FTP port 21 encryption

[Mapantz]

Hi

Just a general query..
I spent all day moving my site to a new host, importing all my old data etc.. I set it all up ready, so I could literally swap the settings in Cumulus MX and have it running straight away.
I then spent the next few hours trying to figure out why the FTP wouldn't connect to the new host- I gave up and rang them in the end lol
It turns out, they won't allow you to FTP through port 21, unless you use TLS/SSL implicit or explicit encryption. The hosting company said that a lot of providers are now going over to this method and stopping 'no encryption' FTP - It's either SFTP on a chosen port or FTP port 21 with the encryption. I sadly had to ask for a refund, which they were fine about.
I just wondered how difficult it would be to add this to MX in the future?

[steve]

The third party FTP client component I use does apparently support FTP over TLS, so it is possible that at some point I could add support for that.

There are instructions in the wiki for using WinSCP with Cumulus on Windows to do both SSH FTP and FTP over TLS. There are undoubtedly equivalent ways of doing the same on Linux.

[KetteringUK]

I've just found out my hosting company is about to stop all plain FTP. Will have to look at the Wiki but I would ask that consider some adjustment if all hosting companies are going to enforce this.

Thanks again
Graham

[steve]

I'll have a look to see what's involved in doing FTP over TLS (I can't do SSH FTP without using a different FTP component, and the last time I looked, the only ones available were expensive). I do appreciate that this is increasingly becoming a problem. I'm assuming that those hosting companies stopping plain FTP will allow either FTP over TLS or SSH FTP.

I currently have no plans to disable plain FTP on the hosting that I offer

[KetteringUK]

Thanks for this Steve - Explicit TLS is indeed what the hoster wants and I've converted all my other plain FTP to this using WINSCP. I would come over but have my email traffic and other stuff using the domain and bandwdith..

I'll have a look at the WINSCP wiki now -- http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/SFTP

Thanks

[KetteringUK]

All implemented using external WINSCP call but anyone help with supressing the DOS BOX? I tried calling with >NUL on the command (fails) and on the parm (no effect).

EDIT: I created an .LNK file pointing at the .CMD file. Set it's attributes to run minimised and then told Cumulus to run this -- it works

BUT: I have noticed that I'm no longer producing graph JSON files I have the setting on still, anyone else have this?

[steve]

I've just uploaded build 3041, which implements FTP over SSL/TLS, if you'd like to give it a try.

[KetteringUK]

I've just uploaded build 3041, which implements FTP over SSL/TLS, if you'd like to give it a try.

Man alive that was quick -- I have all the winscp working perfectly but I will def have a look and confirm when my host switches of plain FTP connections in the next few days.

Many thanks