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My Account

How to update your site using FTP (Technical Notes)

In order to access your web space on A/I servers, you should connect to it using the FTP protocol with a proper application (ftp client), such as Filezilla for windows, Kasablanca (graphic application -- KDE), gftp (graphic application -- Gnome), lftp and ftp-ssl (command line) for linux, and entering your user name and your password (which you'll receive as soon as you get a web space).
If you don't know what we are talking about, you'd better get some documentation before asking us to activate a web space :)
You will find the theoretical notions you need in the Web:

You can find all the information you need to update your site (server name, username) in your User Panel under the Websites tab, next to your ftp account name, where it says server name.
Please, be aware that the server where you site is hosted may change due to mantainance needs and so the servername you have to connect to update your site may vary accordingly. Be sure to check it out before asking us for help.
The directory containing all your online site is the html-sitename directory you'll see when logging in via ftp.
If you wish to change your FTP account password, visit your User Panel.
Log in with your user name and change your password by clicking on Web sites tab and looking for the link "Change password".

Please remember that when you connect through ftp, your password travels the internet in plain-text, and can be thus tapped by anybody unless you use a secure ftp client allowing for encrypted connections to the server (lftp or Kasablanca for linux, or look for an ftp client with SSL support).
Our servers do offer an FTP service via SSL, and even if the clients allowing for this option are few, we strongly advise to use them so as to send your password in an encrypted way.

To make things more understandable, a plain-text, non-encrypted FTP connection will look more or less like this: 

interface: ppp0 (80.116.98.156/255.255.255.255)
filter: ip and ( port 21 )
####
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33247 [AP]
220 FTP Server Ready..
##
T 80.116.98.156:33247 -> 62.149.193.207:21 [AP]
USER geek..
##
##
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33247 [AP]
331 Password required for geek...
##
T 80.116.98.156:33247 -> 62.149.193.207:21 [AP]
PASS itrainsfrogs..
#
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33247 [AP]
230 User geek logged in...

You will notice that both password and user name are easily readable and identifiable: user geek, password itrainsfrogs.

By using a client with SSL/TLS support, this can be avoided. That's why we strongly recommend to take advantage from this opportunity.

What follows is an example of an FTP connection with an SSL/TLS client communicating with a server allowing for this protocol: 

interface: ppp0 (80.116.98.156/255.255.255.255)
filter: ip and ( port 21 )
####
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33227 [AP]
220 FTP Server Ready..
##
T 80.116.98.156:33227 -> 62.149.193.207:21 [AP]
AUTH TLS..
##
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33227 [AP]
234 AUTH TLS successful..
#
T 80.116.98.156:33227 -> 62.149.193.207:21 [AP]
.|....c......9..8..5..............3..2../.....f..............c..b..a.......
....@..e..d..`.........................$T.)....XLUW
##
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33227 [AP]
e..[..4..S....n..?...Q................o...u.h....;.^..V..@....x.vfVmA..o.[.
.......y.O1.....Z.".B.U.l8...lA........Y..T...zD};....................
##
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33227 [A]
....J...F..@C..].?'...;^......!..R.?>...... b..._..d...K#..=......:@-.$....
...................0...0...........0...*.H........0..1.0...U....AI1.0...U..
..Paranoia1.0...U....Paranoia1.0...U....Associazione Investici1 0...U....Ce
rtification Authority1.0...U....Associazione Investici1.0...*.H........ca@a
utistici.org0...030926142954Z..040925142954Z0..1.0...U....AI1.0...U....Para
noia1.0...U....Associazione Investici1 0...U....Certification Authority1.0.
..U....www.autistici.org1.0...*.H........ca@autistici.org0..0...*.H........
##
T 80.116.98.156:33227 -> 62.149.193.207:21 [AP]
.......................w.iv..fA.V..X.......l.?.; .-..r..XB...9R.'.+q..[b.H.
..\#..w..f5+..*-.....!.p.Y.....C-..oI9....pbB.E....".JOc]Q.m,.F...dc.....1(
..........(%.. .n3........mH...p.h9W.B..#.F...z....
##
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33227 [AP]
..........(.B...A.G"...........Mq(...-..rz..)....|.
##
T 80.116.98.156:33227 -> 62.149.193.207:21 [AP]
....(...7..R/..v....X.8.EaE.m......n...K..x..
#
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33227 [AP]
....8a;...s.la._.....a.R.}P.p.#..D.[..\5.......y.a...H..J...,
#
T 80.116.98.156:33227 -> 62.149.193.207:21 [AP]
....(...m..,V....@:...z~x.Fz.......-..D...<[.
#
T 62.149.193.207:21 -> 80.116.98.156:33227 [AP]
..0..yA...d.X(...[P......3H....[|y..q.%...5..Qb....
#
T 80.116.98.156:33227 -> 62.149.193.207:21 [AP]
.... %.h=0......J.>T....WJk.......[.}

Note how everything appears more mysterious here: you cannot see any useful information about the user's name and password.

THEREFORE WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHOOSE AN FTP CLIENT WITH SSL/TLS SUPPORT FOR ANY OPERATION ON THE A/I SERVERS.

The SSL support is not offered by every FTP client. What follows is a brief summary of the ones who do: