FTP: Help! Locked out!
 

I'm a new member, have read several posts on FTP problems, but still cannot solve mine.

In January and February I was able to easily FTP files to my hosting service (bluehost.com). This month I cannot. I've used Transmit, Cyberduck and Fetch, but always get connected and denied a listing of files. That means I can't upload, of course. Then I get timed out.

Bluehost says that they can get into my directories fine.

Is it possible that a recent OSX update caused this? I have passive mode specified in prefs, have tried opening the firewall, and don't know where to turn. What's going on here?

I use a G4 powerbook with 10.4.8. I have a cable modem, a Belkin Wireless G router with an iBook hardwired into it also. Maybe there are router settings I need to change.

Thanks a million for any help. I must not be the only one to experience this problem.

I still think something is fishy with the privileges on the server. I've never heard of an OS-level issue that would allow you to connect but interfere with what happens once you're connected.

If the hosting company didn't test by using your account, they need to check again.

Thanks, but hosting company gets in fine. Looks like the problem is on my end. Network sharing settings? Firewall? I thought I'd researched this pretty well, but none of the fixes seems to work. Router firewall or settings?

Try it from a friend's computer.

I'm having the same type of problem as these other users. I'm hoping that by the thread having died out, that means people are finding solutions (???).

I've tried Transmit, Cyberduck, Interarchy, Fetch. All the same results. I'm able to connect to FTP sites (I've tried various servers and hosting companies) and able to download from FTP sites, but when I try uploading anything it typically sends the first 256 B then the connection dies out and the program times out. Transmit tells me it was an error of type 132 "Could not send file to remote host".

I've tried my Macbook Pro, my girlfriend's Macbook, and a PC running Windows XP. All three are connected to the same network and just the 2 Macbooks are having problems connecting via FTP. I've used the identical setup with my old Powerbook and never had a problem.

I've confirmed my network settings all have FTP set to passive mode, as well as all FTP applications.

In addition, I have confirmed it is not a server-side problem by both uploading a full directory/mySQL database to the same server via the PC running Windows XP, and also set up a php-based FTP app (NotFTP - http://wonko.com/notftp/). Both work flawlessly.

Any tips/solutions/ideas are extremely welcome and needed.

Thanks.

1) Maybe the problem is related to some Firewall setting - you could try turning off the OS X Firewall (in Sharing preferences).

2) Try it with a different (preferably freshly-created) user account - create a new account via Accounts preferences.

3) If you are up to this, you could look at the low-level packets using Ethereal under X11.

Tried checking out #'s 1 and 2, but no luck with either. No firewall issues on my computer and disabled on router. Connecting directly to the modem doesn't help either.

Downloading Ethereal right now, though I'm not sure what I should be looking for once I do install it.

You'll need to have a basic understanding of the FTP protocol:
http://slacksite.com/other/ftp.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Transfer_Protocol

Alright, thanks. I'll check it out and any snags I'll post questions here. Right now trying to get MacPorts to install (apparently it's taken over for Ethereal for 10.4?)

MacPorts is a tool that makes it easier to install a whole lot of open source programs. An alternative is Fink.
See the open source section of this Unix FAQ

FTP uses more than port 21 and if you've got your firewall turned on, you'll get this kind of error. Try connecting using sftp or turn off your firewall.

I don't have any firewalls turned on, and have tried with sftp but no luck.

Installing Fink and Ethereal right now.

Do you have a router? You may want to put the Mac on a DMZ or Virtual Server just to be sure the router isn't interfering.

I have a router and have tried connecting directing to the modem but the same result. It's something with OSX I'm convinced as a PC running WinXP is in the same network and has no problems connecting and sending to the same FTP site.

Can you try logging in from another Mac?

I've tried from my girlfriend's Macbook and it's the same result. But 3 weeks ago (the last time I had to upload anything via FTP) I uploaded with my old Powerbook... same settings and all and uploaded without any problems.

I've been reading the Apple.com discussions and it seems like other people with Macbooks have been having the same kind of problem, but no real solution out there that I know of.

Set up an FTP server on your LAN. Preferably on a PC. If you can (and I think you will) upload and download files, then it isn't your Mac that's the problem, it's your host.

I'll try that out, but to try and rule out possibilities I signed up for 2 other web hosting companies to see if the results were the same, and sad to say they were. But I'll try the local FTP server in a little bit.

Tried installing xfree86 to install Ethereal and haven't been able to get it working. Error messages trying to get the program running and no clue what I'm doing in the world of X11.

You don't want to install xfree86 - instead you want to install the X11 that Apple supplies on the Tiger DVD in the optional installs section (you'll have to scroll down to see it). The Apple X11 is easier to install and it works better.
After installing, all you have to do is double-click on the X11 app that is in /Applications/Utilities
Then start Ethereal from the command line (in an xterm window - you get one of these when X11 starts) with something like:
sudo ethereal

Why all this hassle getting ethereal installed when tcpdump comes with the system and works perfectly well for this purpose?

