Fetch needs a few bits of information to establish an FTP connection:

Host: the system to which you want to connect; typically a series of letters and/or numbers separated by periods (e.g., ftp.ualr.edu, ftp.apple.com).

User ID: your identity on the remote system. Public archive sites allow anyone to gain access by identifying themselves as a user named anonymous. On a server where you have your own files, you would enter your username or other identifier such as your Network ID.

Password: the password for your User ID. An anonymous user is usually asked to enter his or her e-mail address as a password, and some sites will reject a connection when the password does not match the format of an e-mail address. When accessing your own files on a system where you have an account, you would use your own password for the system.

Default password: To save yourself the bother of always typing in your password when you connect to an anonymous FTP site, you can define a default password. Select "Preferences..." from Fetch's Customize menu, and within the Preferences dialog box click the "General" tab. Enter your e-mail address (e.g., cvcapps@ualr.edu) in the "Default password" field. This password will then be used whenever you connect to a site as user anonymous, and you will not need to type it in.
Directory (optional): the location of the files you want to access on the server. The directory pub (short for public) is often used on anonymous FTP servers for storing publicly accessible files. If the server to which you connect does not have the directory you specified here then you will see an error message when you try to connect, but Fetch will probably make the connection for you, to whatever directory the server has instructed it to enter.

Shortcuts (optional): Click on the triangle next to Shortcuts to see a pop-up menu listing popular servers. If the one you want is listed there, select it with the mouse and Fetch will automatically enter the server name for you. If the one you want is not listed, then there is no shortcut available, so you will have to type the server's name in the Host box as explained above.

Adding shortcuts: To add the sites you visit most often to the list of shortcuts, first connect to a site you wish to add, then choose "New Shortcut..." from Fetch's Customize menu.
After entering a host, user name, password and, optionally, a directory, click the OK button to connect to an FTP server. A screen like the one below, showing directories and/or files, will appear. Directories have folder icons, files have paper icons, and aliases have a combined folder/paper icon. Above the list of files and directories you will see a pop-up menu labelled with the name of the directory currently accessed. In the illustration below, this menu is labelled pub. After connecting you may need to navigate the FTP server to find the file or directory you want.

Navigating an FTP Server
Once you've gained access to an FTP server, you can start navigating its directory structure to look for files or other directories. On most systems accessed as anonymous, you'll start out in a top level (root) directory called slash (/). If you don't see anything promising at the top level, you should try looking for and opening a directory called pub.

You can switch to a directory, such as pub, by double-clicking on its name. When you do, you are likely to see a list of more files and/or directories. Double-click on a directory name, such as mac, to move into a directory for Macintosh programs, and then double-click on util, for example, to open a directory with utility programs. You should now be in a directory called /pub/mac/util, i.e., public Macintosh utility programs. FTP directory and file names can be cryptic until you get used to them. If you see a file called "readme.txt" or "index" or something similar, click once on the file name and then pick "View File..." from the Remote menu and read the file that opens up--it will usually contain more information about the files and subdirectories in the directory you're accessing.

Fetch also lets you move around directories by typing out their path names instead of double-clicking; this might be faster for you if you know exactly the directory you want to access. Select the "Change Directory..." command from the Directories menu and enter the location you want to access. To move back up one or more directory levels, click the pop-up menu above the list of file and directory names, then select whatever location you wish from the list--you can back up just one directory, or, at most, go all the way back to the one you accessed when you connected.

Retrieving Files
When you see a file that you want to retrieve, simply double-click on its name, or click on it once and then click on the button labelled "Get File...," or click on it and drag it to your desktop. In any of these cases, Fetch will ask you for a name for the file, suggesting the one it already has. Click the OK button to approve the transfer. Once the file has reached your desktop, you can run it, or open it up with an application, depending on the type of file. If you retrieve an executable file from an FTP server, it's a good precaution to check it with anti-virus software before trying to run it.

In some cases, you may have to decompress the file with a utility program such as StuffIt Expander in order to get to the original program or file. Fetch will automatically call on StuffIt Expander to perform this function if necessary, assuming that StuffIt Expander can be found on your system. If you use the World Wide Web through the Writing Center then you will already have StuffIt Expander.

