to change to a different directory.  This will be explained by the FTP administrator (usually the ISP).
  
  
  

How can I test FTP?

Before moving forward with Webcam32, you could test the information provided by the ISP.  This step is not necessary when working with Webcam32 but familiarity with FTP will provide more confidence later.  The easiest way to perform these tests are to use the FTP program supplied with Windows 95 and Windows NT.  In the following example, the fictitious machine ftp.myisp.net is used with userid myuserid.

• Open a DOS window
• Enter the command ftp ftp.myisp.net
• Enter your userid
• Enter your password

If all has succeeded, you should now be connected to your ISP FTP server.

If you are now connected, you may issue any of the following commands:

• pwd - Print Working Directory - This is the directory you are placed in automatically when you first connect
• dir - List the files in the current directory
• cd quit - Exit FTP.
  
  
  

Webcam32 and FTP

Webcam32 has the ability to act as an FTP client.  This allows Webcam32 to create JPEG image files and FTP those files to the FTP server automatically.  Since the FTP server is usually the same machine as the Web server, FTPing an image file to the FTP server allows a new image to be placed on the Web server and is then immediately viewable by browsers on the web.  Since each user's configuration including FTP server name, userid, password and directory in which to save the image files varies, Webcam32 must be configured with these unique details before use.  Webcam32 will remember the details and need only be configured once.

Configuring Webcam32 with FTP details

For basic Webcam32 usage, the other parameters may be ignored.