How to Upload Files with FTP

1. Overview

This guide explains how to upload and download files using FTP through a third‑party client or the command‑line interface. It also includes advanced configuration for ProFTPD Host Access Control.

2. Connect to an FTP Server with a Third‑Party Client

To connect using a third‑party FTP client, follow these steps:

1. Create an FTP account in cPanel’s FTP Accounts interface.
2. Click Configure FTP Client next to the desired account.
3. If a configuration file is available (e.g., for Cyberduck® or WinSCP), download and open it.
4. If no configuration file is provided, configure the client manually using the following details:

• Server Protocol: FTP
• Server Name: Domain name or server IP
• Username: Must match the exact format shown in cPanel
• Password: Your FTP password
• Port: Defaults to 21

Important: The username must match the exact format shown in cPanel, such as [email protected].

3. Connect to an FTP Server from the Command Line

1. Open a CLI window on your local machine.
2. Enter the ftp command:

ftp

3. Enter open to start a connection:

ftp> open

When prompted, enter your server’s IP address:

(to) 0.0.0.0

You will see a response similar to:

220———- Welcome to Pure-FTPd [privsep] [TLS] ———-
Name (0.0.0.0:example):

Enter your FTP username and password. If successful:

230 OK. Current restricted directory is /.

If login fails:

530 Login authentication failed

4. Upload a File from the Command Line

After connecting to the FTP server:

1. Navigate to the destination folder using cd:

ftp> cd public_html

2. Use the put command to upload a file:

ftp> put localmachine:\unfinished-documents\finalized-doc.txt

Important: Files must be uploaded to public_html to be visible on your website.

5. Download a File from the Command Line

1. Navigate to the file’s directory:

ftp> cd public_html/finalized-documents

2. Use the get command:

ftp> get document-with-a-mistake.txt

6. ProFTPD Configuration for Host Access Control

This section explains how to configure ProFTPD to restrict FTP access by IP address using Host Access Control.

Warning: This is an unsupported workaround and may not work in future versions.

System Requirements

• ProFTPD version 1.3.3 or later
• mod_wrap module installed

Verify installation:

proftpd -V | awk '/Version/ {print $0}; /mod_wrap/ {print "mod_wrap is installed"}'

7. Create a VirtualHost Container

1. Edit the /etc/proftpd.conf file and add:

TCPAccessFiles /etc/hosts.allow /etc/hosts.deny
TCPServiceName ftp

Warning: Both hosts.allow and hosts.deny must be specified.

2. Restart ProFTPD:

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/restartsrv_proftpd

3. Add deny rules to /etc/ftpusers.
4. Test the configuration by logging in.

8. Example VirtualHost Container

<VirtualHost 10.1.1.1>
 ServerName ftp.testserver.tld
 AuthUserFile /etc/proftpd/wcraft
 MaxClients 3 "Sorry, this ftp server has reached its maximum user count (%m). Please try again later"
 DirFakeGroup On ftpgroup
 DirFakeUser On ftpuser
 DefaultRoot ~
 TCPAccessFiles /etc/hosts.allow /etc/hosts.deny
 TCPServiceName ftp
</VirtualHost>