FTP Server Question

[nunob]

I'm rather new to networking but I'm ready to setup an ftp server. Can anyone tell me what all I need to do this? Here is what I have so far.

1) Dell Power Edge 4300 with dual 400mhz procs, 512 mb ram, two 30 gb scsi hdd's, and windows 2000 advance server.
2) Cable modem behind a Linksys besfr41 router.
3) High blood pressure (so I need to keep it simple)


Any help or ideas will be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

[NooNoo]

Windows 2kAS has its own ftp server - you need to run IIS and make damn sure its well patched.

Or you take the easy way out and get ServU

[nunob]

Thanks NooNoo. Do you have any ideas about security? I have downloaded and applied all of the updates. I setup ZoneAlarm Pro but I was wondering about turning off unused or unneeded services any idea where I can learn about which services I need and which ones I dont? Thanks again..

[NooNoo]

Read here and get a good virus checker!!

[tk421]

i'd highly recommend getting servu or another server program. i found MS' built-in FTP server very limited. it's security is integrated, which is nice, but sometimes you don't want that. (if you're hosting two different ftp sites, you might not want the same security levels and settings for users of the same name, etc.)

[nunob]

Thanks Tk421. Do you know about WSFTP Server? wondering if this will work as well as Servu or if Servu is better?

[tk421]

i haven't used wsftp server. judging from their client, i'm sure it's a good software. it would probably work out just fine for you. I'd guess it is pretty comparable to serv-u's personal edition. serv-u's enterprise edition lets you setup multiple virtual servers, each with its own users and security.

serv-u is also very widely used, so you'll have an easy time finding support!

[nunob]

Thanks for the info. I think I will try the Servu Enterprise Edition in case I wanna do more than one site at a time.

[Diver01]

Ive worked with ServU before, as a matter of fact, I just did it to do it, for no reason at all, and it was a very good program to work with, I think youll like it.

[Todo]

hey I just recently set up an FTP server using GuildFTPd. Its freeware and theres a good help file that explains how to set up and configure. And i'm also using a linksys befsr41 router. it explains how to configure the router.


http://www.guildftpd.com

[Radical Dreamer]

I prefer Bullet Proof FTP

[Six Eyed Smily]

if you dont want to pay for windows adv server (which is a fair few pennies) then i would reccomend linux.

additional benefits are that you can get away with much less hardware. its also much more secure and more stable.

problems - although its free its not quite as nice and easy to use.

also, if you want to save money on the router (an old pc 486 or better), smoothwall does everything that the linsys does, arguably better as well.

plus the linksys isnt really designed as well as smoothwall for running web/ftp servers. smoothwall has what it calles a dmz zone, which is basically somewhere between red (internet) and green (local network) so if something happens to the ftp server, it doesnt necesarily happen to your network as well....

what i am setting up for part of the render network at the minute is a small ftp and web server (linux) in the dmz zone, internet in the red zone and local network controlled by a win2k server in the green zone. obviously i dont know what you are doing, so that kind of setup may not be appropriate, but i am having great success with it, and it does seem very secure.

of course if you have already brought all of that then probably ignore the above