This is the first in a small series of posts about some very basics to webmastering. This one covers programs that allow you to connect to your host via FTP and upload your files.

FTP stands for “File Transfer Protocol” and is very popular for transfering files between computers. There are many FTP programs – some 100% free, some have free trials, some cost a bomb. But you don’t need to spend money to get a good FTP program. We will only cover FTP programs for windows (Win 2000, XP, Vista), as chances are if you use linux, you won’t be needing these basic guides…

• Smart FTP - this is what I personally use. Download smart FTP here. It has a very easy to use interface and is very easy to connect to more than one server at once. Uses an explorer like interface, with drag/drop ability.
• FTP Commander – This is another great program (that I used before using Smart FTP for all my ftp needs). Has some great functions like resuming broken downloads etc. http://www.internet-soft.com/software-download.htm
• Ace FTP - I used this for a while, it very easy to use, and also has drag/drop ability! Get it at http://freeware.aceftp.com/.

PS – Merry christmas :).

(My personal excuse for doing this, on Xmas Day – there is nothing on tv ;) )

Update – I’ve had a few comments about this. I guess we all think the best FTP program is the one we use every day! So check out the comments for their views, and leave your own if you think there are better ones! I haven’t used any of those mentioned in the comments, so I won’t cover them here.