Last
Updated: 08/27/2024
( 9 minutes reading )
sFTP stands for Secure File Transfer Protocol. It's a secure version of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a standard network protocol used for transferring files between a client and a server on a computer network.
The primary difference between FTP and SFTP lies in the security features. sFTP is designed to provide a secure transfer of files over a network. It encrypts both the commands and data transmitted between the client and the server, offering protection against eavesdropping and other security threats.
sFTP uses secure protocols such as SSH (Secure Shell) for encryption. This ensures that the transferred data, including usernames, passwords, and file contents, is encrypted, making it difficult for unauthorized parties to intercept or tamper with the information.
sFTP typically uses SSH keys or other secure authentication methods, adding an extra layer of security compared to traditional FTP, which often relies on plain text usernames and passwords.
Last but not least, SFTP provides functionality similar to traditional FTP, allowing users to upload, download, delete, and manage files on a remote server. Many file transfer clients and servers support SFTP as a standard feature.
In this tutorial, we will discuss how to connect to your web hosting account over sFTP using the FileZilla desktop application. Without further ado, let us begin!
Before we proceed with accessing File directories on your cPanel account using an sFTP client, please note that the SSH private-public key pair must be created first.
If you are not familiar with the steps of creating, please follow our tutorial which explains in detail How to generate an SSH key pair from your cPanel account.
After you generate the keys please make sure you download the private key from cPanel in ppk format. Afterward, please open your FileZilla desktop application and continue further with this tutorial.
You can store the private key inside any directory on your local computer as long as you can easily find it and add the path to your FileZilla client later.
Please open the FileZilla FTP client. After doing so, please click on the “File” option located on the top left side of the window and select Site Manager from the drop-down menu.
Once you perform the action above, a new window will appear. From the bottom left menu, please click on the “New site” button. When you do that, a new session will appear under the “My Sites” entries above. You will immediately be able to give the session a name. We recommend choosing something recognizable. For the sake of this tutorial, we will name it “sFTP.”
Once you are done with naming your session, please point your attention to the right side of the window. You will find additional configuration options, and under the “General” tab you will see a drop-down menu next to “Protocol”.
Please select the “SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol” option.
Under “Protocol” drop-down menu, you will see the “Host” and “Port” fields. Inside, please enter the IP address or hostname of your web hosting account with us and the respective port. Typically, the SSH port would be 22, however, for security reasons, we changed it to 19199. You can obtain this information from your Welcome To HostArmada email or from your Client Area. If you are still unable to locate these, please contact our technical support team over the livechat option on our website.
Under the “Host” and “Port” fields, you will find another drop-down called “Logon type”. Please click on it and select the “Key File” option from the drop-down menu.
The next field you need to fill in is the “User” field. Inside, you need to add your cPanel username. If you are not sure what it is, you can find it at your Welcome to HostArmada email address.
Finally, in the “Key file” field you need to browse and find the private key file you have already saved locally on your device. Please select “Browse” buttom, navigate to the location of your private key file and select it. The “Key File” filed will be populated with the path to the key.
To connect via the sFTP protocol and start performing actions on your files, please click on the “Connect” button at the bottom right side of the page.
When you do that, a new window will appear, prompting you for the passphrase you set up while generating your private key pair. Please type it inside the “Password” text field and click on the “Ok” button on the bottom right corner.
If you have generated the SSH key pair, downloaded the private key in ppk format, and chose it correctly from your local computer, the final result will be a successful connection to your account with HostArmada via sFTP protocol.
Please note that once the connection is successfully established, the session will be saved, and you will be able to use the entire configuration again without having to input it once more.
There you have it! A very straightforward process on how to connect via sFTP using FileZilla. We hope that it was easy to follow. Of course, if you have questions, please feel free to contact our support team via the live chat option on our website, and they will be happy to assist you further.
Nikola is an accomplished tech-savvy extraordinaire with over six years of experience in the web hosting field. He started as a customer care representative and quickly rose the ranks to become a support supervisor and, eventually - the head of the technical department in HostArmada. His deep understanding of the client's needs, combined with his technical knowledge, makes him the perfect man to create the ideal harmony between client satisfaction and professional problem-solving. You will often find him creating helpful tutorials, articles, and blog posts that help existing customers get around.
Learn more about FTP Service in the other tutorials that we have:
