FTP just..quit

**Bill Vincent** · October 8th, 2012, 09:58 PM

Greetings, I registered here just to see if anyone could point me in the right direction. My usual tech buddies are coming up empty.

I have an FTP server (Bulletproof FTP, Win7, 64bit) that I use for my gaming clan, to transfer very large map files, some in excess of 200mb. Recently, it just...quit. I don't know exactly when it quit, but nobody can access it. All attempts to reach it just time out, as if the connection never reaches my router at all. It's certainly not reaching the machine with the server on it. I removed the firewall permissions, and Windows hasn't prompted my to allow access.

I have:

Tried 2 different routers. Cheap WRT120n is currently in use.
verified local IP and port-forward rules
Checked Windows firewall
Abandoned my domain name, and tried having people use my IP

I'm at a loss, have been pulling out my hair for a week or more, and am hoping some 'fresh eyes' can suggest something I haven't tried.

Thanks in advance.

**paul9** · October 8th, 2012, 10:15 PM

Is this a home based server on your own network, or a commercially hosted server?

**Bill Vincent** · October 8th, 2012, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by paul9

Is this a home based server on your own network, or a commercially hosted server?

Home-based server, running Bulletproof FTP Server on a win7 64-bit machine. ISP is Comcast Cable.

**Taxmancometh** · October 8th, 2012, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by Bill Vincent

ISP is Comcast Cable.

There's your problem.

I FTP to my Comcast server and I can't delete files anymore using Filezilla so it doesn't surprise me.

**Bill Vincent** · October 8th, 2012, 11:57 PM

Are you saying Comcast may be blocking the incoming requests for those ports? I'd considered this, and even called them, but as expected, they refused to answer my questions directly, and I eventually gave up talking to them. I can connect to OTHER FTP's fine.

Could I try alternate ports?

**Taxmancometh** · October 9th, 2012, 12:04 AM

I would try different ports. But before you do that I would double check your FTPs settings and make sure nothing is out of place.

What game is this BTW?

**Bill Vincent** · October 9th, 2012, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by Taxmancometh

I would try different ports. But before you do that I would double check your FTPs settings and make sure nothing is out of place.

I tried a couple other ports, no change.

The server software isn't receiving the connection. It's stopping at the router or ISP.

I'll pore through the router setup as well as the server software.

**Taxmancometh** · October 9th, 2012, 12:47 AM

Try Shieldsup once and see if the ports are indeed open. https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

There's Nmap as well. Nmap Online

**tony_j15** · October 9th, 2012, 05:51 PM

Is the machine reachable on your local network? If you are on the machine, does it access the Internet?
I'm trying to get a feel for whether this is a hardware-connectivity issue or software settings.

**Bill Vincent** · October 9th, 2012, 06:44 PM

The machine reaches the internet just fine. I noticed NO problems until someone pointed out that my FTP wasn't responding. There are 5-7 other devices on the network that aren't experiencing trouble either. Well, we can't watch most YouTube vids, but I think that has to do with the latest Flash update.

I switched out routers to an older Netgear. Here's the results of the Shieldsup scan on common ports for the FTP machine, it's, in a word, WEIRD.

Results from scan of ports: 0, 21-23, 25, 79, 80, 110, 113, 119, 135, 139, 143, 389, 443, 445, 1002, 1024-1030, 1720, 5000 0 Ports Open 0 Ports Closed 26 Ports Stealth

**Bill Vincent** · October 9th, 2012, 08:03 PM

I should also add, if I attempt to ping my own external IP from a command prompt, it times out, though I guess that stands to reason if the port is unreachable.

**Taxmancometh** · October 9th, 2012, 09:16 PM

There has to be a problem with your FTP server software. Go through it with a fine tooth comb.

**Bill Vincent** · October 9th, 2012, 10:52 PM

That was the first thing I did. Consider this: I deleted the entries for the server software from the Windows Firewall. It has not asked for permission again. The connection attempts are not reaching this machine.

**Steve R Jones** · October 10th, 2012, 05:00 AM

If you go to What Is My IP - Shows Your IP Address does it show you the IP that the other people are using?

**Bill Vincent** · October 10th, 2012, 08:21 AM

I have a domain via No-IP.org, but since the trouble started, I switched to having people try my IP directly. Yes, I've verified that my IP address is correct, and that people are using it.

**Steve R Jones** · October 10th, 2012, 09:36 AM

Did you double check the servers IIS Manager settings? Maybe the read/write settings are disabled?

On the other persons end - they should try switching the Transfer Mode from Active to Passive or vice a versa.

**Bill Vincent** · October 10th, 2012, 12:43 PM

Since the users' clients cannot connect at all and the port is unreachable, I don't see as how passive vs active, or most other server settings are relevant. At this point, I see this as a networking issue, not an FTP one.

Bear in mind, I own a computer repair business, so my tech knowledge is well above average, my networking skills notwithstanding, hence my seeking assistance.

Edit: If anyone needs any more proof of this, I just installed an FTP client on another machine on the network, and used the server machine's local IP. The server connected instantly, and performed as intended. The issue is external connections.

**paul9** · October 10th, 2012, 06:46 PM

Try throwing a network card into the machine, and disable the onboard in the BIOS, if you are using that. Otherwise remove the original network card, if you are using an add-in card.
Also, try substituting the network cable, or are you on WIFI?
If it is WIFI, just disable that for a while, and try a wired network connection.

**Bill Vincent** · October 10th, 2012, 10:38 PM

I don't have any network cards laying around, TBH, I haven't needed one in a couple years.

I have USB wireless adapters, though, and running the server machine through one of those makes no difference. Also, running Shieldsup on any other machine on the network delivers the same unlikely result: my network is invisible.

Here, I'll cough up my external IP:71.236.255.11.

Run a traceroute on that puppy and tell me things are right.

**Taxmancometh** · October 10th, 2012, 10:58 PM

Well, your pingable. And here's what I get on a trace route. Traceroute for 71.236.255.11 | DomainTools

Well, I don't think that link works right and I tried to do the trace again from the web site and got an error.