FileZilla server Tutorial (en)

Introduction

Welcome to the FileZilla Server tutorial. In this tutorial, you will

• Get a basic understanding of the pre-installation requirements,
• Install the application,
• Connect to the Administration interface,
• Setup IP addressing and listen ports,
• Understand passive mode port range,
• Setup Remote Administration,
• Setup Groups and Members,
• Share Folders with Groups and Members,
• Learn about Port Forwarding / NAT rules for remote access.

Pre-installation requirements

In order to successfully access your FTP server, you will need to have a basic understanding of private and public IP addressing, firewall rules and port forwarding / NAT (Network Address Translation). You will need to have a static IP address applied to the computer you plan on installing your server on, a static public IP address from your ISP or a dynamic DNS and also have access to your router console interface. When applying a static IP address.
Note It is always best practice to set a static IP on your DHCP server (Usually your router for home users or Domain Controller in more advanced network setups), as applying a static IP address in the network properties on a computer can lead to lease conflicts in the event of a power cycle on either the DHCP server or the FTP server, leaving your FTP server with an IP address of 169.254.x.x.

Installation instructions

Without insulting peoples intelligence, most of the install process we be completed on auto pilot, after agreeing to the EULA, selecting the installation components, path and Start menu location, you will be prompted to enter an Administration listen port and password. For troubleshooting purposes, it's best to leave the port as default unless you have more than one FileZilla FTP server running on this machine, in which case each additional server installation would have the subsequent port number applied (eg. 14149, 14150...). The password is not the one to give out to users connecting with the client, this password will allow you to access the Administration interface, set a strong password and complete the rest of the installation process.

Connecting to the Administration interface

Connecting to the Administration interface can be done simply by entering the password and port you entered during the installation process. To connect on the same machine the FTP server is installed on, simply leave the IP address to 127.0.0.1 as this is the local loopback IP address, alternatively you can use ::1 if you're an IPv6 advocate. To connect from a remote computer within your LAN (Local Area Network) enter the static IP address applied to the FTP server. To connect from a remote computer outside your LAN create a port forwarding / NAT rule in your router, see Port Forwarding / NAT for remote access instructions below. Change the port to match the one set in your port forwarding rule and enter your public IP address (type "what's my IP" in to your favourite search engine) or us your Dynamic DNS address.
Note: Connecting to the Administration interface from a remote computer will first require the installation of the Administration interface on the remote computer and an additional listener IP address and port applied in the administration settings, see Allowing Remote Administration instruction below)

Setup IP addressing and listen port

From the Administration interface, click Server from the menu and Configure (Ctrl+F), replace either 0.0.0.0 in the Listeners under the Address column with your local static IP of you FTP server or :: with your IPv6 address. leave the Ports as 21 unless you have more than one FTP server running on this machine, in which case each additional server installation would have custom port number applied (eg. 2121, 2122).

Enable Passive mode port range

To allow remote connections to your FTP server through a firewall and/or router you will need to set a port range. Click Server from the menu and Configure (Ctrl+F), Expand FTP Server menu tree (if not already), click Passive mode, ensure the Use custom port range check box is ticked and set a custom port range of at least 100 ports in the From and To boxes, this can be any range between 49152 and 65534 (eg. 52100 to 53100). Leave the Use custom host blank and ensure the Use the default host for local connection check box is ticked.

Allowing Remote Administration

The Administration interface is a GIU that will allow you to configure, manage and monitor your FTP server from either the machine that the server is directly installed on or remotely from another computer inside or outside of your network. Administering your FTP server can only be done through the Administration interface GUI and therefor a lightweight installation of the Server application will need to be completed by selecting Administration only from the Choose components screen on any computer you wish to manage the FTP server from.
WIP more to follow . Once completed, remote access from inside your local network can be made by using the Static IP of the FTP server and port along with the password you set during the installation process,

Setup Groups and Members

WIP more to follow

Share Folders with Groups and Members

WIP more to follow

Port Forwarding / NAT for remote access

WIP more to follow