Problem with FTP

I have a gateway running Linux and a LAN, I have a Firewall configured
in the gateway and I oppened there the FTP ports 20 and 21 in both
directions, with this I wanted to allow the active and passive FTP
modes, I know that in active mode when the server starts the
connection it uses a random port but I think that most of them use the
port number 20.

My problem is that I can not do a ftp download from the clients in the
LAN, I have tried to use netscape and the ftp console tool that comes
with fedora core 1, and neither of them is working. With the console
tool the behavior is the following: I can log into the FTP server, and
the server asks me for the username and password and everything works,
so the port 21 is working fine I guess. Then my client says that it
starts the passive mode, but I can not even do an ls in the FTP
server. Does any of you have the same problem ? and any idea about how
to solve it ?

By the way, another question is about if it's possible to configure
netscape for using active or passive mode I didn't find any option to
do this. And still another question about the FTP itself, is there any
kind of negotiation about what ftp mode (active or passive) use ? or
the client asks the server to use one specific mode or if the server
is configured to use active mode and the client passive mode it simply
doesn't work ?

Thanks a lot !

Daniel Camps wrote:
> I have a gateway running Linux and a LAN, I have a Firewall configured
> in the gateway and I oppened there the FTP ports 20 and 21 in both
> directions, with this I wanted to allow the active and passive FTP
> modes, I know that in active mode when the server starts the
> connection it uses a random port but I think that most of them use the
> port number 20.
>
> My problem is that I can not do a ftp download from the clients in the
> LAN, I have tried to use netscape and the ftp console tool that comes
> with fedora core 1, and neither of them is working. With the console
> tool the behavior is the following: I can log into the FTP server, and
> the server asks me for the username and password and everything works,
> so the port 21 is working fine I guess. Then my client says that it
> starts the passive mode, but I can not even do an ls in the FTP
> server. Does any of you have the same problem ? and any idea about how
> to solve it ?
>
> By the way, another question is about if it's possible to configure
> netscape for using active or passive mode I didn't find any option to
> do this. And still another question about the FTP itself, is there any
> kind of negotiation about what ftp mode (active or passive) use ? or
> the client asks the server to use one specific mode or if the server
> is configured to use active mode and the client passive mode it simply
> doesn't work ?
>
> Thanks a lot !

On your gateway did you load ip_conntrack_ftp or ip_nat_ftp kernel module
and check your iptables rules
--
Weill Philippe - Administrateur Systeme et Reseaux