The FTP protocol is a network protocol designed to facilitate the transfer of files between two or more computers or devices through a network. In order to use this protocol, one of the teams must act as a “server” (that is, the one that saves the files), and the others as clients (who connect to it to upload or download files to it). There are many ways to connect to an FTP server, but one of the most complete and easy to use programs that we can find on the network is FileZilla.
FileZilla is a completely free and open source FTP client designed to allow users to easily and securely connect to any server and exchange all types of files with it.
Main features of FileZilla
Undoubtedly, one of the first features that we should highlight in this software is the compatibility with protocols. FTP is the original protocol, but it is also so old that it does not apply any protection or security to the network. Therefore, in addition to FTP, FileZilla also supports FTP with encryption, SFTP and FTPS. In addition, it is compatible with the IPv6 protocol.
The program interface is divided into tabs , which allows you to work with several sessions at the same time. It also has support to pause and resume , allowing you to stop and continue transfers. It is also compatible with drag & drop , so we can drag files and directories to upload and download files to the FTP server.
Another of its main features is that it has a server administrator . This allows us to save a list of all server configurations (including users and passwords) so that we can connect to them easily. This function has been criticized in the past for not encrypting passwords, although the most recent versions of the program already do. In addition to the server administrator, it also has a bookmarking system where you can save the most common ones.
It also has a directory comparison system. This allows us to compare two or more folders between local and remote to know if both have the same data or not. When the information is not the same (name, size, etc.), the differences stand out. Another feature is that it has a complete search engine based on filters, which will allow us to find the files we want easily. Thanks to remote editing , it allows us to edit files directly on the server without having to download them to the PC.
Another interesting function is that it allows us to set speed limits . Very useful to not saturate the network or less powerful devices (such as routers) where we have the FTP server.
Finally, indicate that it is available in more than 50 different languages, including Spanish.
to download
FileZilla is a completely free, open source and cross-platform program. In addition to finding it in most software repositories (in Linux), we can find the latest versions of this software in the following link .
In addition, we can also find FileZilla portable on different websites. Both installable and portable software, as long as they come from official and reliable sources, are free of malware and unwanted software.
Of course, it is very important to remember that this program has been the victim of hackers several times. Many websites have distributed modified versions with Trojans that have put users at risk. Therefore, it is vital to make sure that we download this software from official sites (and, if possible, check the hash sum to make sure everything is correct).