How to Setup FTP/SFTP Server Instantly, Share Files with Clients Limiting Each to One Folder

In this video, we will show you how to setup an FTP and SFTP server for sharing files with multiple clients and limiting each client to one folder. It is particularly useful if your clients are familiar with FTP/SFTP, or if they use some software or service that requires FTP/SFTP.

With DriveHQ’s cloud FTP hosting service, it can be setup in just a few minutes. Based in U.S., DriveHQ is one of the largest FTP hosting service providers with over 3 million users.

To get your FTP server, you just need to sign up for a free business trial on DriveHQ.com, or order a low-cost business subscription. Your FTP server can then be accessed at ftp.drivehq.com or proftp.drivehq.com. You can upload / download files using any FTP client software such as FileZilla.

To share files with multiple clients, for example, Client1 and Client2, there are 2 options.

Option 1:
Create 2 guest sub-users (Client1 and Client2) and don’t allocate storage space to them.

Now log in as Client1. The default folder is Client1’s My Storage root folder (“/”), which is empty. Client1 cannot create folders or files in his root folder because you have not allocated storage space to him.

You can create a folder and share it with Client1. Client1 can then access the shared folder. You need to do so for each sub-user. If you have many sub-users, it is time-consuming. But there is a much easier way: Click Group Admin, then click Group Options, select “Group members default to Subuser folder in DriveHQShare” and click Save.

After you set this option, the system will automatically create a folder for each sub-user and share it with full-access permission. The sub-user’s default FTP folder is also changed to:
DriveHQShareGroupOwnerSub-username

Click My Storage, you can see the new folders in the root folder. The folder names are the same as sub-usernames.

Click Manage Shares, you can see the newly created Shares. The Share names are also the same as sub-usernames. A sub-user can only access the folder shared with him.

Now log in as Client1 in FTP again, the default folder is set to:
DriveHQShareGroupOwnerClient1_Michael
Client1 can upload/download files in this folder.
Client1 can access other shared folders by going to the parent folder first.

Similarly, if Client2 logs in, the default folder is:
DriveHQShareGroupOwnerClient2_Tiffany

The advantages of Option 1 include:
(a) You don’t need to allocate storage space to sub-users. All users share the group owner’s storage space and download bytes.
(b) The group owner can access all files.
(c) You can set access levels for shared folders and sub-users.

Now let’s talk about Option 2:
First, create 2 guest sub-users and allocate some storage space to them.
Now Client 1 can log in to the FTP server. He can create folders and upload or download files in his My Storage.

Client2 can do the same. Please note: each user has his own private My Storage, so Client2 cannot see files in other accounts and vice versa.

This option seems to be easier, but there are a few small issues:
(a) You need to allocate storage space to sub-users. The amount of storage to allocate is dependent on each sub-user’s need.
(b) You cannot limit folder access permissions because users always have full access to files in their own My Storage.
(c) You don’t automatically see sub-users’ files when you log in to your own account; but you can log in as a sub-user to access his files. You can also use the Group Admin feature, right click on a sub-user and click Logon As. It will log you into the sub-account. You can then access his files using the web browser.

If you want to log in as yourself and access files in sub-accounts, you can create folders in sub-accounts and share them with yourself. You can then access the shared folders in your own account.

However, if a sub-user uploads files into the root folder, you must log in as the sub-user to see the files.

Some FTP software can only access files in the default folder.
Using Option 1, the default folder is
DriveHQShareGroupOwnerUsernameSubusername
Using Option 2, it is the root folder of the sub-account.

If you need to use a different default folder, you can set it in the sub-user’s Account Options.

DriveHQ offers a feature-complete FTP and SFTP service. It can meet all your FTP and SFTP needs. Moreover, DriveHQ offers a powerful command-line FTP client that is often used for FTP scripting and automated data transfers. For users who just want to share or transfer files, DriveHQ FileManager works even better than other FTP software.

For more info about DriveHQ, please visit DriveHQ.com and click Features.
————
DriveHQ FTP features:
https://www.drivehq.com/features/ftp.aspx

DriveHQ Command-line FTP client:
https://www.drivehq.com/DriveHQ-KB/ftp/Command-line_FTP_Scripting.aspx

DriveHQ FileManager:
https://www.drivehq.com/downloads/DownloadFileManager.aspx