FTP

Wherever you decide to put your web site, it's quite likely that to access it you'll need to use FTP.

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It's the way that your web site files get from your computer to the server on the net.

To use FTP you need a program that runs on your computer and talks to the server. Your browser may be able to do this, but for the best and fastest results (and more features) you should use a dedicated FTP program. Links to some free FTP applications can be found here. Some HTML editors include FTP programs. Dreamweaver certainly does.

Settings

Whichever client you decide to work with you'll need to enter some information to tell it what server it needs to talk to and to prove you are authorised to make changes to your site:

FTP Server/Path: The address of your FTP server. Your web space provider will tell you what this is (e.g. uploads.webspace.isp.net).

Username: Your FTP username. If using ISP web space, this will probably be your regular username.

Password: Your FTP password. If using ISP web space, this will probably be your regular password.

You might also have other options available. Check your software's documentation for details.
AOL users can go to AOL Keyword: FTP for more information.

Uploading Files

Once you have entered all the necessary information, the FTP program will attempt to connect to your server.

NB: if you're using ISP web space, you'll probably only be able to access the server if using a dial-up account from the ISP.

Once connected, you should see a window which represents your server space. Like the one shown below (using Transmit for Mac OS X). This looks like any normal file window maybe containing folders. In some cases you need to place your files in a specific folder (e.g. named public_html), but your web space provider will tell you if this is necessary.

To upload files, just drag and drop into the server space window (most FTP programs work in this way, but if unsure check your documentation). Some applications also have a built-in local files window to make this easier. Upload all files needed for your site - HTML, images - the whole lot.

Your new files should appear on your web site immediately.