What Does FTP Server Mean?

The primary purpose of an FTP server is to allow users to upload and download files. An FTP server is a computer that has a file transfer protocol (FTP) address and is dedicated to receiving an FTP connection. FTP is a protocol used to transfer files via the internet between a server (sender) and a client (receiver). An FTP server is a computer that offers files available for download via an FTP protocol, and it is a common solution used to facilitate remote data sharing between computers.

Techopedia Explains FTP Server

Although the FTP server actually sends files over the internet, it generally acts as the midpoint between the real sender of a file and its recipient. The recipient must access the server address, which can either be a URL (e.g., ftp://exampleserver.net) or as a numeric address (usually the IP address of the server). All file transfer protocol site addresses begin with ftp://. FTP servers usually listen for client connections on port 21 since the FTP protocol generally uses this port as its principle route of communication. FTP runs on two different Transmission Control Protocol ports: 20 and 21. FTP ports 20 and 21 must both be open on the network for successful file transfers.