File Transfer
Frequently Asked Questions

FTP is the only way customers have to transfer files to their Web site. This is accomplished by a stand-alone FTP program or an FTP feature of a Web design program.

What do I use for my FTP password?

Your FTP password is the same one you use as your login/email password.

Are there any problems using the Publish feature?

Just like the newspaper, publish only sends (or puts) documents to the server. With the exception of FrontPage (on a FrontPage enabled site), these programs do not provide any of the other features of an FTP program. Publishing this will update existing files. If you need to RENAME or DELETE files from the server, you will need an FTP program.

Where can I get detailed instructions on using WS_FTP and WS_FTP32?

Detailed instructions for using WS_FTP and WS_FTP32 can be found on EarthLink's Web Site.

Where can I get a detailed instructions on using Fetch?

Detailed instructions for using Fetch can be found on EarthLink's Web Site.

After uploading, I cannot view the uploaded files in my browser. What could be the problem?

This could describe two (2) different situations.

If the you cannot see the home page, check if the home page file name is index.htm or index.html. If the home page is named differently, change the file name. It is also possible that there are two indexes on your site, one index.htm which the you created and uploaded and the other, index.html which EarthLink put up for the temporary page. If two index files exist, then the one named index.html will take precedence. The index.html file should be removed (requires an FTP program) or rename your home page file to index.html and upload again.

If you do not see the updates made to your pages after transferring the updated versions, it is most likely the browser is reading the cache. For Netscape Navigator, clear both memory (Windows only) and disk cache then click the Reload button on the toolbar. For Microsoft's Internet Explorer, simply click the Refresh button on the toolbar.

The upload of my files stops before it finishes. What should I do?

Wait 15 to 20 minutes and then upload again. If this doesn't work, lower your modem speed to 19.2K or lower (as low as 9600). The reason is at lower speeds, data transfers are more reliable. If the problem still persists, please contact EarthLink Web Support by sending email to: webmaster@earthlink.net.

Why don't I get a directory listing on my FTP program after I get connected?

You probably don't have your host type set to either Automatic detect or UNIX (standard).

After the files are uploaded, I do not see a directory listing in the FTP program. What could be the problem?

When this happens, the "LIST" command performed by the FTP software to get a listing of the files was not successful. Therefore the directory listing of the files did not transfer. Wait 15 to 20 minutes and then connect again using his FTP program. If the problem still persists, please contact EarthLink Web Support by sending email to: webmaster@earthlink.net.

When I upload my files, it only goes up to about 90 % and then my FTP program is disconnected from the FTP server. What can I do to fix this?

It is probable that you do not have a clean connection. First try disconnecting and then re-connecting. Upload the file(s) again and see if that solves the problem. If not, disconnect and reduce your modem speed. For example, if you have a 28.8K modem and you have it set to 28.8K or higher, set it to 19.2K or lower (as low as 9600). Now, upload your file(s) and see if that solves the problem. If not, please contact EarthLink Web Support by sending email to: webmaster@earthlink.net.