

Web browsers can also serve as FTP clients. Users can work with FTP via a simple command-line interface - from a console or terminal window in Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS or Linux - or with a dedicated graphical user interface. Because passive mode has the client initiating all connections, it works well across firewalls and network address translation gateways. The server uses the command channel to send the client the information it needs to open a data channel. After a client initiates a session via a command channel request, the server creates a data connection back to the client and begins transferring data.


Both computers need to be connected via a network and configured properly to transfer files via FTP. The second computer involved in FTP is a remote host, which is usually a server. In an FTP transaction, the end user's computer is typically called the local host. Within the TCP/IP suite, FTP is considered an application layer protocol. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ( TCP/IP) connections.
