Thread: FileZilla FTP Server for Windows (Guide) Shorten URL

Notice: Written for Filezilla Server version 0.9.29 a few MINOR things may have changed.

Guide for installing/setting up FileZilla FTP server.

What is FileZilla FTP Server?
It is a fairly simple to use FTP Server for Windows.

Download for FileZilla: http://filezilla-project.org/
I also recommend downloading FileZilla FTP client as it can be useful in testing to make sure the server is working properly.

Sections:
1. Installation
Part A
Part B

2. After Installation
Part A
Part B

3. Configuration
General Settings: General Settings
General Settings: Welcome Message
General Settings: IP Bindings
General Settings: IP Filter
Passive Mode Settings
Security Settings
Miscellaneous
Admin Interface Settings
Logging
GSS Settings
Speed Limits
Filetransfer compression
SSL/TLS settings
Autoban

4. Users
Creating A User
General User Settings(Password)
Shared Folders
User Specific Speed Limits
User Specific IP Filter

5. Groups
Creating a Group
Group Shared Folders
Group Speed Limits
Group IP Filter

6. Routers
Port Forwarding

Help topics:
After Installation Part B Help
Users: Shared Folders - Access to seperate directories
Groups: Shared Folders - Access to seperate directories
Group Permissions and Having a User's Permissions Override


Only need to finish the SSL\TLS setup guide and I will be finished.
Edit: I am not going to document the use of SSL\TLS settings for FileZilla Server at this time. Consider this guide finished.

Installation.

1. Navigate to where you saved the download of FileZilla Server

2. Double click the FileZilla Server Installer. Click Run.

You should now see Screen 1.0 on your monitor.
Screen 1.0:


3. Click 'I Agree'.

Screen 1.1:


4. Click 'Next'.

Screen 1.2:


You can change the 'Destination Folder' if you want. For this guide I am going to use the default shown on Screen 1.2.

5. Click 'Next'.

Screen 1.3:


6. On Screen 1.3, "Please choose a port the admin interface of FileZilla Server should listen on(1-65535):"
By default the number in that box will be 14147, as you can see I changed it to '12567'. I would recommend you change the number as well. That does not mean change it to 12567 just because I did, create your own number. Write it down or remember it cause you will need to know it shortly.

7. Click 'Next'.

Screen 1.4:


8. On Screen 1.4, "Please choose how the server interface should be started:" Select the option you want this is just start up settings for the admin interface. The server will run even if the admin interface is not open.

9. Click 'Install'.

Let the installer do its thing.

10. Once the installer has finished click 'Close'.

Congratulations FileZilla FTP Server is installed, now it is time to configure the server.

After installation

After you have clicked 'Close'. A window that looks like Screen 2.0 will appear.

Screen 2.0:


1. Change '14147' in the box below "Port:" to the number you choose while installing mine was '12567'.

2. Click 'OK'.

Screen 2.1:


Now you are using the admin interface.(Should look like Screen 2.1)

3. Click Edit on the toolbar at the top. The edit menu will expand showing: "Settings, Users, Groups".

4. Click 'Settings' from that menu.

Screen 2.2 should appear.

Screen 2.2:


Notice the scrollable box on the left side of Screen 2.2 (Directly above the 'OK' button).

5. Click on 'Admin Interface settings' in the box on the left.

Screen 2.3:


6. Click the check box next to "Change admin password:"

The input boxes next to "New Password:" and "Retype new Password:" should now be useable.

7. Input a password. Remember it or Write it down as you will need it again soon.

8. Click 'OK'.

The FileZilla Server options window will close(Screen 2.3).

You will still see Screen 2.1, however the last two lines of text in it will read:
"Sending settings, please wait..."
"Done sending settings."

9. Close the window "FileZilla server" (Screen 2.1).

10. Locate the icon "FileZilla Server Interface" on your desktop. Double click it.

Screen 2.0 will appear again.

Screen 2.0:


11. In the "Admininistration password:" input box type in the password you created in step 7.

If you want check the box next to "Always connect to this server".

12. Click 'OK'.

Screen 2.1 will appear.

Screen 2.1:


13. Locate the icon on the toolbar that looks like a lightning bolt(Screen 2.1).
Note: The lightning bolt icon starts or stops the server.

14. Click the lightning bolt icon.

Screen 2.4 will appear.

Screen 2.4:


15. Click 'Yes'.

Wait until it says "Server offline." in red on the FileZilla Server window.

