FTP: file transfer over the Internet

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a communications protocol that enables computer files to be sent and received over the Internet There are several reasons why FTP is preferred to e-mail in certain cases. Firstly, e-mail is not always suitable for sending large files (e.g. Word files with lots of graphics), and mailboxes may have size limits on incoming mail (many providers have a standard size limit of 5 MB). There is also the security aspect. In terms of security, e-mail messages are sometimes compared to postcards – not suitable for sending sensitive information. Lastly, large e-mail attachments can cause lengthy delays to other traffic. A bulky e-mail message somewhere in the pipeline can cause the delivery of later messages to be delayed until the ‘offending’ message has been received.

Vertaalbureau Bothof has its own ftp-server. Files can be copied directly to this FTP server from your computer over the Internet. You can use your own browser in combination with Windows Explorer to send them, or use an FTP client (software specially developed for FTP traffic). If you want to use FTP to exchange files with Vertaalbureau Bothof, contact us and we’ll give you a user name and password for access to the secure folders on our server. If necessary, we can guide you through the procedure first time around. We have instructions available that we’ll be only too pleased to send you for reference.