FTP Stops, then time out
tommyxv
Enthusiast - Level 1

Need Help Fast.  After many tests with the hosting company, I am 100% sure it is my FIOS connection that is causing my FTP sessions to freeze and then timeout.  I have tried 3 FTP clients, and 3 separate computers.  PC and MAC.  My friend in FL was able to FTP a large group of files serveral times without any freeze ups or timeouts.  My host was able to do the same.

I have the Actiontec MI424-WR Rev E  Router.  I did the hard reset thing.  Looks ike I might have to switch back to Comcast.  Never has this problem with them. 😞

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Re: FTP Stops, then time out
Hubrisnxs
Legend

most people don't have problems ftp'ing,  maybe you have to do port forwarding in the router? 


@tommyxv wrote:

Need Help Fast.  After many tests with the hosting company, I am 100% sure it is my FIOS connection that is causing my FTP sessions to freeze and then timeout.  I have tried 3 FTP clients, and 3 separate computers.  PC and MAC.  My friend in FL was able to FTP a large group of files serveral times without any freeze ups or timeouts.  My host was able to do the same.

I have the Actiontec MI424-WR Rev E  Router.  I did the hard reset thing.  Looks ike I might have to switch back to Comcast.  Never has this problem with them. 😞


 

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Re: FTP Stops, then time out
lasagna
Community Leader
Community Leader

The router should recognize the FTP protocol and react appropriately -- easy enough to test however by placing one of the systems in question in the "DMZ" in the router configuration and testing.   I have seen the situation with some hosting providers that have multi-interfaced systems where the return data path initiates from an IP which is different than the one to which you made the initial connection.   This is hard to see unless you turn on the router logging and sort thru all the various connection logs.  The DMZ piece however masks that descrepancy and will allow things to work -- it's a good way to troubleshoot if this might be the case with your provider.

More often than not, this is an antivirus problem since they occasionally fail to recognize the FTP return DATA channel and let it into the machine.  Try temporarily disabling your anti-virus and firewall software and trying again -- remembering to re-enable immediately after completing the test.

Another item you can try is to instruct the FTP client to use "PASSIVE" or "PASV" mode for FTP.   In GUI clients, this is usually a checkbox option.   In the command line FTP, this is invoked after logging in but before attempting your first data GET/PUT by issuing the PASV command.   This turns the FTP into two connections initiating from your machine to the hosting service instead of one connection from you to the service and one connection back from the service.

Lastly, I often remind people that FTP is a very poor protocol to be using on the Internet (in addition to the firewall complexities, it passes your login credentials in the clear across the public internet).   Better would be to ask your hosting provider if they support SSH/SCP/SFTP and if so to use that client instead.  There a numerous free clients available on the Internet which support this protocol and most all hosting providers do as well.  It passes your credentials and files encrypted across the wire.   I would suggest Putty or the GUI-base Bitvise Tunnelier as good clients.  As SSH is a single port (tcp/22) protocol outbound initiated from your machine, it is much easier to manager from a firewall perspective and more tolerant of specific system configuration differences.

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Re: FTP Stops, then time out
tommyxv
Enthusiast - Level 1

I didn't think port forwarding was the issue because it starts to transfer and about a minute into it, my FTP client freezes.  The hosting company looked into it.  From Tier 1, Tier 2 and up to the Engineer, they looked at the FTP logs and they suspect my ISP firewall is the cause.  They completely disable my firewall for the server for testing purposes and I still had the problem.

My PC desktop and my Mac laptop both have the same exact issue.

I do not run any anti-virus on my MacBook Pro.  I use CuteFTP PRO for Mac when of course I am on my Mac and CuteFTP PRO 8 when on my PC.  I have full root access to my server and I use SSH when backing up my databases. 

It is very frustrating when I select a group of files and folders to upload to my server, it starts uploading, then freezes.  I don't understand why I have to change the way I upload to my server.  I have been doing it for years this way and never had a problem until I switch to FIOS.

I am a web developer and not a network guy, so most of what you said, I do not understand or know how to do it. Does Verizon have Techs that know how to troubleshoot these complex issues?  

Here is where it froze:

226 File successfully transferred
0.074 seconds (measured here), 149.64 Kbytes per second
SITE CHMOD 755 ranks.php
200 Permissions changed on ranks.php
PASV
227 Entering Passive Mode (206,214,216,118,185,147)
STOR repair.php
150 Accepted data connection
Sent 13894 B
226 File successfully transferred
0.090 seconds (measured here), 151.47 Kbytes per second
SITE CHMOD 755 repair.php
200 Permissions changed on repair.php
PASV
227 Entering Passive Mode (206,214,216,118,119,184)
STOR replacement.php
Re: FTP Stops, then time out
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

I am just wondering..

#1 Are you using

Cat5 to the ONT OR Coax to the ONT?

#2 Do you just have FIOS Internet OR do you also have FIOS TV?

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