16. Click the lightning bolt again

Screen 2.5


Your screen should look exactly like Screen 2.5, however, it may not the reason to do that test was to check and see if FileZilla was able to use port 21.
If your screen does not look exactly like Screen 2.5 click here.

If your screen does look exactly like Screen 2.5 then continue on to the next section.

If you see something like "Failed creating listening socket on port 21..." in red.

Do the following:

1. Click Edit
2. Click Settings

The following screen will appear.


3. In the input box next to "Listen on these ports:" change the '21' to something else. Example change it to '210'.

4. Click 'OK'.

The FileZilla Server Options window will close.

5. Click the lightning bolt icon.

If it was successful the last to lines of text on the FileZilla Server window will be:
"Creating listen socket on port 210...
Server online"

If that is what you see then close this window and continue to section 3.

If you still get failed in red, repeat steps 1-4 on this page except change the number you use in step 3.

Configuration

1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.00 will appear.

Screen 3.00


Optional Step
If you want to limit the number of users connected at the same time change the number in the input box next to "Max. number of users:"(screen 3.00). I'm just going to leave it set to 0.

Optional Step
Locate the input box next to "Number of threads:"(screen 3.00).
If you have more than one processor then change the value in that box to be 2*numberofprocessors. Or if you think the server will be under heavy load. Change the value, probably a good idea to stick with even numbers.

2. On Screen 3.00, "Connections timeout:" the input box next to it has the '120' change this to '0'.
Changing it to 0 will prevent timeouts from occuring while you are uploading/downloading to and from the server.

3. On Screen 3.00, "No Transfer timeout:" change the value in the box next to it to '600' if it is not all ready set to 600.

4. On Screen 3.00, "Login timeout:" change the '60' to '0'. If you do not like that idea then use '9999'.
Changing it to '0' means the connection will stay open until the user closes it or until you kick them.

Your screen should look similar to this now:


5. Click 'OK' OR Go onto the next part of this section.

Note: If you did not click 'OK' at the end of the previous part of this section you can skip step 1.
1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.01 will appear.

Screen 3.01:


2. Click on Welcome Message under General Settings(Screen 3.01 on the left).

Your screen should change to look like Screen 3.02.

Screen 3.02:


3. "Custom welcome message:"(Screen 3.02) I am going to change the message to 'hi' you can set it to whatever you want.

4. Check the box next to "Hide welcome message in log"(Screen 3.02)
This will make it so the welcome message you choose to use is not written to the filezilla server log.

Your Screen Should look similar to the following:


5. Click 'OK' or continue to the next part of this section.

Note: If you did not click 'OK' at the end of the previous part of this section you can skip step 1.
1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.01 will appear.

Screen 3.01:


2. Click on IP bindings under General Settings(left side of Screen 3.01)

Your screen should look like 3.03.

Screen 3.03:


By default filezilla listens on all ip addresses available.

Optional Step:
I am going to change this because I know what I want it to listen on.. you should also know the ip you want it to listen on as well. You will need to know it later on anyway.

Note: If you want to setup a server that is behind a router, your computer should have a static ip setup(doesn't change when it is restarted.)

Click Start > Click Run > type: cmd.exe > Click Ok.
Type: ipconfig
Press enter.
You will see your computers ip address.

Code:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.103
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Mine is 192.168.1.103.
Note: you can bind the server to multiple ip addresses by putting a space in between them.

Your screen should either look like Screen 3.03 or the following:


3. Click 'OK' or go on to the next part of this section.

Note: If you did not click 'OK' at the end of the previous part of this section you can skip step 1.
1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.01 will appear.

Screen 3.01:


2. Click on IP Filter under General Settings(left side of Screen 3.01)

Your screen should change to look like Screen 3.04

Screen 3.04


Optional Step:
In the box under "The following IP addresses are not allowed to connect to the server:"(Screen 3.04)
I am going to put *.*.*.* because I want to ban all ip addresses. Then using the other box I am going to only allow only the ip addresses I know I want to people to have access from. Problems can occur from doing this but if all the ip addresses you wish to allow are static or within a range it is a good way to prevent annoyances from trying to connect to your server and do malicious things.

In the box under "Exclude the following IPs from the list of disallowed IPs, thus allow access again:"(Screen 3.04) I am going to put 192.168.1.* this means anyone connected to my lan can access the server.
This is also the place to put in anyother IP address you wish to allow.. maybe your friends IP address.. your works IP.. whatever to find that ip go to that place open www.whatsmyip.com and write down the IP address then bring it home and put it in the box.