One of the tricky points to using FTP can be deciding which transfer type (text or binary) you need to use for a particular file. Fortunately, when you choose the Automatic setting, Fetch tries to guess for you based on the name the file was given. If a file you retrieved seems broken (the program doesn't start properly, or you can't read or print its contents), then chances are good that Fetch used the wrong type of transfer and you will have to try downloading the file again by manually choosing the method of transfer, using the opposite of what Fetch tried. Be sure to read the Help file on the topic Automatic/Text/Binary. Automatic usually works because Fetch tries to recognize the file type, including MacBinary (.bin), BinHex (.hqx), and StuffIt (.sit), just to name three common formats.

If you do need to override Fetch's Automatic selection of file type because the resulting file seems to be corrupt, here are some details about the choices:

Text:
for files that contains just normal, printable characters with no special codes or formatting. If a file's name ends in .txt, it is a safe bet that it contains just normal text. Files with names like read.me will usually also be text files. Web files with names ending in .html or .htm are text files too.
Binary:
for applications and most documents created by a specific applications. All Macintosh files have a complex structure that requires a special type of encoding if they are to be stored on another type of system. This encoding is called MacBinary, and you will almost always want to choose this type of transfer rather than the simple Binary type. Files with names that end in .bin will need to be transferred using MacBinary. Image (.gif, .jpg) and sound files should be transferred in binary, choosing the "Raw Data" option.
For additional information, read the Help file on Suffix Mapping, a command available in the Customize menu, that lets you modify the list of suffixes and file types Fetch recognizes when you choose Automatic. If you modify the information in the Suffix Mapping box, and enter incorrect information about BinHex, MacBinary, MacHost, or Apple Single file types, Fetch's own programming will override this and transfer the file correctly.

Storing Files
When you have a file that you want to store on an FTP server, click on the button labelled "Put File..." or click the file icon on your system and drag it to the Fetch file/directory list window once you connect to the site and have navigated to the correct directory. Fetch will ask you for a name for the file, suggesting the one it already has. Click the OK button to approve the transfer.

Please keep the following facts in mind when storing files:

Many FTP servers run UNIX, so file names are case-sensitive and problems may result if you try to use a space or special character in the file name when you store it.

If a file of the name chosen already exists on the FTP server, Fetch will overwrite the existing file with the one you transfer -- it cannot be undone (this differs from retrieving files where Fetch appends a number to a file with the same name, preventing the overwrite).

If you want to create a new directory on the FTP server for your file before you transfer it, choose "Create New Directory..." from the Directories menu. Both of the above items apply to directory names too.
When putting image, sound or movie files (like .gif, .jpg, .mov) onto a server for web pages, remember to transfer using the "Raw Data" option.
Like retrieving files, you may have to decide which transfer type (text or binary) you need to use for a particular file. Fortunately, when you choose the Automatic setting, Fetch tries to guess for you based on the name the file was given. It's wise to try retrieving or viewing a file immediately after you put it onto an FTP server to be sure that it transfers back to your machine without error. If it does not, try sending another copy to the server in the mode opposite the one used by Fetch.

Disconnecting
You should close your session with an FTP server as soon as you are done transferring files. Some FTP archive sites are used by a lot of people, and there's a good chance someone is waiting to make a connection while you're connected to it. Many sites limit the number of people who can be logged in at the same time. To close a Fetch session, click the Close box in the upper left corner of the window or select "Close" from the File menu. If you are done with the program, choose "Quit" from the File menu to exit.

Problems Accessing an FTP Site
You may occasionally encounter an FTP server that you can't access unless your computer is registered in the domain name system. If you attempt to use such a server with an unregistered computer, you will receive a message that its domain name cannot be found. Nothing is wrong with Fetch or your computer--you simply need to have it registered in the domain name system first. Apple's FTP server (ftp.apple.com) expects such registration. If you need to register your computer in the domain name system, ask your network administrator to do it for you, or contact the Writing Center staff.

Sometimes your attempt to connect to an FTP site will be refused because the system is already serving its maximum number of people. When this happens, you'll have to try again later when there's less traffic. Some FTP sites limit access to certain periods of time during the day or week. Watch Fetch's status information screen when you connect for details about restrictions if you cannot access a site.

FTP Etiquette
A few rules of courtesy apply to the use of FTP from remote locations:

Because a vast number of people use the Internet in their daily work, it is best to use FTP during non-business hours whenever possible, especially when transferring large sound or image files that are not related to your work or research. Doing so will not only keep network traffic down during the day, but will also allow you a better chance of connecting to a remote server and will generally permit faster transfer rates.
Don't connect to a site in Australia if the same files are available from a site in Albany.
When uploading, make sure the file you are uploading is free of viruses and in a format that many people can use.