Occasionally you will need to use FTP and you will not have any software.  I have found these 2 links very useful in diagnosing many problems.

List of FTP commands for the Microsoft command-line FTP client

List of raw FTP commands

Most people think that VPN's are only for corporate networks or Computer People. The truth is VPN's are very easy to set up and they provide a level of security that is really needed in today's world.

There are may ways to set up a VPN, some of these options are more difficult then others. You can set up a VPN using client side software, or you can be a little more conplex and set up a domain at home and use your router to pass authentication to a RADIUS server.

Today, I will talk about a program called "Hamachi" that will allow you to have a very secure VPN, with almost no work at all.