Weirrrrd clinent FTP problems

I'm a newbie to the terminal, but like to use them for quick
operations. I'm posting this to Linux forum, because a search in a
RedHat Linux 7.x forum gave me an answer B4. I posted elsewhere (was it
here?) but the only help I got was someone who wanted me to give them
my user name and password. RIGHT!

HERE is the session:
[adsl-xx-xxx-xxx-210:~] xtian% ftp ftp.portland.com Connected to
ftp.portland.com
220 FTP Server
Name (ftp.portland.com:xtian): chrisxxx
331 Password required for chrisxxx.
Password: *******
230 User chrisxxx logged in.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.

WAS having a problem with "Entering Extended Passive Mode", and the
post I mentioned above (with these commands) fixed it:
ftp> epsv4 EPSV/EPRT on IPv4 off.
ftp> passive
Passive mode: off; fallback to active mode: off.

SO I'm loged in and expect to use FTP normally...
ftp> ls 200 PORT command successful

NOW is where the new problem has appeared. The screen hangs here for a
several moments and then...
421 Service not available, remote server timed out. Connection
closed

Using other FTP apps I can access my account. Its just the terminal.
Since I'm a newbie I learned using it one way. I can't go backwards.
Any ideas why this set of commands worked before, but now it doesn't?

On Thu, 21 Apr 2005 12:07:03 -0700, neon_bikini wrote:

> I'm a newbie to the terminal, but like to use them for quick operations.
> I'm posting this to Linux forum, because a search in a RedHat Linux 7.x
> forum gave me an answer B4. I posted elsewhere (was it here?) but the only
> help I got was someone who wanted me to give them my user name and
> password. RIGHT!
>
> HERE is the session:
> [adsl-xx-xxx-xxx-210:~] xtian% ftp ftp.portland.com Connected to
> ftp.portland.com
> 220 FTP Server
> Name (ftp.portland.com:xtian): chrisxxx 331 Password required for
> chrisxxx.
> Password: *******
> 230 User chrisxxx logged in.
> Remote system type is UNIX.
> Using binary mode to transfer files.
>
> WAS having a problem with "Entering Extended Passive Mode", and the post I
> mentioned above (with these commands) fixed it:
> ftp> epsv4 EPSV/EPRT on IPv4 off.
> ftp> passive
> Passive mode: off; fallback to active mode: off.
>
> SO I'm loged in and expect to use FTP normally...
> ftp> ls 200 PORT command successful
>
> NOW is where the new problem has appeared. The screen hangs here for a
> several moments and then...
> 421 Service not available, remote server timed out. Connection
> closed
>
> Using other FTP apps I can access my account. Its just the terminal. Since
> I'm a newbie I learned using it one way. I can't go backwards. Any ideas
> why this set of commands worked before, but now it doesn't?

Turning off extended passive is often a good idea, many firewalls don't
seem to be able to cope with it, I think it's to do with the connection
tracking software not being up to date enough and not triggering on the
"EPSV". But why are you turning off passive completely?

It's possible that there's a firewall in the way which doesn't allow
active FTP. And it's possible that it's changed recently, which is why it
used to work. Your other apps are probably using plain passive mode by
default, many do.

Remember that when you FTP through a firewall you're normally going
through two, the one protecting your system and the one protecting the FTP
server. Both have to support what you're doing.

Try just using plain passive, i.e. enter the epsv4 command but not the
passive one. It's the mode in most common use ATM and the one which most
often works with firewalls.

Regards, Ian