download only

I want to set up my FTP site so that my subcontractors can download files to bid on my projects. I want to set up the FTP site so they can only download files. I do not want them to be able to change, edit or delete the files.
How can I set this up?

I would also like this FTP site set up so that other users cannot see each other or know who else is downloading files.
How can I set this up?

Thank you,
John

Typically you would setup your own FTP server or subscribe to a service which offers FTP/S access. Then you setup an FTP account for each user/contractor on the FTP server.

Thanks Admin,
I want to be able to offer one FTP site where my vendors can go to one place for common files. This will save me setting up an managing many different FTP sites for all of the different vendors and then reposting an managing duplicates of the same files.

I know that large businesses and universities have this type of FTP download only site set up. I'm wondering how I can get the same thing set up for myself.

Smart FTP comes with links to some some Predefined Favorites that work like this. Examples are the NASA or Microsoft FTP sites. I can download files but I can't rename, edit or remove the files that are on those FTP sites.

How can I get that type of FTP site setup?
And yes, I am working out of my garage and yes I did drop out of college.

Thanks,
John

My ISP is 1and1.com. Their tech support person suggested that I just set up download links on a webpage. I could do that but I've been told that web browsers aren't as good, fast or reliable for downloading large files as an FTP site is. Please let me know if I would be better off just building little websites with a bunch of download links. It sounds way more time consuming than just dragging and dropping files and folders onto my FTP site.

Thanks again

I did watch the tutorial for setting permissions on Unix servers using CHMOD. My web and FTP is set up on a Linux server. Will I be able to set permissions in the same way.

How can I set up my FTP site so my vendors don't need to have a password? Are my files and other data on the server safe if I set up access without a password?

It is something you can setup through the control panel of your web hosting provider (1and1). But running an anonymous FTP server (like the NASA FTP site you mentioned) requires a dedicated IP address, so it is usually more economic just to setup a special FTP user (with password) in this situations.