Introduction
FileZilla Server is a reliable and free FTP server solution for Windows. This guide will take you through the process of installing and configuring FileZilla Server on a Windows VPS server.
Step 1: Downloading FileZilla Server
-
Go to the FileZilla website: Open your web browser and navigate to the official FileZilla website at https://filezilla-project.org.
-
Download FileZilla Server: On the main page, click the "Download FileZilla Server button and download the latest version.
Step 2: Installing FileZilla Server
-
Run the installer: Locate the downloaded installer file and double-click it to start the installation.
-
Choose components: Select the components you wish to install. The default selection is typically sufficient.
-
Accept the License Agreement: Read and accept the license agreement to proceed.
-
Select the installation directory: Choose where you want FileZilla Server to be installed. The default location is usually fine.
- Configure the server interface: Decide how the FileZilla Server Interface should be started. For most users, installing it as a service with the default settings works well.
- Listening Port and Administration password: Leave the listening port set to the default 14148. The Administration password can be set to whatever you’d like; optionally, this field can be left blank if you wish, but please note that this is a less secure option.
Step 3: Configuring FileZilla Server
-
Launch FileZilla Server: Once installed, open FileZilla Server.
-
Signing into FileZilla Server: When signing in, use 127.0.0.1 or localhost for the hostname, the listening port assigned during setup, and the chosen Administration password.
- Configure server settings: Navigate to ‘Server > Configure’ to configure server settings like passive mode settings, security settings, and more.
- Set up Passive FTP Ports: Navigate to the “FTP and FTP over TLS (FTPS)” section and select the “Passive Mode” tab. Check the box labelled “Use custom port range” and set the range from 5550 to 5650, shown below:
Step 4: Creating FTP Users and Groups
- Add users: In the configuration window, navigate to the “Rights Management > Users” section to add new users. To set a password for the new user, select the dropdown box under “Authentication” and select the “Require a password to login” option.
- Assign directories: Each user can be granted permission to a specific directory or set of directories in the “Mount Points” section. Simply click the “Add” button, set the Virtual Path to “/”, and the Native Path to the directory you want to allow access to. Then just click “Apply” to save the change.
- Create groups (optional): You can also create groups and assign users to them for easier management.
**Step 5: Creating a FileZilla Firewall Rule
-
Creating the rule: FileZilla requires a firewall rule for port 21 that isn’t tied to the Microsoft FTP service; steps on creating this rule can be found in the Firewall Configuration section of this article. We’d recommend setting the port range to “21, 5550-5650” to allow passive FTP connections, as well as a name signifying this rule is for FileZilla Server specifically.
-
(Optional) For added security, this firewall rule could instead be set as a Custom rule limited to the FileZilla Server program. The other steps and settings for creating the rule would otherwise stay the same.
Step 6: Testing the Server
- Test remote access: Test your ability to connect to the server with an FTP client, using the server’s IP as the hostname.
Conclusion
If you were able to successfully connect to the server via FTP, then congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured FileZilla Server on your Windows VPS.