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FileZilla - Hosting An FTP Server On Windows

FileZilla can be used to set up an FTP server on Windows to share files over a network. The key steps are: 1. Download and install FileZilla Server, selecting the option to only run it manually. 2. Specify a folder to share as the FTP repository and create a user account with permissions to access it. 3. Configure security settings like changing the default port number and setting an IP filter to restrict access. 4. Add Windows Firewall exceptions to allow connections on the FTP port. 5. Other users can then map the FTP share as a network drive to access files through Windows Explorer.

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Viju K G
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170 views4 pages

FileZilla - Hosting An FTP Server On Windows

FileZilla can be used to set up an FTP server on Windows to share files over a network. The key steps are: 1. Download and install FileZilla Server, selecting the option to only run it manually. 2. Specify a folder to share as the FTP repository and create a user account with permissions to access it. 3. Configure security settings like changing the default port number and setting an IP filter to restrict access. 4. Add Windows Firewall exceptions to allow connections on the FTP port. 5. Other users can then map the FTP share as a network drive to access files through Windows Explorer.

Uploaded by

Viju K G
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FileZilla - Hosting an FTP Server on Windows

In this guide we’ll take you through the steps to


setup a folder on your Windows computer as an
FTP repository, using a free program called
FileZilla. FTP can be used to easily transfer a lot
of files between computers; the FTP repository
can be mapped to multiple computers across the
Internet so that other people can access the
directory right from Windows Explorer.

To start, you’ll need to download FileZilla server,


available here.

After downloading the program, you can install it


with all of the default settings. FileZilla will install
a service that runs whenever Windows boots up,
so if you would rather only run the FTP server manually, select the appropriate option from the drop
down menu on the third screen:

Apart from that setting, everything else can be left at the defaults for
the purpose of this tutorial. Once installation is complete, the FileZilla
interface will open. Just click OK when this window pops up right after
installation:

Once the FTP server interface has loaded, we are ready to specify a
directory as an FTP repository. If the directory you want to use isn’t
already created, minimize the interface and create a folder where you
want the FTP share to be. In this tutorial, we are going to use the folder ‘FTP’ on our desktop. Its
exact location will be “C:\Users\geek\Desktop\FTP”.

Click on Edit and then Users.

On the left side of the window that comes


up, click on “Shared folders.”

Once there, click on “Add” underneath “Users.” Enter the username for
an account that another computer will be using to access the repository we’re setting up.

Click OK once you’re done entering the account name, and


then click on “Add” underneath the “Shared folders” section.
Once you’ve done that, a window will pop up, use it to select
the directory you would like to share as an FTP repository.

Click OK. Now we need to assign the user permissions for this
repository. By default, the user we’ve created is able to read
files, list directories, and list subdirectories. To give the user
further permissions, such as the ability to copy files to this
repository, check the boxes beneath ‘Files’ and ‘Directories.’
Click OK once you’re done setting the user permissions.

Securing Your FTP Server

Along with configuring the user(s) with a strong password, there are a few settings within FileZilla
that you can configure to further secure your new FTP server.

Hackers will
constantly scan the
internet for hosts
listening on port 21,
the default FTP port.
To avoid being
detected by the
thousands of hackers
constantly scanning
for people like you
with an FTP server,
we can change the
port that FileZilla
listens on. Go to Edit
and then Settings.
Under “General
settings” you’ll see
“Listen on these
ports.” It should currently be on 21, but we recommend changing it to a random five digit number
(nothing over 65535).

This doesn’t necessarily secure your server, but it obscures it and makes it harder to find. Just
remember that anyone determined to hack you will eventually find the port your FTP server is
listening on, so further measures must be taken.
As long as you know the IP’s (or at least the IP range) of the computers connecting to your FTP
server, you can set FileZilla to only respond to login requests from those IP addresses. Under Edit >
Settings, click on “IP Filter.”

In the first box, put an


asterisk to block all IP’s
from connecting to your
server. In the second box,
add exceptions to this rule
(IP’s or network ranges
that should be allowed to
connect). For example, the
following screenshot
shows a configuration in
which 10.1.1.120 and the
192.168.1.0/24 (in other
words, 192.168.1.1 –
192.168.1.255) IP range
would be able to connect:

Along with secure passwords, that should be about all the security your FTP server will need. There
is a default Autoban setting already configured in FileZilla, so anyone who tries connecting to your
server too many times within a short period will be locked out for a while. To tweak this setting, click
on “Autoban” under Edit > Settings, but the default will suffice for most people.

One last note on the security of this FTP server: transmissions are in clear-text, so don’t use plain FTP
to transfer anything confidential. SFTP or FTPS can be used for encrypting FTP communications, but
are beyond the scope of this guide and will be covered in future articles.

Windows Firewall Exception

If you have a third party firewall or anti-virus program, be sure that the port you’ve chosen to run
your FTP server on is allowed through it. If you have Windows Firewall enabled, you’ll need to add
an exception for the port. Go to your Start menu and type Windows Firewall, then click on
“Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.”

Click on “Inbound Rules” in the left column, and then


“New Rule…” in the right column. We’ll be allowing a
port through the firewall, so select Port when the
wizard asks “What type of rule would you like to
create” and then click next.

Type in the port you have chosen for your FTP server to run on (default is 21, but in this guide we
chose 54218).
Click next three times after entering your port number. Put in a name and description for this
exception so it’s easy to find in the future, and then click Finish.

Mapping the FTP Share on another Computer

Now that the FTP server is completely set up, we can


have other people connect to it with the user
information we provide them (also make sure you have
allowed their IP address). Others could always use GUI
applications such as FileZilla to connect to your FTP
share, or they could map it to their computer so it shows
up in Explorer.

Open ‘Computer’ and right click in a blank area, then


select “Add a network location.”

The “Add Network Location” wizard will appear, click


next twice. Enter the IP address and port of your FTP server, and click next.

Uncheck “Log on anonymously” and enter the username you have configured for your FTP server.
Click next twice and then click finish. It should ask you for your password, and then you will be able
to browse to the FTP share as if it were a local hard drive.

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