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MOREnet will be replacing the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) service with SFTP (Secure-shell File Transfer
Protocol). This will also include adding the ability to (optionally) access your web site content by Secure Shell (SSh).
How To Set Up SFTP for File Transfer to Your Web SiteFirst, some definitions to get us started:FTP File Transfer Protocol. A familiar and older method of transferring files to/from a server. Usernames, passwords, and data were not encrypted. Examples include older versions of WsFTP and DOS ftp.exe. FTPS File Transfer Protocol over SSL. Increased security of FTP by adding SSL encryption to the data transferred. FTPeS File Transfer Protocol Extended over SSL. Increased security of FTP by adding SSL encryption to the username and password during login, as well as the data transferred. SFTP Secure shell File Transfer Protocol. Uses a stronger and more secure encryption method based on public/private key pairs. All traffic, including login, between the client and server is encrypted using SSH public/private keys. SSh Secure Shell. Connects a client computer to a server computer using public/private keys. All communication between the two computers is encrypted. In its basic form, it is much like a DOS command prompt, allowing the user to enter commands on the command line, yet do so on a remote server. It also facilitates encrypted file transfers between the two computers. SFTP Client An application like FileZilla, PuTTY, or latest versions of DreamWeaver. You use it to connect via the SSh encrypted protocol to a server. For ease of use it typically mimics the behavior of the older and familiar FTP clients. Pulic Key The unique key you can give out to others so they can put it on their server to allow you to connect. Private Key The unique key you keep and never give to anyone else. It is also the key you will configure your SFTP client to use. Getting StartedTo get started, download PuTTYgen... Follow the installation instructions for the computer you use. (With today's Windows computers, you will most likely need the putty-64bit-0.74-installer.msi file.)The instructions will take you through the installation and starting up of PuTTYgen, to a point where you can create an SFTP public/private key pair. Once you've gotten to this point, do the following: ![]() Once you've created this directory folder, keep it open, since you'll be coming back to it later. ![]() ![]() Click on the 'Generate' button. You'll see the larger top area has text prompting you to move the mouse around. You can move it any random way you want. As you do, PuTTYgen will use the movement to generate random values it uses to generate your key pair. Keep moving the mouse until the displayed green bar fills up. Once it does, your key pair will be generated. ![]() Next, click the 'Save public key' button. A file save window will open up. Navigate to the c:\ssh\ directory folder you created. You can save the public key with any filename you want. It is recommended you include "-public.ppk" or "-pub.ppk" at the end of the filename so that you can quickly tell this is your public key. Click on the 'Save' button. Next, click the 'Save private key' button. A small window will open up asking if you are sure you want to save this (private) key without a passphrase. You can answer "yes" to this question if you are the only one who uses your computer. The private key file which you are about to save is the file you want to keep secure. You never give it to any one else. If you prefer to use a passphrase and answer 'No', you will need to fill in the 'Key passphrase' and 'Confirm passphrase' fields with matching values. Thereafter, each time you initially open an SFTP connection, you will be prompted to enter this passphrase to "unlock" the private key. After you have answered either "Yes" or "No", a file save window will open up. Navigate to the c:\ssh\ directory folder you created. You can save the private key with any filename you want. It is recommended you include "-private.ppk" or "-priv.ppk" at the end of the filename so you can quickly tell this is your private key. Click on the 'Save' button. What you have saved so far are the public and private key files in "PuTTY PK format" (designated by the '.ppk' file extension). ![]() You will need to highlight ~all~ of this text, starting with the "ssh-rsa" and ending with the key comment you added. After highlighting ~all~ of it, you can either right-click and select 'Copy', or you can press CTRL+C on your keyboard. Next, in the c:\ssh\ directory folder, create a new text file. Again, you can name it anything you want. It is recommended you include "-ssh-pub-key.txt" at the end of the filename, so you can quickly tell this is your SSH public key for the SFTP server to which you'll be connecting. Once you've created this text file, open it and paste the SFTP server formatted public key into the text file. Then save the file. You can now close PuTTYgen. ![]() Once your public key file has been placed on MOREnet's SFTP server, you will receive back a confirmation email which also lists your access name. Using the access name, and your name-you-created-priv-key.ppk file, you can now configure your SFTP-enabled client to connect to your web site via SFTP. Most web editing software nowadays supports SFTP. Your particular SFTP client will vary, but all will basically follow the steps outlined next. We will use FileZilla for our continueing example. An Example Using FileZilla![]() In the top left (just under the word 'File') is the button to open the Site Manager. Click on it (but not on the drop-down arrow). The Site Manager sub-window will open. ![]() You'll notice in the left display area that a blue-highlighted "New site" entry has been created. Click on "New site" and give this profile a name of your choosing, preferably something that will remind you what this connection is for. Next, under the 'General' tab on the right, change the 'Protocol:' dropdown to "SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol". For the 'Host:' field, type in "sftp.kinetic.more.net" (without the quotes). For the 'Logon Type:' dropdown, set it to "Key file". For the 'User:' field, type in the username that MOREnet sent you. For the 'Key file:' selection, click on the 'Browse...' button. Another sub-window will open up. Use it to navigate to the 'C:\ssh\' directory folder you created earlier. Select the name-you-created-priv-key.ppk file. In the 'Comments:' text box, you can enter anything you'd like that will help you remember what this profile is for. This field has no effect on the connection this profile will make. It is just for your convenience. You have now entered all the basic information you'll need for the SFTP profile. Click on the 'OK' button. Your new profile should look simular to the below example. ![]() Connecting to Your Web Site with SFTP![]() FileZilla will now connect to MOREnet's SFTP server. Once it has connected, you will see the right-hand panes update with a listing of the web server file contents. ![]() It is recommended that you not alter or delete any of the files you initially see in this directory. You can add additional files or directories to this directory folder, but none of them will be visible to your web site. In the upper right-hand pane, click on the "web" directory folder. ![]() It is recommended that you not alter or delete any of the directories you initially see here. You can add additional files or directories to this directory folder, but it is recommended that you not do so. None of these directories are visible to your web site. In the upper right-hand pane, click on the "www" directory folder. ![]() Note that the web server is case-sensitive. A (capital 'I') Index.php file is a different file than a (lower-case 'i') index.php file. Note that the web server uses "/" (forward-slashes) for the directory path, whereas Windows uses "\" (back-slashes). Also, it is recommended that you not use spaces in file or directory names. You can now use the left-hand panes in FileZilla to navigate on your computer's hard-drive to the file(s) you want to upload or download. ![]()
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