How to Install FTP on Windows Server 2012 R2

Verified and Tested 02/25/2015

Introduction

We will show you how to install FTP on a Windows Server 2012 R2.

Prerequisites

• Windows server with IIS – take a look at our helpful how-to on installing IIS on your Windows Server. If you need a server, you can spin up a Windows VPS Hosting server in under 30 seconds with Atlantic.Net.

Installing FTP on Windows Server 2012 R2

Open Server Manager by going to Start>Administrative Tools>Server Manager.

Server Manager

In Server Manager, click on Add Roles and Features.

Add Roles and Features

The Add Roles and Features wizard should open. Click Next on the Before you begin section.

Make sure Role-based or feature-based installation is selected in the Installation Type Section, then click Next.

Installation Type

Make sure Select a server from the server pool is selected. Select your server in the server pool section. Once done, click Next.

Server Selection

Scroll down and click on the arrow next to Web Server (IIS). Check FTP Server and click Next.

Server Roles

Select any additional features you want installed. Once done, click Next.

Features

Review what is being installed. Once ready, click Install.

Confirm

You should then see a progress bar. Once complete, click Close.

Results Pane

Now FTP is installed. You can not yet connect to your Web Site via FTP. Next, you will need to Add a FTP Publishing to your site.

Open IIS, expand your computer, expand Sites, right click on your Web Site and then click on Add FTP Publishing…

IIS Manager

Once the Add FTP Site Wizard comes up:

• Choose an IP address for your FTP site from the IP address drop-down, or choose to accept the default selection of “All Unassigned.”
• Normally, you would enter the TCP/IP port for the FTP site in the port box. For this how-to, choose to accept the default port of 21.
• For this how-to, we will not use a host name, so make sure that the Virtual Host box is blank.
• Make sure that the Certificates drop-down is set to “Not Selected” and that the No SSL option is selected.
• When you have completed these items, click Next.

Bindings and SSL Settings

On the Authentication and Authorization Information page:

• Select Basic for the Authentication settings.
• For the Authorization settings:
  • Choose “Specified users” from the Allow access to drop-down
  • Type “administrator” for the user name.
  • Select Read and Write for the Permissions option.
• When you have completed these items, click Finish.

Authentication and Authorization Information

Last thing to make sure is if your Windows Firewall has a rule set for FTP default port 21.

Open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security by going to Start>Administrative Tools>Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.

Administrative Tools

Once opened, click on Inbound Rules and then click on New Rule under the Actions Pane.

Windows Firewall and Advanced Security

The New Inbound Rule Wizard will pop up. You will select Port and click Next.

New Inbound Rule Wizard

Since this is for the default port 21 for FTP, we will use the TCP protocol and 21 for the Specific local ports. Once done, click Next.

New Inbound Rule Wizard

In the Action page, we will select to Allow the connection and click Next.

New Inbound Rule Wizard

The next page is the Profile page, which we will check all the boxes and then click Next.

New Inbound Rule Wizard

On the Last page, you will need to select a name for the new rule. Here, we will name it “FTP” and then click Finish.

New Inbound Rule Wizard

Now the firewall rule has been added for the default port 21. We can now test FTP connection to the Web Site. In this how-to, I will use FileZilla to show connection but there are many FTP clients out there to download.

With FileZilla, we will need to fill in the Host/IP Address, Username, Password and Port # to connect. Earlier, I set up FTP to use a specific user (administrator) and also used the default FTP port 21. Once you hit Connect, you will be connected to your Web Site via FTP!

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