.htaccess Anyone?

Here we go. I’ve read numerous guides and visited website on how to use .htaccess to password protect certain directories in a public website.

The problems I’m having are the following:

Knowing specifically where each file goes in the setup. Basically the three files I’m looked at are: .htaccess, .htpasswd, .htgroup.

Do all of them go in the directory needing the protection? Or do you break them up in the site and put the .htpasswd and .htgroup files in a private directory on your server, outside of your public_html file?

Also, I don’t know how to use the telnet program and don’t know if I even can. I need this to help me build the encrypted passwords correct?

Thanks for your help.

Jason