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A new method for accessing your files from off campus

Some of you may have been aware that you could access files on Oxy's campus file servers using FTP and connecting to a server called mydrives.oxy.edu for staff, administrators and faculty and studentfiles.oxy.edu for students. During the recent maintenance, we upgraded our file server and as a result, the old sites no longer function. We do, however, have a new set of servers that can be accessed using FTPS, a slightly updated version of FTP that chiefly focuses on increasing the security of the connections by using SSL, the same technology that websites use to protect your passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information. After the break, we'll go over how to get an FTPS program and how to set up the connections.

Step 1: Downloading an FTPS program

There are a number of FTPS programs available and many of them are free. WinSCP, for Windows, is my personal favorite but FileZilla, which can run on Windows, Mac or Linux, works just as well. The popular and free Cyberduck for Macs should work but I haven't tested it personally. (Unfortunately, Cyberduck does not seem to support to correct type of encryption.) You can also use Fetch, SmartFTP and CuteFTP (but NOT the Lite version). The basic procedure will look like the following. Note that the exact mechanics of how you perform each step will differ based on the program you're using. I'll give some examples for WinSCP and FileZilla, since I've used those, but you can always refer to the documentation for your preferred program if you run into problems.

Step 2: Create a new server connection

In WinSCP, there's a button labeled "New" and on FileZilla, you need to open up the "Site Manager" from the "File" menu and click "New Site".

Step 3: Configure your new connection

Most programs will ask you to specify a server and settings. Earlier in this post, you can see what the settings look like for WinSCP. Below is a snapshot of what the settings are for FileZilla. If you decide to use a different program, the key settings to configure are "FTP" as the protocol or server type. For encryption, look for the setting with the word "implicit" in there. For the port, 990 is what you want. The actual server or host name will determine what location you can access. Here's a list of what's available: For students:

• Your student profile can be accessed on the server stuaccounts.oxy.edu. This will get you access to the files you see on your Desktop and My Documents folder when you log in to a lab machine.
• The academic shared space, also known as the S: drive, can be accessed via the server acadshared.oxy.edu.

For administrators, faculty and staff:

• Your personal space, also known as your G: drive, can be accessed via the server accounts.oxy.edu.
• The departmental shared spaces, also known as the I: drive, can be accessed via the server depts.oxy.edu. Note that your H: drive is just a shortcut to your department's folder on the I: drive. So if you work in ITS, the "ITS" folder on the I: drive is the same as your H: drive.
• As with students, you can access the academic shared space, the S: drive, via the server acadshared.oxy.edu.

Step 4: Save your connection and go

From this point on, you should be able to list the files that are available on the server and download and upload files as you see fit. For those used to accessing FTP sites using a specially-designed program, you should feel right at home with either of these tools but as mentioned before, lots of FTP programs support FTPS so these aren't your only options available. For those who accessed our old FTP servers using a web browser, this new process is unfortunately not as simple but it is far more secure and full-featured. As always, the Tech Helpdesk can help you out if you run into any problems.