Windows 10 users can create a personal cloud server that will allow them to transfer files without restrictions. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create a local FTP server that gives you more control over how you share files.
Enable FTP on Windows 10
File Transfer Protocol or FTP is the old way of transferring files from one computer to another. There are cloud solutions these days that are more practical for most users. However, users often had to pay to be able to transfer large files.
This is not the case with FTP. And Windows 10 users will be surprised how easy it is to set up their computer and enable FTP.
Go to Control Panel All Control Panel Items Programs and Features. Click Turn Windows features on or off in the left pane.
A new window will appear called “Windows Features”. Find the Internet Information Services folder and expand. Check FTP extensibility in the FTP Server section. Also check the Web Management Tools subfolder (with the default selected).
When you have made your changes, click OK.
Configure an FTP site
Go to Control Panel All Control Panel Items Administrative Tools. Go ahead and open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
A new window will appear. In the left pane, expand the root directory and then right-click the Sites folder. Click Add FTP Site.
Add the name of the FTP site and the path to the folder that you will use to send and receive files. When finished, click Next.
On the next page (SSL bindings and settings), select No SSL under SSL Settings.
Leave the rest of the settings as they are. Click Next. On the Authentication and Authorization Information page, select Basic under Authentication.
In the “Authorization” section, select “Specified Users” and enter your Windows 10 account to access the server. A local account name is also allowed. Finally, check Read and Write in Permissions.
When finished, click Finish.
Configure Windows Firewall to enable FTP access
Windows Firewall is blocking connections that try to reach FTP servers. Therefore, if you have a firewall activated, you need to change some settings to get FTP access.
Use Windows Search to find and open Windows Defender Firewall. Select “Allow an application or feature through Windows Firewall”.
In the next window, click “Change settings” to change the list of applications. Select an FTP server and be sure to check the Allow for both public and private networks box.
Try now to connect to the FTP server from your local network and it should work.
Call from external sites
Follow these instructions if you want to connect to the FTP server over the Internet.
Open a command prompt and type IPCONFIG, then press Enter. Note the IP address of the default gateway.
Open your browser and enter your IP address in the address bar. You will be prompted to log in using your router credentials. Find the Port Forwarding section. The interface will differ depending on your ISP. It is usually found in the WAN or NAT settings.
Enter the following information:
- Service Name – Enter the desired FTP name.
- Port Range – Use Port 21.
- TCP / IP Address – Same as your IPv4 address. If unsure, enter IPCONFIG at the command line.
- Local TCP / IP port – use port 21 again.
- Protocol – use TCP.
Apply all changes and exit.
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