Note: for multiple IP address seperate them with a space.

Here's what your screen will look like if you did the optional stuff

Note: The second IP address 127.0.0.1 in the exclude box is there to show what it would look like for multiple ip addresses.

3. Click 'OK' or go onto the next part of this section.

Note: If you did not click 'OK' at the end of the previous part of this section you can skip step 1.
1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.01 will appear.

Screen 3.01:


2. Click on Passive Mode Settings(left side of Screen 3.01)

Your screen should look like 3.05

Screen 3.05:


Select the Step 3x that best describes you:
3A. If you have a static IP address from your ISP and you know what it is then check the circle next to "Use the following IP:"(Screen 3.05) and place your IP in the box.

3B. If you have a dynamic ip address or you are not sure what your external IP address is then check the circle next to "Retrieve external IP address from:"(Screen 3.05).

3C. If you want lan only just put check the box next to "Use the following IP:"(Screen 3.05) and put your lan ip address in the box.

4. If there is not a GREEN check mark in the check the box next to "Don't use external IP for local connections"(Screen 3.05) then check the box

5. Check the box next to "Use custom port range:". Input a range of ports.
I am going to use 51500-51600.

Your screen will look similar to the follow:
Note: The settings maybe different depending on what you picked during step 3.
Note: Your port range maybe different.



6. Click 'OK' or go on to the next part of this section.

Note: If you did not click 'OK' at the end of the previous part of this section you can skip step 1.
1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.01 will appear.

Screen 3.01:


2. Click "Security Settings"(on the left of Screen 3.01)

You should see screen 3.06.

Screen 3.06:


3. Read the description on Screen 3.06 or just go to the next step.
I'm not going to edit anything here.

4. Click 'OK' or go on to the next part of this section.

Note: If you did not click 'OK' at the end of the previous part of this section you can skip step 1.
1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.01 will appear.

Screen 3.01:


2. Click "Miscellaneous"(on the left of Screen 3.01)

Your screen should look like Screen 3.07

Screen 3.07:


Optional Step:
The Input box next to "Internal transfer buffer size:"(Screen 3.07) change the value to increase the internal transfer buffer if you are having problems with slow transfers.. Example it has '32768' change it to '65536'.
If you want to go higher just double it again.

Optional Step:
The input box next to "Socket buffer size: " (Screen 3.07) change the value to increase the socket buffer size if you are having problems with slow transfers.. Example it has '65536' change it to '131072'.
If you want to go higher just double it.. shouldn't be any reason to though.

4. Click 'OK' or go on to the next part of this section.

Note: If you did not click 'OK' at the end of the previous part of this section you can skip step 1.
1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.01 will appear.

Screen 3.01:


2. Click Admin Interface Settings(left side of Screen 3.01)

Your screen should now look like Screen 3.08.

Screen 3.08:


This is the screen you would go to if you want to activate remote administration.

Optional Step:
In the box below "Bind the admin interface to the following IP addresses:"(Screen 3.0 you would put either an *, or your ip address. Then in the box below "IP addresses which are allowed to connect to the admin interface:"(Screen 3.0 you would put the computers IP address that you want to have remote access from.
I would recommend not editing those settings, as right now the setup is you have to actually go to the server and alter the settings there.. which is more secure. But if you want to do remote control abilities then do it.. remember you will also need to forward the admin interface port if you want non-lan ip addresses connecting.

3. Click 'OK' or go on to the next part of this section.

Note: If you did not click 'OK' at the end of the previous part of this section you can skip step 1.
1. On the FileZilla server window click Edit then Settings.

Screen 3.01 will appear.

Screen 3.01:


2. Click on "Logging"(left side of Screen 3.01)

Your screen should now look like Screen 3.09.

Screen 3.09:


3. Click the box next to "Enable logging to file"(Screen 3.09)
This should make the other settings on the screen editable.

Now you can set these up however you want.. If you want to have a tool to check through logs I would say it would probably be easier to just use the single log file option. However I don't so I am going to setup it up the way I prefer.

4. Click the circle next to "Use a different logfile each day (example: fzs-2003-02-10.log)"(Screen 3.09)

5. Click the box next to "Delete old logfiles after 14 days"(Screen 3.09)

6. Change the '14' in the box next to days to '30'

Your screen will look like this if you did the same setup as me.


7. Click 'OK' or go on to the next part of this section.