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FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a simple and reliable way to exchange files over the Internet. SlimFTPd is a self-contained file server allowing you to upload and download files. There are two main differences between an FTP and Web page server, FTP uses port 21 while a Web page server such as Apache uses port 80 however FTP uses a protocol that unlike a Web page server has the ability to resume an interrupted transfer.

The most common use for FTP is to download files from the Internet this is normally achieved by clicking a link on a web page. For example these two links inserted into a web page perform the same download function:

Both links instruct a browser to open a transfer window allowing you to either open the file directly or save it to disk. If for some reason during a save operation the Internet link is broken the real power of FTP becomes apparent. You can resume the transfer; this is not possible with a Web server you need to reload the mp3 file from the beginning by clicking the link again to restart the download process.

FTP servers normally require a user name and password however our user in this situation is anonymous; any one on the Internet is allowed access.

To cater for this situation FTP servers are configured to allow any one access using an '''anonymous account'''. This neither requires a user name or password however access is restricted to a specific area on a hard drive and only '''read access''' allowed.

The second most common use for FTP is to upload a web site to a service provider or you own web server. To do this you use a special client program such as ACE FTP, WS FTP or '''FireFTP''' (browser plugin) there are many more however they all require you to log into the server with a user name and password.