PC Issues

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Department of Finance and Graduate Statistical Assistant Program, FMRC

PC Issues

In this page some useful suggestions to deal with most common PC issues at the Fianance Department are provided.

The topics covered are the following:
 


File Transfer Protocol (Ftp)

Ftp is the Internet service used to transfer a data file from the disk of one computer to the disk of another regardless of the operating system type.

Similar to other Internet applications, ftp uses the client-server approach--a user invokes an ftp program on the computer, instructs it to contact a remote computer, and then requests the transfer of one or more files. The local ftp program becomes a client that uses TCP to contact an ftp server program on the remote computer. Each time the user requests a file transfer, the client and the server programs cooperate to send a copy of the data across the Internet.

Ftp servers which allow "anonymous ftp" permit any user, not only users with accounts on the host, to browse the "ftp" archives and download files. Some ftp servers are configured to allow users to upload files.

Ftp is commonly used to retrieve information and obtain software stored in files at ftp archive sites throughout the world.

Use care when downloading files. Text files should be downloaded as "ASCII"; binary files (images, executables, non-text data files) should be downloaded as "BINARY".

To use ftp on your PC you can download a free version of the software from http://www.ipswitch.com.

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Telnet

Telnet is the way you can access someone else's computer, assuming they have given you permission. (Such a computer is frequently called a host computer). More technically, Telnet is a user command and an underlying TCP/IP protocol for accessing remote computers. On the Web, HTTP and FTP protocols allow you to request specific files from remote computers, but not to actually be logged on as a user of that computer. With Telnet, you log on as a regular user with whatever privileges you may have been granted to the specific application and data on that computer.

Telnet is usually available on every PCs with Windows operating system installed. Free versions of the software are also available.

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Updated:  November 2001 , GSA.