FTP problem

[pubwvj]

Yesterday my web host upgraded CPanel and disaster struck. All of my passwords nolonger worked. Tech support fixed that for the most part except that FTP access was killed. By evening I had FTP access, cool. But this morning I discovered that on two of the sites, that had started working again fine last night, are no longer allowing me FTP access. Comparing the FTP (I use Fetch) transcripts for an account that works and one that doesn't I see two extra commands being given:

PORT 10,0,1,2,97,212
200 PORT command successful
LIST

The one that works (blacklightning.com) pops up the list of files and directories and I can do stuff. The one that is failing hangs on "Getting File List..." which is the LIST command after it executes a PORT command. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening and what the PORT command is? Why is it happening on one and not the other? Both are being initiated identically asside from their different userID/password, etc. I have tried this with passive mode on and off.

Thanks,

-Walter


FTP transcript from an account that is working:

Connecting to BlackLightning.com port 21 (9/2/05 8:20:11 PM)
220 ProFTPD 1.2.10 Server (ProFTPD Default Installation) [70.84.45.244]
ADAT
500 ADAT not understood
USER bl
331 Password required for bl.
PASS
230 User bl logged in.
SYST
215 UNIX Type: L8
PWD
257 "/" is current directory.
MACB ENABLE
500 MACB not understood
PWD
257 "/" is current directory.
CWD www
250 CWD command successful
PWD
257 "/public_html" is current directory.


And the failing account's FTP transcript:

Connecting to SugarMtnFarm.com port 21 (9/2/05 8:20:25 PM)
220 ProFTPD 1.2.10 Server (ProFTPD Default Installation) [70.84.45.244]
ADAT
500 ADAT not understood
USER sugarmtn
331 Password required for sugarmtn.
PASS
230 User sugarmtn logged in.
SYST
215 UNIX Type: L8
PWD
257 "/" is current directory.
MACB ENABLE
500 MACB not understood
PWD
257 "/" is current directory.
CWD www
250 CWD command successful
PWD
257 "/public_html" is current directory.
PORT 10,0,1,2,97,212
200 PORT command successful
LIST

 

[belvdr]

Enabling FTP passive mode usually fixes this type of problem for me.

Active mode dictates the FTP server opens the data channel back to the client for the data transfer.

Passive mode dictates the FTP client opens the data channel to the server for the data transfer.

Active mode usually fails due to firewalls. The PORT command is the opening of this data channel. In the port command below, is your IP (the client) 10.0.1.2?

 

[pubwvj]

Bingo. You win the grand prize.

Seriously though, okay I went into System Preferences:Networkroxies and turned passive back on, applied it, turned passive back on in Fetch and it is now working.

This still leaves the mystery question of why it worked on some of my accounts (blacklightning) while not working on others (sugarmtnfarm). They are all hosted on the same server.

And why the Post and List commands only on the failing FTPs?