F ileZilla is an opensource (free) ftp client that supports all 3 operating systems (Windows, Linux and Mac OS). It is well supported with regular updates and patches and is as good if not better than any of the commercial products available with similar features.
Other Tutorials
The gist of it
1Step
Download and install the software
The first thing you need to do is download the installation package for the operating system you are using. The packages can be downloaded from here http://filezilla-project.org/download.php
When you click on the link to start the download it is a good idea to choose 'save' rather than 'run'. Once the download has finished go to the location that the file was saved to and double-click on it to start the installation process. Follow the prompts (accepting all the defaults is fine) and complete the installation.
Once the installation is complete you can safely delete the downloaded installation package. It is a good idea for those not confident with the whole process as it avoids any confusion when using the program. To use the program you click on Start -> Programs -> FileZilla FTP Client -> Filezilla or you can use the newly created shortcut on your desktop it you chose that option during installation. NB: you do not run the downloaded installation package to USE the software once it is installed.
2Step
Configure a new site
When you start the program for the first time you need to configure a new 'Site'. A site is basically a profile of stored settings. You can create as many sites as you need to store the connection settings for all the FTP servers you need to connect to.
Open the site manager by selecting File -> Site Manager... Click on the 'New Site' button and give it a name - Online Transcription or OTS for example.
In the right hand window on the general tab you need to provide the settings required to connect to our fTP server.
Host: -> ftp.ots.net.au
Port: -> 21
Protocol: -> FTP - File Transfer Protocol
Encryption: -> Require explicit FTP over TLS
Logon Type: -> Normal
User: -> username
Password: -> password
3Step
Customise your site (optional)
To enhance the user experience you can optionally configure a default local directory. Click on the Advanced tab while in the site manager and set the Default local directory: to the folder on your PC where you store your audio files that will need to be uploaded for transcription. For Olympus users this would usually be -> My Documents\DSSPlayer\Message\FolderA
It is important that you Do Not change the default remote directory. All uploaded files must go into the root directory of your FTP site otherwise they will not be picked up automatically and brought into our transcription management system!
You can now close the Site Manager window using the OK button. If you click the cancel button the settings will not be saved to your new site profile.
4Step
Connect and upload your files
Now that your site (profile) is configured there are several ways you can connect when you need to upload files.
- You can open the site manager by clicking the left most icon in the menu bar or by choosing File -> Site Manager from the menu.
- You can use the small drop down arrow that appears next to the site manager icon in the toolbar - click on it and a list of all your configured sites will drop down.
Once connected navigate to the folder on your PC where your audio files are located in the left window (if you configured a default local directory in step 3 it will already be selected). To upload the files do one of the following.
- Drag and drop the files from the left window to the right window
- Right click on the files in the left window and choose "upload"
- Double click on the file
Once the upload has finished you can disconnect and close the program.