SFTP & Data Transfer

introduction welcome to the sftp guide! this guide is designated to help you navigate initiating a sftp session with ease for a seamless experience what is the sftp? sftp (secure file transfer protocol) is a way to safely send and receive files over the internet think of it like sending a package through a secure courier instead of regular mail secure it locks your files with encryption, so no one can peek at them while they travel like a safe deposit box you need a key (password or special code) to access the files reliable it ensures files arrive complete without being damaged or altered used for important transfers businesses use it for sensitive data, like financial records or personal information so, if regular file transfer is like sending a postcard, sftp is like using a locked, tamper proof package! who is this guide for? this guide is for any customer who wants to use sftp to transfer files for testing and/or work order submissions receive return files receive reports and samples how to use this guide? whether you are tech savvy or a technical novice, this guide will walk you through downloading and installing a sftp client initiating a sftp session uploading and downloading files we're always looking to improve, so if this guide doesn't answer all of your questions, please let us know getting started first things first, you will need a sftp client an sftp client is a software application that allows you to securely connect to an sftp server to transfer files think of it as a special mailbox that lets you send and receive files safely over the internet how it works (simple explanation) you open the sftp client you log in using a username and password (or a special key) you can upload (send) or download (receive) files your files travel securely so no one else can see or change them example uses a company shares confidential documents with employees a website owner uploads files to a server a business backs up important data to a secure location popular sftp clients winscp (windows friendly) filezilla (easy to use) so, an sftp client is like a secure file mover that helps you safely transfer important files between your computer and a remote server 🚀 this guide will walk through the use of winscp but the steps are similar for most clients winscp download winscp client we recommend winscp or filezilla we will use winscp for this guide if you are using an operating system other than windows then filezilla or another client will be a better choice for you after clicking the link for winscp, you will look for the following to start downloading the software install winscp client double click the file that was downloaded a window will popup requesting you to select an install mode we will be choosing "install for all users (recommended) when prompted "do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" select "yes" the next screen will be the license agreement choose "accept" to continue with the software install the next window asks which "setup type" you want select "typical installation (recommended)" and click "next" for the "initial user settings" we suggest selecting "commander" for use with this guide then click "next" finally, we're ready to install click "install" we have now completed the installation of winscp if you leave the "open getting started page" option selected, when you click finished you will be taken to a webpage with detailed information for using winscp we will provide basic instructions in this guide logging in with winscp now that you have the sftp client installed, you are ready to use your username and password to log in if you don't already have an account set up, you will need to complete the dfs sftp account request form before going any further username and password when you open the winscp application you will see the following login screen the sftp host name for dfs is dfs sftp lb dfsmail com always use port number 22 and enter your assigned username and password if you would like to save your host name and username you can do so by clicking "save" feel free to change the "site name" here you can give this a name that will be memorable for you once you click "ok", this will be available on the left side of your screen the next time you log in, you can select it to populate this information for security, we don't recommend choosing the option to "save password" now you are ready to click "log in " once you're logged in, you will see a screen that looks similar to this and you're ready to proceed with transferring files if you received an error message, please proceed to troubleshooting https //app archbee com/docs/f8ewogr 7jcpai2oobg6/draft ki1gvix2qf7fq4g6xdlnk#i81kc where we will walk through some of the most common issues our customers encounter transferring files with winscp let's start by familiarizing ourselves with the screen as you can see, the bulk of the application screen is split in half on the left you will see a folder location on your computer the right shows the folders and files on the sftp server in this example, there are 2 files on the computer used to log in to sftp and there isn't anything in the sftp directory the first thing we are going to do is navigate to the location of the file we want to move and, in the opposite pane, we will navigate where we'd like to place the file remember, the left side is your computer and the right side is the sftp directory if you are having difficulty using the interface to navigate to a file location, try clicking the "open directory" icon on the pane where you are trying to navigate and clicking browse this interface may be more familiar when you have navigated to where the file is located as well as where you'd like to place the file, transferring files is as simple as double clicking or dragging the file icon to where you want it to go when the file is copied, you will see it appear in the pane where you copied the file to filezilla download filezilla client we recommend winscp or filezilla we will use filezilla for this portion of the guide if you are using an operating system other than windows then filezilla or another client will be the better choice for you after clicking the link for filezilla, you will click the green "download filezilla client" button if you have a windows pc if you are using a different operating system, click the link below where it says "more download options" next you will select your edition for this tutorial we selected the first option which is the filezilla free version next you will need to agree to the license agreement you will be presented with an additional offer this is not necessary so you can select "decline" and click next install filezilla client double click the file that was downloaded a window will popup will install options with this tutorial we selected the first option "anyone who uses this computer (all users) next you will be prompted to choose components choose the ones that make sense for you and your organization your next window will request your install location we used the default location the next window will ask you to choose the start