Now that you have a Web Page what do you do with it? It might look good on your computer, but how do other people see it over the Internet? These are just some of the questions I will try to answer in this tutorial.

Setting Up a Homepage Directory on Your Computer:

      First, I recommend that you store all of your homepage files on your hard drive (usually C:) in a directory called "C:\Homepage". The name of the directory is up to you, but "Homepage" is easy to remember. Create this directory and place all of your web page files in this directory. This includes "index.html" and any other files you might be using (graphics, sounds, etc.). The idea here is to create a mirror image of what you want to put on the Internet.

      When you signed up with your ISP (Internet Service Provider) they most likely gave you a small amount of space on their server (just another computer) for your web page (10MB, 100MB or even 1GB). This web address usually looks something like "http://www.yourserver.com/~username/". If your not sure what it is then contact your ISP and ask them what your web page address is. You may have to pay extra to your ISP for hosting for your web page. This is where you want your "index.html" file to end up!

      There is a way of assuming this address based on your E-mail address which I hope you know.

      Notice the placement of "yourserver", "username", ".com" and "~". Also, "com" might be "net" depending on your ISP used. This assumption will work in most cases, but not all. Also, notice the FTP Server name. This is the FTP Server your FTP program will need to connect to. Sound confusing? If your not sure what those three things are listed above, contact your ISP and ask them.

Download and Install SmartFTP:

      Next, your going to need a program which will transfer your files FTP (File Transfer Protocol). The one that I like to use is SmartFTP which works for most versions of MS Windows. There's also Cute FTP and WS_FTP.

      Now your probably wondering, "where do I download this program?" Easy question, from any shareware site. There are several dozen out on the web. I'll list a few below to start you out.

SmartFTP Site
Download.com (CNet)
Tucows
ZDNet.com Downloads

      All you have to do is go to one of these sites and search for "SmartFTP". In some cases you may have to search for something else, but with a little luck you'll be downloading in a few seconds. You can also search Google.com for a link to a download site for the free (shareware) version. Download the program and install it on your computer per the installation instructions. The installation is usually very straight forward.

Setup SmartFTP:

      Once you have a working copy of SmartFTP, run it and start a "New Remote Browser". This will give you a remote (server) file view. It will be seen on the left once setup.

Under General, enter the following information:

Then click "OK" and hope everything works! Once you get a connection you'll notice your Web Server files on the left.

Next, click on the File Icon towards the top of the program to get a local file view (your hard drive, usually C:\). It will be seen on the right. So, now you have your local C:\ drive files on the right and your Web server files on the left. Navigate to where your Web page files are kept, or where you placed the index.php (Free Web Page) file. If you followed the directions above, your Web site files should be kept in "C:\Homepage". So, double click on the Homepage directory to open it up.

Finally, to transfer your files! Select a file, such as index.php, on the right (local drive) side by left clicking and holding down. The drag the file over to the left side (Web Server) and release the left button, dropping the file. You should see the file transfer get added to the File Transfer Queue at the bottom of the program. The queue represents transfers that the FTP program is attempting to do. It's pretty easy once you get everything set up correctly. There's also some fairly good movies to watch at the SmartyFTP web site if you have problems. Good luck and have fun!