WS-FTP Pro suddenly stopped working

[Stan Brown]

Apologies if this is NOT -- I'm posting here because I suspect
there's some setting I need to change in Windows, though I don't know
what.

Yes, I did email the software makers, following instructions in the
help file, but I didn't get a reply.

I've been using WS-FTP Pro for years without a problem, but suddenly
on Friday I stopped being able to connect to the same sites I'd been
connecting to for years. The two are completely unconnected, so I
don't think it's a site problem.

Specifically, WS-FTP Pro goes through the connection protocol and
logs me in with user name and password to either site, then changes
directory to my specified starting directory. So there is some
communication. But then it hangs trying to get the file list from the
remote site, and eventually times out with "retrieve of folder
listing failed".

When I use Win XP's command-line ftp program, I can do an "ls" and
successfully get the remote file listing. I can also upload files,
and verify in my Web browser that the uploads were successful. So
there's something in the particular protocol that WS-FTP is using to
get the remote file listing that is now being blocked by my computer.

Initially I thought this was a change that my cable company
(Roadrunner / Time Warner Cable) had made. I'm suspicious of them, of
course, because they dropped Usenet and gave a mendacious
explanation. But yesterday I took my computer to work and to the
college where I teach, and through their networks I got the same
problem. That's not 100% conclusive, because they might well be
connecting through RR as well, but at least it says there's not a
problem with my cable modem in particular.

I've got XP/SP2, WS-FTP Pro 6.05. Any ideas?

 

[Leonard Grey]

Wait for the software maker's answer.

 

[blank]

Apologies if this is NOT -- I'm posting here because I suspect
there's some setting I need to change in Windows, though I don't know
what.

Yes, I did email the software makers, following instructions in the
help file, but I didn't get a reply.

I've been using WS-FTP Pro for years without a problem, but suddenly
on Friday I stopped being able to connect to the same sites I'd been
connecting to for years. The two are completely unconnected, so I
don't think it's a site problem.

Specifically, WS-FTP Pro goes through the connection protocol and
logs me in with user name and password to either site, then changes
directory to my specified starting directory. So there is some
communication. But then it hangs trying to get the file list from the
remote site, and eventually times out with "retrieve of folder
listing failed".

When I use Win XP's command-line ftp program, I can do an "ls" and
successfully get the remote file listing. I can also upload files,
and verify in my Web browser that the uploads were successful. So
there's something in the particular protocol that WS-FTP is using to
get the remote file listing that is now being blocked by my computer.

Initially I thought this was a change that my cable company
(Roadrunner / Time Warner Cable) had made. I'm suspicious of them, of
course, because they dropped Usenet and gave a mendacious
explanation. But yesterday I took my computer to work and to the
college where I teach, and through their networks I got the same
problem. That's not 100% conclusive, because they might well be
connecting through RR as well, but at least it says there's not a
problem with my cable modem in particular.

I've got XP/SP2, WS-FTP Pro 6.05. Any ideas?

One of the most obvious things to check is your PASV setting (perhaps
called Passive Mode) - if you are behind any sort of firewall, you
probably need to enable this mode.

 

[Stan Brown]

One of the most obvious things to check is your PASV setting (perhaps
called Passive Mode) - if you are behind any sort of firewall, you
probably need to enable this mode.

Thank you! That solved the problem.

I wonder why, after being unneeded for several years, it was suddenly
needed for two sites on the same day, but I guess there are some
things we're not meant to know.

 

[Fred]

Apologies if this is NOT -- I'm posting here because I suspect
there's some setting I need to change in Windows, though I don't know
what.

Yes, I did email the software makers, following instructions in the
help file, but I didn't get a reply.

I've been using WS-FTP Pro for years without a problem, but suddenly
on Friday I stopped being able to connect to the same sites I'd been
connecting to for years. The two are completely unconnected, so I
don't think it's a site problem.

Snipped

Same experience here! Changed to another FTP client, see other post.

http://www.coreftp.com/

Funny, Fred

 

[Stan Brown]

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:39:55 +0200 from Fred

And a week later, I still haven't.

Same experience here! Changed to another FTP client, see other post.

You must have missed the advice in this thread from "blank" to enable
passive transfers -- as I posted, that worked fine for me. The
unanswered question is why it finaly became necessary on both sites I
connect to, after being unnecessary for years.