FTP overview and credentials

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol used to upload website data from your local computer to your web server so it appears online.

This article explains how to locate your credentials and log into your server using an SFTP client.

Difference between FTP and SFTP

FTP is an old protocol that IS NOT SECURE. It uses port #21.

SFTP is the newer protocol that IS SECURE. It uses port #22.

The FTP term

FTP is an old term that's still commonly used to reference transferring data to your server. However, since it's not secure, it should never be used. Only SFTP connections should be used when connecting to your server.

New users created at DreamHost are automatically created as SFTP users, so there's nothing you need to adjust. You should just understand that when you see the term FTP, it's most often referencing SFTP (which is the secure option).

Prerequisites

Add hosting

Make sure that you have added hosting to your domain in your DreamHost panel. This assigns it the credentials you need to log into your server.

Choose an FTP client

This article uses the FTP client Filezilla to illustrate examples. You can use any client you like to log into your server as the settings are the same.