{"id":835,"date":"2025-12-19T09:56:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T08:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=835"},"modified":"2026-05-30T16:29:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T14:29:03","slug":"protocols-ftp","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/","title":{"rendered":"Protocols &#8211; FTP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a network protocol used for transferring files between a client and a server over a TCP-based connection. It is commonly used in hosting environments to upload, download, and manage website files on a remote server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTP is designed specifically for file transfer operations such as moving, copying, renaming, or deleting files on a server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#How_FTP_works\" >How FTP works<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#Connection_structure\" >Connection structure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#Ports_used_by_FTP\" >Ports used by FTP<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#Authentication\" >Authentication<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#Types_of_FTP_connections\" >Types of FTP connections<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#Security_considerations\" >Security considerations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#Practical_use_cases\" >Practical use cases<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#Practical_implications\" >Practical implications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/protocols-ftp\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_FTP_works\"><\/span>How FTP works<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-2364383242\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTP operates using a client\u2013server model:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the client connects to an FTP server<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the user authenticates with a username and password (in most cases)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>files are transferred between client and server<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A typical FTP session allows operations such as uploading and downloading files, as well as managing directories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Connection_structure\"><\/span>Connection structure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTP uses two separate communication channels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Control channel<\/strong> \u2013 used for sending commands and receiving responses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Data channel<\/strong> \u2013 used for transferring the actual file content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This separation allows commands and file transfers to be handled independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ports_used_by_FTP\"><\/span>Ports used by FTP<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By default, FTP uses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Port 21 for control communication<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Port 20 for data transfer (in active mode)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In passive mode, data transfer uses dynamically assigned ports instead of port 20, which improves compatibility with firewalls and modern networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Authentication\"><\/span>Authentication<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTP access is typically protected using:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>username<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>password<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some servers may also allow anonymous access, but in hosting environments this is usually disabled for security reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_FTP_connections\"><\/span>Types of FTP connections<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTP can operate in different modes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Active mode<\/strong> \u2013 the server initiates the data connection back to the client<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Passive mode<\/strong> \u2013 the client initiates both control and data connections (more commonly used today)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Security_considerations\"><\/span>Security considerations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By default, FTP does not encrypt transmitted data. This means that usernames, passwords, and file contents can be transmitted in plain text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For secure file transfer, modern alternatives are used:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>SFTP<\/strong> (FTP over SSH)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>FTPS<\/strong> (FTP with SSL\/TLS encryption)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practical_use_cases\"><\/span>Practical use cases<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTP is commonly used for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>uploading website files to a hosting server<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>managing files in a remote environment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>transferring large batches of files between systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>maintaining legacy systems that still rely on FTP access<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practical_implications\"><\/span>Practical implications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because FTP is not encrypted by default, it should only be used in trusted environments or replaced with secure alternatives when possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In modern hosting systems such as mybox, secure transfer methods like SFTP are preferred for accessing server files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTP is a standard protocol for transferring files between a client and a server. It uses separate control and data channels and enables remote file management, but it does not provide encryption by default, making secure alternatives like SFTP more suitable for modern use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[25],"manual_kb_tag":[835,1708,1693,1709,1694,1710,1695,1711,1696,1712,1697,1713,1698,1714,1699,1715,1700,1716,1701,1702,1703,415,1704,472,1705,749,1706,834,1707],"class_list":["post-835","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-hosting","manual_kb_tag-ftp-server","manual_kb_tag-authorized-access","manual_kb_tag-ftp-protocol","manual_kb_tag-anonymous-access","manual_kb_tag-ftp-ports","manual_kb_tag-ftp-security","manual_kb_tag-port-2","manual_kb_tag-anonymous-ftp-access","manual_kb_tag-passive-mode-ftp","manual_kb_tag-authenticated-access","manual_kb_tag-active-mode-ftp","manual_kb_tag-control-connection","manual_kb_tag-anonymous-ftp","manual_kb_tag-data-connection","manual_kb_tag-ftp-authentication","manual_kb_tag-file-upload","manual_kb_tag-ftp-data-connection","manual_kb_tag-file-download","manual_kb_tag-ftp-control-connection","manual_kb_tag-ftp-file-transfer","manual_kb_tag-ftp-upload","manual_kb_tag-ftp-client","manual_kb_tag-ftp-download","manual_kb_tag-ftp-login","manual_kb_tag-transmission-control-protocol","manual_kb_tag-file-transfer","manual_kb_tag-network-protocols","manual_kb_tag-file-transfer-protocol","manual_kb_tag-client-server-architecture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9047,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/835\/revisions\/9047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=835"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}