menu folder we kept the default suggestion once you have reached this window, click "complete" and you will have completed the installation of filezilla logging in with filezilla now that you have the sftp client installed, you are ready to use your username and password and/or key to log in if you don't already have an account set up, you will need to complete the dfs sftp account request form before going any further when you open the filezilla application you will see the following a place for login information if you are logging in using a password and don't have a need to save the host information then quickconnect may be a good option for you enter dfs sftp lb dfsmail com for your host along with your username, password and the port number of 22 then click quickconnect if you plan to log in regularly and wish to save the hostname and port number, the following option will be a better option for you select file and navigate down to site manager next, click "new site" at the bottom of the screen the new site will be labeled "new site" you can type over this name choose a name that makes sense for you in this example we named the site "dfs sftp" at the top of the right pane you will see a drop down for "protocol" select "sftp ssh file transfer protocol" enter host dfs sftp lb dfsmail com and port 22 if you are using a username and password set your "logon type" as "ask for password" if you are using a public key select "key file" for either option, enter your username where it says "user " if you selected "key file", click "browse " to navigate to your key file click "connect" if you are using a password, you will be prompted for your password you may be presented with a screen similar to the one pictured below to avoid having this popup each time you login, ensure "always trust this host, add this key to the cache" is selected and click "ok" if you received an error message, please proceed to troubleshooting https //app archbee com/docs/f8ewogr 7jcpai2oobg6/draft ki1gvix2qf7fq4g6xdlnk#i81kc where we will walk through some of the most common issues our customers encounter transferring files let's start with familiarizing ourselves with the screen as you can see, the bulk of the application screen is split in half on the left side you will see a folder location on your computer the right shows the folders and files on the sftp server in this example, there are 2 files on the computer used to log in to sftp and there isn't anything in the sftp directory the first thing we are going to do is navigate to the location of the file we want to move and in the opposite pane, we will navigate where we'd like to place the file remember, the left side is your computer and the right side is the sftp directory if you are having difficulty using the interface to navigate to a file location, try clicking the "open directory" icon on the pane where you are trying to navigate and clicking browse this interface may be more familiar transferring files with filezilla let's start with familiarizing ourselves with the screen as you can see, the bulk of the application screen is split in half on the left side you will see folder locations and files within a selected directory on your computer the right shows the folders and files on the sftp server in this example, there are 2 files on the computer used to log in to sftp and there isn't anything in the sftp directory the first thing we are going to do is navigate to the location of the file we want to move and in the opposite pane, we will navigate where we'd like to place the file remember, the left side is your computer and the right side is the sftp directory when you have navigated to where the file is located as well as where you'd like to place the file, transferring files is as simple as double clicking or dragging the file icon to where you want it to go when the file is copied, you will see it appear in the pane where you copied the file to troubleshooting network error connection to "dfs sftp lb dfsmail com" timed out network error double check your host name make sure you are connecting to dfs sftp lb dfsmail com if there are any typos then you will be unable to connect are you using port number 22? you must set the port number to port 22 any other numbers would likely result in this error has your public ip address changed? there are several scenarios that could cause a public ip address to change if your public ip address has changed then a ticket will need to be submitted to dfs to update your public ip address here are some of the most common things that can cause a person's public ip address to change dynamic ip assignment (most common) internet service providers (isps) often assign dynamic ip addresses using dhcp (dynamic host configuration protocol) this means that when your modem/router reconnects or after a certain lease time expires, the isp may assign a new ip address modem/router reboot restarting your modem or router can sometimes result in a new ip address, especially if your isp assigns ips dynamically isp network changes isps may periodically reassign ip addresses for network optimization, load balancing, or maintenance power outage or network disruption if your connection is interrupted due to a power outage or isp maintenance, your modem/router may get a different ip address when it reconnects switching networks or isps if you connect to a different network (e g , moving from home wi fi to a mobile hotspot), your public ip address will change using a vpn or proxy a virtual private network (vpn) or proxy server can mask your real ip and provide a different public ip address still having problems or your cause isn't listed? have you double checked everything and your issue is still not resolved? we're here to provide more advanced support to resolve your error please submit a support ticket by emailing account services access denied this error is usually caused by incorrect credentials check the following double check your username this may sound simple but even the most insignificant typo in a username will cause an access denied error double check your password if you are using a password to login, make sure it's exact is your caps lock on? could you have possibly entered a zero instead of the letter o? the password field in winscp is masked, so it's hard to be sure you entered every character correctly if you keep getting a password denied error, try copying and pasting the password into the password field to make sure you have it right still having problems or your cause isn't listed? have you double checked everything and your issue is still not resolved? we're here to provide more advanced support to resolve your error please submit a support ticket by emailing account services all other errors are you experiencing an error that is not already listed? we're here to provide more advanced support to resolve your error please submit a support ticket by emailing account services documents and forms revision history version date updater name description march 7, 2025 nikkita parker initial draft march 26, 2025 nikkita parker added instructions for filezilla