Cannot connect to work ftp server from mac

[GilGrissom]

I do a website for a school I work for but I cannot connect to the ftp server correctly on my mac. On windows it is fine. Finder, Transmit, cuteFTP, cyberduck, fetch...etc etc...I've tried them all, with no luck.

The exact problem is a bit strange. I can "connect" to the server ok, in that it accepts my user name and password and logs me on...it is when it is trying to get a list of files from the server that I get errors.

The server specifically needs Active (PORT) mode and NOT PASSIVE! That much I have found out. I have tried to make sure ftp is allowed in my firewall etc (Tiger built in firewall) but with no avail.

I can publish to my .mac fine...beautifully...but not this normal ftp server. I don't know why Windows can connect and get a list of files fine, but Mac cannot. It connects and then gives errors, not giving me the file list.

I include exactly what cuteFTP has done (I omit the IP addresses and username etc):

{
Connection attempt #1:
Looking up www.**WEBSITE**...
Connecting to www.**WEBSITE** (xx.xxx.xxx.xx) Port 21...
Connection established.
220 www-01 Microsoft FTP Service (Version 5.0).
USER **USERNAME
331 Password required for **USERNAME**.
PASS ••••••••
230 User **USERNAME** logged in.
PWD
257 "/**DIRECTORY**" is current directory.
TYPE A
200 Type set to A.
PORT xxx,xxx,x,x,xxx,xx
200 PORT command successful.
LIST
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls.
425 Can't open data connection
}

It is always when it gets to the LIST stage, but these exact same details put into Windows will make it work straight away.

Have I got some sort of security/blocking issue on my mac?...as I have been previously using .mac and not this server from my mac.

I use RapidWeaver to design my website but that cannot connect either. I have to export and upload it using smartFTP on Windows.

Any help would be appreciated, it's driving me crazy!!

Best Regards

Andy Shaw

 

[XNine]

Have you gone into the preferences of the FTP apps and unchecked PASSIVE FTP and done the same in OS X firewall?

 

[GilGrissom]

Have you gone into the preferences of the FTP apps and unchecked PASSIVE FTP and done the same in OS X firewall?

I have PASSIVE off (therefore Active, or PORT on) on the apps...still no change.

Could you please clarify on the Mac OS X system preferences?

I have PASSIVE FTP UNTICKED in system preferences...I have tried adding the ftp server into the ftp server address in system preferences>proxy setup, still no change.

First of all I had FTP Proxy unticked, then with it ticked with the server address in (PASV off)...nothing still.

I'm guessing there is something around system preferences I am not doing right.

 

[GilGrissom]

Mac Firewall!

Just to update...I disabled my Mac OS X firewall temporarily and suddenly everything connected instantly!!

So that's where the problem is!...but obviously I need my firewall up, so I'm doing something to not configure my firewall properly to allow it full access.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks for all your time and effort!

 

[GeeYouEye]

Are you sure that the firewall is allowing FTP connections when on? You can't just turn on the service for FTP; you have to make sure to open it in the firewall.

 

[GilGrissom]

Nope, I'm not sure at all! That's my problem! hehe!

I have tried to create a new entry in the firewall "allow" list for port 21, I'm not sure what else to do.

What am I missing or doing wrong?

 

[GeeYouEye]

Nope, I'm not sure at all! That's my problem! hehe!

I have tried to create a new entry in the firewall "allow" list for port 21, I'm not sure what else to do.

What am I missing or doing wrong?

You don't need to create a new entry. Just make sure that the built-in FTP entry is ticked (it's not, by default)

 

[GilGrissom]

You don't need to create a new entry. Just make sure that the built-in FTP entry is ticked (it's not, by default)

I have "FTP Access" ticked in the firewall menu...always have done. I still have the problem. Don't understand it.

It's fine with .mac, but cannot connect to other ftp servers unless the firewall is totally down.

Thanks for your help!

 

[GilGrissom]

I've managed to solve the problem thanks to a helpful guy on the Apple Support Forums, so thought I'd share it with you.

I needed to add the FTP server IP address into my firewall (ipfw-OS X's built in firewall) as "allowed". OS X doesn't give you this in the GUI, so I downloaded a program called "Flying Buttress" which gives you all the advanced options of the firewall that OS X doesn't straight away give you in anice GUI. This pretty much instantly solved my problem.

So if anyone has something similar, or other connection issues with other things down to the server and are not sure how to configure it, use this invaluable piece of software!!...simply superb!

 

[Orlando Furioso]

Gil,

Thanks for the post. I've had issues with using FTP though Dreaweaver (even though other FTP programs worked fine) when using the firewall.

I'll have to check it out to see if it helps.

 

[GilGrissom]

One thing to note is that I sometimes have to have Flying Buttress open and just reapply all the firewall rules whenever I want to upload to this ftp server, so if it works for anyone then stops again, just try this.