anonymous FTP

Anonymous FTP uses the FTP  protocol to allow users access to files (for downloading  ). You don't need to have a user ID or a password  . With regular FTP, you must enter a user ID and a password to access the site (see FTP ).

A method for downloading public files using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Anonymous FTP is called anonymous because you don't need to identify yourself before accessing files. In general, you enter the word anonymous or ftp when the host prompts you for a username; you can enter anything for the password, such as your e-mail address or simply the word “guest”. In many cases, when you access an anonymous FTP site, you won’t even be prompted for your name and password. You can use the Archie system to obtain a list of anonymous FTP sites and files available on each site.Many FTP sites are protected. Unlike anonymous FTP sites, these restricted FTP sites can only be accessed by individuals who enter a valid username and password.

Anonymous FTP allows a user to retrieve documents, files, programs, and other archived data from anywhere in the Internet without having to establish a userid and password. By using the special userid of "anonymous" the network user will bypass local security checks and will have access to publicly accessible files on the remote system. See also: archive site, File Transfer Protocol.

A traditional form of login to a public ftp site where the username is given as ‘anonymous’ and the password is your e-mail address,for example’somebody@sat.com’.

Internet File Transfer Protocol tool allowing you to connect to a site, search through available files, and download any file, document, or program without having to establish a user-id and password on the system where the material resides. By using the special user-id "anonymous", the network user will circumvent local security checks and have access to publicly accessible files on the remote system. Most systems that permit anonymous login require the user's e-mail address as the password.