Fetch Help > Using Fetch > What do I enter in the hostname, username, and password fields?

When you first open Fetch you are presented with the New Connection dialog. It requests three pieces of information: a hostname, a username, and a password.

Fetch is a program for transferring files between your Macintosh and another computer. The other computer is referred to as a server. When you want to use Fetch to transfer files to someone, the person or organization must be running a server that receives the files; Fetch connects to that server over the Internet and then you can transfer the files to it (or from it, as the case may be).

Each file server has an address on the Internet — just like websites have addresses — and it's the server's address that you put in the hostname field. Most servers require that you enter a username and password, in order to prove that you have been authorized to transfer files to it. So the hostname, username, and password are what you need in order to connect to a server.

If you've already signed up with a service provider or hosting company to store your website or files, they should be able to tell you the hostname of the server, the username you need to connect with, and your password. They may have sent you this information when you signed up for their service.

If you're trying to use Fetch to transfer files to a server at your company or university, your network administrator or computing helpdesk should be able to tell you what to enter.

If you're trying to connect to another company's server, you should contact them to find out the hostname, username, and password you need to use.

If you need a place to store your website or files, you should contact a hosting provider (a company that provides and maintains server space for storing web pages, FTP files, etc.), and they can help set up an account for you.

Fetch Softworks is not a hosting provider. We do not provide a service, or servers, for storing your website or files. We just make Fetch, software that lets you move files from your Macintosh to servers run by other companies or people; therefore, we do not know your hostname, username, or password.

To have the New Connection dialog filled out automatically with your information, see the making Fetch start with information for your server or website help topic.

For more information about the New Connection dialog, see the introductory or in-depth help topics about it.