Hot FTP Access to a WordPress Website
If you are a person who likes to keep up with the latest news and goings-on, you know how challenging it can be to keep up with all the various websites that cover these topics. Sometimes it feels like there is literally no end to the list of blogs and websites that you follow or read regularly. In addition, most websites will occasionally post articles or news stories that you may or may not find interesting or relevant to your own life or situation.
On the other hand, if you are a person who enjoys reading fantasy or adventure stories, you may find the endless lists of articles on various topics to be a little boring. You may have also found that when these lists go viral or are shared on social media, it can feel a bit like an endless rush of the same old things.
With all this in mind, it is easy to see how someone could get overwhelmed or frustrated when trying to access a WordPress website that is stored on a remote host. After all, the odds of getting stuck or running into a problem are significantly increased when dealing with a website that is not stored on your local computer or server.
The Good News
Fortunately, there is good news here. Thanks to the wonders of the internet and the FOSS software movement, there are multiple solutions available for those who need them. Most importantly, there is a free solution that is easy to setup and requires minimal effort. Let’s take a closer look.
The Free FTP Solution
While there are various advantages to using a secure, encrypted connection when transferring files over the internet, for the sake of this discussion, we’ll assume that you’re using a standard FTP connection. This is an easy solution to setup and does not require any specialized knowledge. More importantly, it is completely free and relies on open source software for its operation.
To set up this free solution, you will first need to install the open source FTP server software on a computer or server that is connected to the internet. Once this is done, you can then transfer files to and from your WordPress website using the FTP program on your local computer.
To be clear, this is not an automated solution. You will need to perform all the necessary tasks by hand. However, for those who are looking to improve their internet connection or simply want to have an extra backup in case their local machine crashes or malfunctions, this is a fairly easy and affordable option.
The Better, More Secure FTP Solution
It’s a good idea to use a secure FTP connection when accessing websites that contain highly sensitive or confidential information. While the free solution is easy to use, it uses a less secure method of FTP transfer which may not be as safe as you would prefer. As a result, some security experts highly recommend using a more advanced FTP solution that supports TLS encryption. This is the solution that we will discuss next.
A More Secure FTP Solution
A more secure solution is offered by GoDaddy which provides users with an additional layer of security when accessing their websites. To take advantage of this option, you will first need to purchase a GoDaddy SSL certificate. Once this is done, you can setup a free account with the company which provides you with access to their very useful and secure FTP software. As a result of this, all your internet traffic is encrypted as you browse the web. This is a very good option for those who value their privacy highly and want to ensure that their personal information is not intercepted while online. In addition, it also provides a greater degree of safety when transferring files to and from your WordPress website. When using the more secure FTP solution, you can also employ strong passwords and allow only specific IP addresses to access your site. This will increase the security of your account and provide you with more anonymity when surfing the web. Furthermore, it also prevents your website from being hacked or accessed by those who do not belong there.
The Pros and Cons of Each Solution
To help users decide which solution is best for their needs, GoDaddy has provided a comparison chart which highlights the key differences between each one of these popular FTP solutions.
The chart below compares the key features and benefits of each solution.
While all of these solutions have their perks, keep in mind that each one of them has significant drawbacks. For example, the free solution does not support multi-tenant hosting. As a result, users of this particular option must host their websites on a single server or use a single IP address. The better solution only supports unencrypted FTP connections which makes it less secure than the free option. As you can see from the comparison chart below, the pros and cons of each solution are fairly even and it is up to you to decide which one is best for your needs.
Hopefully, this article has helped you understand the difference between these various FTP solutions and given you enough information to make the right decision for yourself. For more information on GoDaddy and its wide array of products, visit https://secure.godaddy.com/