FTP problem uploading to website

[beeman]

My website stopped updating between 08:40 and 08:50 this morning. When I got to my PC it appeared the router had just re-booted itself. It does this occasionally especially in windy weather. I re-started Internet Explorer and waited until the next scheduled upload at 08:50. The website did not update. No error messages were flagged.

I re-booted the PC and the router again but no better.

I started FTP logging and was getting connection timeout and error 550. I tried to FTP to the BT server with Filezilla and that failed too at the point of doing a List. Connection timeout again. The server logged me in OK with my username & pw.

I've sent BT an email as it appears to be their problem.

Attached are the diags and FTP log in case you can put a finger on where the problem might be.

Many thanks

[steve]

It does look like a problem with the server (particularly as Filezilla has the same problem), but I suppose it could be a problem with your router - the firewall perhaps. You could try active ftp mode to see if that helps.

[beeman]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the prompt response. I'll try active FTP mode once I've read about it!

Can you recommend a server I can ftp into to see if it is my router firewall?
Thanks
Dave

[steve]

There's a test server at 65.40.202.101 set up by a broadband supplier called Embarq. I believe it's OK for anyone to use (its main purpose is speed testing).

[beeman]

Steve's suggestion of the above server works fine with Filezilla so it looks like it is the BT server refusing to list the directory.

I can however, get the Cumulus directory listing using the FTP program built in to Win8 and copy a file up to the cumulus directory on the server. Weird.

I'll see what BT come up with.

Update - it is working with Active FTP and after re-setting the firewall to default settings.

Thanks,
Dave

[lost-again]

interesting one, I have the same problem from 08:30 yesterday, so it looks to be something BT have done. Cumulus FTP stopped working and FileZilla. the strange thing is that I can still publish a web site using iWeb. I changed Cumulus to active and it looks to have worked (from the log), but I'm now stuck with the web site I published fro iWeb. I cannot get rid of it because FileZilla still does not work, even if I change it to active. I can't clean up the site and get cumulus back as the home page!

[beeman]

Hi lost-again,
I'm pleased that it is not just me but sorry you have the same problem. Are you also using btconnecthosting.com as your server?

Does Filezilla hang for you when it's doing a LIST? Using the connection wizard in Filezilla suggests the server is closing the connection too soon.

Nothing from BT yet!

Dave

PS something is going on with the server as I can't even get a connection now and my website is not updating.

[lost-again]

yes you are absolutely right, I'm using btconnect and it is failing at the point of a directory list, which times out. It is linked to passive mode which appears to be the problem. Even using basic FTP in the OS leadsto the same result. I have dumped FileZilla and move to cyberduck which works fine. I assume iWeb and cyberduck are using direct mode rather than passive which appears to be the issue. it is bad that BT is making changes without informing customers of the consequences. now I have ciberduck I have managed to tidy up my web site and all is now working ok.

[beeman]

All working again now. Cumulus set back to Passive, Filezilla works and my webcam is uploading pictures. There must have been some sort of problem on the BT server for a couple of days.

Thanks for your help.
Dave

[berengario]

Hi,

I have the same problem for several days, he says the following; FTP Connect error: retrying 1..... and so several times,
I checked the firewall, I called my internet company and seems to be all right ... but still can not find the solution ..

[steve]

I have the same problem for several days

Except that you are presumably not using BT Internet, and your problem is that you can't connect.

If you turn on ftp logging, the ftplog.txt file may give more information.

[OldSalt]

Yes I have had similar problems for quite a long time with a hosted website provider which I moved from since index.htm kept being reduced to zero bytes in size but not deleted. Have moved it to a Plusnet (owned by BT) host and I am using a simple Eee PC Win XP computer with a very low power consumption since it was switched on and uploading on a 24/7 basis. It has been working fine for months now but I noticed a couple of days ago that the windows firewall was switched off so switched it on! Within a very short space of time, uploading ceased and the index.htm file on the web site server was showing zero bytes.

I decided to turn off the Window Firewall on this old Win XP-Pro machine and "hey presto" uploading has resumed immediately! My guess is that this is a windows XP Firewall problem. I'm not too worried though since this little machine is only used for uploading Cumulus and not for surfing, email etc. and my router has a reasonably sophisticated firewall built in to it anyway.

I wonder if others have tried turning off their firewall just to test this out. Of course, it may be possible to change settings in the firewall in order to keep it on and solve this problem.