Your hosting account comes with a secure file-transfer service. This page shows you the exact
settings to type into a file-transfer program, which free program to pick if you don’t have one,
and how to fix the handful of problems people actually run into. No experience needed.
2322Not the usual 22 — you must change this. See the note below.
Username
yourdomain.comYour username is your own domain name, typed in full — replace yourdomain.com above with the domain your site runs on.
Password
Issued to you by your administrator
The number one setup mistake: leaving the port at its default of 22.
Our SFTP service runs on port 2322. Every file-transfer program has a
“Port” box next to the server address — put 2322 in it.
“Wrong password” that isn’t: don’t connect to port 21
Port 21 on our servers belongs to a different service, and it will reject
your username and password every time. If your program is set to plain FTP or the port box
says 21, it will look exactly like your password is wrong — but the password is fine.
Check the port first: it must say 2322 (SFTP) or 2121 (FTPS).
Plain FTP is not supported
Old-style, unencrypted FTP sends your password across the internet where anyone can read it,
so our servers refuse it. Your connection must be SFTP (recommended, above) or
FTP with explicit TLS (the fallback below). If your program
only offers “FTP”, use one of the free programs we recommend instead.
No program installed? Upload from your browser
You can upload files straight from a web browser with nothing to install at
ftp.wwwserverz.com/web/client.
Sign in with the same username (your domain name) and password. It’s handy for a quick
one-off file, or if a work computer won’t let you install anything. For uploading a whole
website, a proper program (below) is more comfortable.
After you log in: where your files go
Once connected you’ll see exactly two folders. Your website files belong inside
httpdocs — open that folder first, then upload. Files dropped at the top
level, next to the folders instead of inside httpdocs, will not appear on your
website. That’s the second most common mistake we see.
/httpdocs ← upload here
This is your website. Anything you place in this folder is published on your
site immediately. It’s the only folder you can write to. Your home page should be here,
typically as index.html.
/logs read-only
Your web traffic logs — access and error logs. Download-only; you can’t upload here.
Useful for seeing who is visiting your site and spotting errors.
Free programs we recommend
A file-transfer program (often called an “FTP client”) shows your computer’s files on one
side and your website’s files on the other — you drag files across to upload. All three below
are free, trustworthy, and support SFTP. A small note for Mac users: the Finder’s built-in
“Connect to Server” does not support SFTP, so you genuinely do need one of these.
Cyberduck Best for first-timers
Free & open source · macOS and Windows · cyberduck.io
The friendliest of the three — a simple single window with drag-and-drop. The official
site asks for a donation, but the download is free; the paid Mac App Store version is
optional and identical for our purposes.
Setting it up
Click Open Connection (top left).
In the dropdown at the top, choose SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol).
Server: ftp.wwwserverz.com · Port: 2322
Username: your domain name · Password: the one you were issued.
Click Connect, then open the httpdocs folder and drag your files in.
The most widely used client, with a two-pane layout (your computer on the left, the server
on the right). Download only from the official site linked here, and if the
Windows installer offers any bundled extra software, decline it — you only need FileZilla itself.
Setting it up
Open File → Site Manager and click New site.
Protocol: SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol.
Host: ftp.wwwserverz.com · Port: 2322
Logon Type: Normal · User: your domain name · Password: the one you were issued.
Click Connect, then open httpdocs in the right-hand pane and drag files across from the left.
Excellent and dependable, with no bundled software in its installer. A good choice for
Windows users who like a two-pane layout. Use the same values as above: protocol
SFTP, host ftp.wwwserverz.com, port 2322,
username = your domain name.
Fallback: FTPS (FTP with explicit TLS)
Only use this if your program or workplace network can’t do SFTP. It’s just as secure, but
it has more moving parts, so it goes wrong in more ways. Programs label it differently — look
for “FTPES”, “Require explicit FTP over TLS”, or
“FTP with TLS (explicit)”.
FTPS connection settings
Fallback option
Protocol
FTP with explicit TLS/SSL (“FTPES”)
Server / Host
ftp.wwwserverz.comUse this exact hostname — see the certificate note below.
Port
2121Not the usual 21. Port 21 is a different service and will reject your login.
Transfer mode
PassiveRequired. Most programs default to passive; if yours has an “active/passive” setting, it must be passive.
Username
Your own domain name (same as SFTP)
Password
Same as SFTP — issued by your administrator
On some office networks, FTPS logs in but then hangs
FTPS transfers data on ports 50100–50119, which some corporate and office
firewalls block. The symptom is distinctive: you log in successfully, then the file
listing spins forever or a transfer sits at 0%. If that happens, don’t fight the firewall —
switch to SFTP on port 2322, which doesn’t have this problem.
FTPS: connect to ftp.wwwserverz.com, not your own domain
With FTPS, if you put your own domain name in the Server box instead of
ftp.wwwserverz.com, your program will warn about a certificate name mismatch.
Type the hostname exactly as shown above. (SFTP doesn’t care and works either way.)
Troubleshooting
Almost every connection problem is one of these four.
My password is rejected, but I’m sure it’s right
Check the port before anything else. If your program is connecting to
port 21 (the default for plain FTP), you’re reaching a different service
on our servers that will refuse your credentials no matter what — it looks identical to a
wrong-password error but isn’t. Set the port to 2322 with protocol SFTP
(or 2121 with explicit TLS), and make sure the protocol isn’t plain “FTP”.
The connection times out or is refused immediately
Usually the port was left at a default (22 for SFTP, 21 for FTP). Ours are
2322 for SFTP and 2121 for FTPS. Also double-check the
server address is ftp.wwwserverz.com, spelled exactly.
I log in fine, but then the folder listing hangs or uploads stall at 0%
This is the FTPS firewall problem: your network is blocking outbound ports
50100–50119, which FTPS needs for transferring data. First make sure transfer mode is set
to passive; if it already is, switch to SFTP on port 2322
and the problem goes away.
I uploaded my files but my website didn’t change
Check where the files landed. They must be inside the httpdocs
folder — files placed at the top level, next to the httpdocs and
logs folders, are not published. Open httpdocs first, then
upload. Your home page should be at httpdocs/index.html. After moving files,
refresh your browser with a hard reload.
My program warns about a certificate or host key
Two different cases. SFTP: the first time you connect, your program
shows the server’s key and asks you to trust it — that’s normal on a first connection;
accept it and it won’t ask again. FTPS: a certificate name mismatch
warning almost always means you typed your own domain in the Server box — use
ftp.wwwserverz.com instead.