# How to connect via FTPs

Connecting to Couchdrop with a FTP client is simple. To get started, you will need:

* A username and password *or*
* A username and key
* The hostname for your Couchdrop POP. This can be found by clicking **Connect** 
* A FTP client or platform/software that supports FTP. 

{% hint style="success" %}
Your hostname will look like \<my domain>**.couchdrop.io** and can be found under **Connect** in the Couchdrop web app.
{% endhint %}

## FTP Connection Options

FTP has a few options around networking and security. Couchdrop attempts to support as many clients as feasible, but these are the recommendations.&#x20;

| Option               | Recommended Value          | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| -------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| TLS auto negotiation | ON                         | <p>FTP by default is insecure. It is unencrypted and very easy to break. FTPs use an auto negotiation process that occurs during authentication that uses encrypted channels. <br><br>We recommended always enabling this option.</p> |
| Port                 | 20                         | Couchdrop uses the default port for FTP access                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Passive Mode         | ON                         | Passive FTP mode forces the client to negotiate data channels with the server. This alleviates most of the issues with NAT and firewalls that do not support active channel negotiation.                                              |
| Hostname             | \<yourdomain>.couchdrop.io | Couchdrop provides a domain name for each tenant. You can find this under **Connect** in the Couchdrop web app                                                                                                                        |


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