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Command Prompt FTP

WHAT IS IT?

  • To connect to another computer using FTP at the MS-DOS prompt, command line, or Linux shell type FTP and press Enter.

  • Once in FTP, use the open command to connect to the FTP server, as shown in the example below.

  • In the below example, I entered IP address of where you are connecting. An example would be open 192.168.1.124

  • Once connected, a username and password prompt will appear.

  • Once these credentials have been entered, the server allows you to browse, send, or receive files, depending on your rights.

  • Some servers may also allow anonymous logins using guest or an e-mail address.

FTP Commands

  •  Typing -help or a ? will list the commands available to you.

  • Below is a general description of FTP commands available in the Windows command line FTP command.

Connect using FTP

Step 1

  • Before connecting to FTP server, we need to configure an FTP server on our local server.

  • I have already configured an FTP server in IIS (Internet Information Server).

  • You can find here.

  • Open Command Prompt.

  • Type ftp 192.168.0.124

  • Press Enter.

Type this in command prompt (FTP client)

Step 2

  • Enter the username and password of FTP server.

  • Here I configured with an anonymous server.

  • So enter anonymous in User; and email id or leave it blank in Password > Enter.

  • You will be logged in to the server.

User: Anonymous

Password: (none)

Step 3

  • There is another way of connecting to the FTP server.

  • The anonymous connection allows connecting without username and password.

  • Type -n before IP to anonymous which does not ask for password and user id.

  • It has some limitations.

Send and receive a file in FTP:

  • To get files from the server onto your computer.

  • Use the get command as shown in the example below. 

  • To send a file, use put command followed by file name.

  • Eg. put Screenshot_4.jpg > Enter.

get command 

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put command

  • To get files from the server onto your computer.

  • Use the get command as shown in the example below. 

  • To send a file, use put command followed by file name.

  • Eg. put Screenshot_4.jpg > Enter.

Local Computer

FTP Server

get command 

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put command 

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  • The command for sending or receiving the file over command prompt is case sensitive.

  • Below images shows that the sending of an image file named "Screenshot_4.jgp".

  • We tried with the wrong filename and without file extension, it did not work.

"Put" command for transfer fine to FTP server.

Filename is case sensitive and with file extension.

Screenshot_4.jpg (File name)

FTP file lookup in Command prompt and web browser:

  • Use dir command to see the all the files and folders available in the FTP server.

  • To change to the directory use cd "Folder name".

  • The image in left shows the files on FTP server in Command Prompt.

  • And the image in right shows the same files available in same FTP server but access in a browser.

FTP files in Command Prompt

FTP files in Web Browser

  • The default current directory is C:\ in FTP client.

  • To change the local current directory type lcd "Full path".

  • By doing so we can get and send the file between our local directory to FTP server.

lcd "Local Path" : for changing the current local directory.

Change the transfer mode

  • In command prompt the default file transfer mode is ASCII.

  • The files are converted to ascii character and vice versa.

  • To change the medium type binary in command line > use get or set.

  • For better transmission we use binary mode.

for changing the transfer medium form ASCII to BINARY

binary :

Closing the connection:

  • In closing the connection to the FTP server, there are different commands available such as:  close/bye/disconnect/exit.

close/bye/dissconnect/exit 

To dissconnect FTP server.

  • We can type ftp > enter > open > ip > user id > password  to connect FTP server.

  • FTP is not an encrypted transmission, which means any data sent over it, including your username and password, could be read by anyone who may intercept your transmission. 

  • If you're wanting a more secure transmission, we suggest using SFTP.

Another way to connect 

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