SFTP based secure file transfer also known as the SSH File transfer protocol, is one the of the most used secure network protocols that provide reliable file access, transfer and management. The main idea of using the windows SFTP is that you are able to run it over a secured channel. The server also authenticates the client securely.

Setting up SFTP
The first step to setting up a SFTP Service under Windows is to download and install a SSH or SFTP Server program for windows like Sysax Multi Server. You also need to have a SFTP client component installed to be able to communicate to the SFTP server. You should then create user accounts and passwords. Under windows, most SSH server software provides access to a graphical user interface. Under unix systems, the mkgroup and mkpasswd commands can be used to create user accounts.

The use of a user group makes it very easy to manage a number of similar users. You will also need to specify a home folder for the account. This is the folder that the user will be placed in by default once they login successfully. The standard SFTP port is 22 but this can be changed to provide more security against port scans.

FTP vs SFTP
The main difference between a FTP Server and an SFTP Server is that in FTP, all data transferred between the client and server is sent as plain text without any form of encryption. This makes it possible for an eavesdropper to listen in and retrieve confdential details including login and password information. However, with SFTP, all of this data is encrypted before it is sent across the network and there is no possibility of decrypting and retrieving this information.

A Windows-based business development system should function a lot more effectively if it were to have a Windows SFTP server (also known as Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol) installed. In particular, a secure FTP server is a convenient program to have because it lets you login to other computers via a network connection and execute commands on a remote machine, which should translate to a more efficient work development system because you can continue your work so long as you have a computer and an SSH program on hand.

What’s more, a Windows SSH server is a huge improvement from the traditional FTP application because the SSH component ensures that your whole login session (which includes password transmission) is encrypted and safe from the malicious clutches of cyber criminals. At any rate, this tutorial should help you transform your Windows platform into a reliable file transfer server.

Installing Sysax Multi Server on Windows
SSH is usually preinstalled in most Unix-based systems like OS X and Linux. In contrast, a Windows system needs to first download several additional programs in order to make SSH a viable option for Windows-based use. Fortunately, the Sysax Multi Server on Windows offers a handy Windows installer that will install and setup an SSH server into your system without manually searching for plugins, patches, and a variety of individual files on the Internet.

The Sysax Multi Server is a multipurpose application that lets system administrators validate and confirm users by creating custom accounts or by using existing Windows user accounts or by doing a combination of both methods. Once you have this SFTP server suite installed, streamlining your work development system is a relative snap. Moreover, its web-browser-based interface is a particularly welcome feature that lets you monitor server status instantly without any problem whatsoever.

Configuring Sysax Multi Server on Windows
Locally or remotely configuring your Sysax Multi Server is a breeze because you can use a web browser to do both. You just need to keep in mind that local administration requires HTTP, while remote administration requires HTTPS. As per usual, validating your access to the browser-based configuration interface requires the specification of a username and password.

As for the server startup configuration, you need to open the Sysax Multi Server administration application and pick the two options on the automatic startup screen. You can either start the server manually from the administrator panel or automatically after booting Windows. Choose the startup method you want and click “Save” to finish the entire procedure.

Connecting to your SFTP Server
In order to connect to your new SFTP server, getting an FTP client is in order. FileZilla and WinSCP are highly recommended programs to use alongside Sysax Multi Server because they’re shareware and they support both SFTP and FTP clients. If you want to check to see if your server is running properly, make a new connection in your designated client and specify 127.0.0.1 or local host as the server name, 22 as the port, and SFTP as the server type. From there, connect to your server.

You should see a directory listing where you directed the home folder to if the entire operation executed with nary a hitch. If you encountered an error or if the procedure didn’t work, there are several ways to troubleshoot the problem. Firstly, ensure that your Windows firewall is configured to enable traffic over port 22. Secondly, examine your password file to guarantee that the account you have is found there.