FTP 500 errors

[smokieshiker]

Just set up my second station which has AT&T DSL service. Within a few hours after turning cumulus on, I end up getting FTP errors (500 mostly) and both twitter and the web site updates no longer work. I bypassed my wireless connection with a hard wire and I still get the same errors.

I was also having the same problem 1,000 miles away at my first station connecting via a Verizon air card to the internet and a different web site (on the same server) and a different twitter account. I am also using a different PC (both on XP) in each location.

My goal was to set this station up and leave it alone so it can update on its own and I can monitor this house when I am away for 5 or 6 months at a time. Can't do that if it needs to get shut down and restart cumulus at least once a day.

[steve]

There do seem to be some errors from web servers which can apparently stop Cumulus updating, but I never experience any problems myself, so it's difficult for me to find out what the problem is and do anything about it. At the moment, I have a very flaky upload thanks to my ISP, and in combination with that my web hosting isn't particularly reliable just now. But Cumulus never fails to recover when problems occur. This seems to be the same for most people, so the conditions which cause the problem must be quite rare.

What version of Cumulus are you using? I've put some changes into 1.9.1 which attempt to detect some error conditions and abort the connection, so that hopefully everything is clean when the time for the next upload comes around.

I don't understand why the Twitter updates should stop when you're getting FTP errors, the Twitter updates don't use FTP.

If you turn on the debug log and ftp logging, they might give some clues when the problem(s) happen again.

[smokieshiker]

I am using Version 1.9.0 Build 958.

It's so a annoying I can't go 24 hours without an issue.

Now I am getting a long list of ftp error code 421 for the past 30 minutes, but ftp updates and twitter are still working.

I am going to search for the update and see if that helps now.

[steve]

FTP error 421 returned by the server means "service not available", but it can also mean "too many connections". This could happen if failed connections get left open. So it's possible that 1.9.1 might help, as I've tried to make sure that connections always get aborted on error - this assumes that Cumulus is actually able to talk to the server to persuade it to abort the connection, of course.

But note that to be hitting this problem, you must be getting errors in the first place, so it sounds like you have a problem with your connection or your server.

[smokieshiker]

1.9.1 installed - like the improvements!

Now it's time to walk away and see what happens on its own.

[smokieshiker]

But note that to be hitting this problem, you must be getting errors in the first place, so it sounds like you have a problem with your connection or your server.

That's what I figure too.

Though I am not happy with both ISPs, I seem to think it's the host.

As long as Cumulus "resets" itself and recovers on its own, I am happy. Will update in the morning if this fixed it.

Thanks

Chris Hibbard

[smokieshiker]

About 12 hours later and twitter and the web site are still getting updated with no issues.

Looks as though the update did the trick.

If it is still working by tomorrow morning I am declaring victory!

[smokieshiker]

Did the trick - works perfectly on station #2.

I am sure it will work on station #1.

Thanks!

[steve]

Jolly good