Ok, I set the PC up as an FTP server on the LAN and was able to upload and download files from the Mac using an FTP client.

So, does this then tell me with 100% certainty it's the internet provider causing these problems? How is it possible a PC can connect to an external FTP site without any problems but a Mac can't?

Pretty much, yes.

There may be some slight difference between the packets the Mac is sending and the PC packets that makes the Mac's packets more susceptible to error. If the Mac packets are larger for example, you could expect a slightly faster transmission on a solid connection, but more packet failures on a marginal connection.

1) You do realize that your ftp passwords (and maybe other passwords) are embedded in that transcript of packet captures that you are showing us. I hope you changed your passwords after showing that to us (and to the world)!

2) It seems that you have AppleTalk enabled on your network - why? AppleTalk isn't usually needed except for quite old printers etc.

3) How is your Mac connected to the network? Is it connected via Ethernet or via Airport?

4) What is the MTU value that you get from the following command?

ifconfig | grep mtu

(Show us the MTU for whichever network interface is relevant for this Mac (en0 = Ethernet, en1 = Airport)

1) I didn't realize, and I did change them.

2) Since having an old Centrus 610 I've always left Appletalk active by habit... not really even considering it's unnecessary.

3) Via airport

4) en1: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

Thanks for your help (and the heads up)

Is the PC connected wirelessly too? If not, there is the possibility of wireless interference affecting your signal being the culprit.

Yeah, PC's wireless as well. To rule out the wireless option I tried hard-wiring both Macs and the PC to the modem directly and still the problems persist with the 2 Macs.

The reason I asked about the wireless connection is that it is often necessary to set the MTU lower than the default 1500 when using wireless - this depends on your ISP. Search the forums and the main macosxhints site and you will find lots of discussion about how to set the MTU for Airport.
I have mine set to an unusually low value of 1364
(via the command 'sudo ifconfig en1 mtu 1364')

Tried various settings in the MTU field and no luck.

Any other ideas? Any clue based on the report I posted here from the Ethereal report?

FYI, I tried connecting via a friend's wireless connection (different ISP) and it worked perfectly. cwtnospam called it on this one, yet I still don't understand exactly how an ISP can allow FTP communication on PCs but not Macs... ANy tweaks possible on a Mac-based FTP program to allow me to send via FTP on this connection?

Is there an option to use (or not) a "passive" FTP connection? Try toggling it to whatever setting isn't currently in use.

You might try setting the MTU on en1 to something like 1200 or 1300.

I wasn't saying the ISP is blocking you, just that your connection to them is getting enough errors that the Mac's packets aren't making it through often enough for the Mac.

I agree that you should try again with changing the MTU setting for Airport.
Please show us the result of 'ifconfig' after having changed the MTU.

Hopefully by posting this I'm not sharing my SSN or other vital data, but here it is anyway... the "ifconfig".

- - - - - -

lo0: flags=8049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 16384
inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000
inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128
inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1
gif0: flags=8010<POINTOPOINT,MULTICAST> mtu 1280
stf0: flags=0<> mtu 1280
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
ether 00:17:f2:d1:86:7c
media: autoselect status: inactive
supported media: autoselect 10baseT/UTP <half-duplex> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex,hw-loopback> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex,flow-control> 100baseTX <half-duplex> 100baseTX <full-duplex> 100baseTX <full-duplex,hw-loopback> 100baseTX <full-duplex,flow-control> 1000baseT <full-duplex> 1000baseT <full-duplex,hw-loopback> 1000baseT <full-duplex,flow-control> none
en1: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
inet6 fe80::219:e3ff:fed3:700f%en1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x5
inet 192.168.0.101 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.0.255
ether 00:19:e3:d3:70:0f
media: autoselect status: active
supported media: autoselect
wlt1: flags=41<UP,RUNNING> mtu 1500
fw0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 2030
lladdr 00:19:e3:ff:fe:6e:00:f4
media: autoselect <full-duplex> status: inactive
supported media: autoselect <full-duplex>

I think Hayne intended for you to use:
sudo ifconfig en1 mtu 1300

from a Terminal window in an admin account.

This line:
en1: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
indicates that if you used it, it didn't take.

I had changed the MTU in the router. Here's the result after:
sudo ifconfig en1 mtu 1300

- - -
en1: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1300
inet6 fe80::219:e3ff:fed3:700f%en1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x5
inet 192.168.0.101 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.0.255
ether 00:19:e3:d3:70:0f
media: autoselect status: active
supported media: autoselect