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    Passive FTP to server behind NAT fails

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved 2.0-RC Snapshot Feedback and Problems - RETIRED
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    • M
      mastermindpro
      last edited by

      Bump.

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      • D
        danswartz
        last edited by

        Repeatedly bumping your thread is unlikely to help.

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        • M
          mastermindpro
          last edited by

          Nothing else has worked.  ::)

          Just being the squeaky wheel hoping for some grease.

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          • D
            David24
            last edited by

            May i suggest you try another ftpd to verify it isen't the ftpd?

            Or atleast bring some screenshots for us, of your port configuration. Maybe another point of view might help.

            I've ran 3 different linux ftpds in the last 2 weeks, both passive and active mode worked.  Tho none on windows.
            But i did have to disable FTP helper to get passive working flawless.

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            • M
              mastermindpro
              last edited by

              Hmm…I don't have any other OS than Windows to try at this particular site.  I can certainly post my config, however.

              I've looked around for a bit trying to find where I can disable the FTP helper, but have not found anything in the GUI.  I think it used to be in the interface config in 1.2X, but I don't see it.  Is it defined elsewhere in the GUI, or do I have to modify files?

              ![NAT rules.GIF](/public/imported_attachments/1/NAT rules.GIF)
              ![NAT rules.GIF_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/NAT rules.GIF_thumb)

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              • J
                jlepthien
                last edited by

                There are also other free FTP servers for Windows…

                | apple fanboy | music lover | network and security specialist | in love with cisco systems |

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                • M
                  mastermindpro
                  last edited by

                  That use AD for auth as I require?

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                  • J
                    jlepthien
                    last edited by

                    Does it need to have? It is about checking whether FTP in general works…

                    | apple fanboy | music lover | network and security specialist | in love with cisco systems |

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                    • D
                      dragon2611
                      last edited by

                      @David24:

                      But i did have to disable FTP helper to get passive working flawless.

                      Can you tell me how you did that?

                      I can't seem to find the setting in 2.0 perhaps I'm looking in the wrong places  ???

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                      • M
                        mastermindpro
                        last edited by

                        Yeah, I'm simply not seeing the option to disable it anywhere.  I upgraded to the newer FTP 7.5 for IIS, and passive still doesn't work.  It would appear that the FTP helper is "helping" by telling all external clients to connect to port 21 instead of the defined port range that is mapped in via NAT and configured on the server to use.

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                        • D
                          dragon2611
                          last edited by

                          @mastermindpro:

                          Yeah, I'm simply not seeing the option to disable it anywhere.  I upgraded to the newer FTP 7.5 for IIS, and passive still doesn't work.  It would appear that the FTP helper is "helping" by telling all external clients to connect to port 21 instead of the defined port range that is mapped in via NAT and configured on the server to use.

                          I'm having the same issue on 2 different boxes

                          One is the firewall infront of a server (of which one of the server functions is ftp supplied by pure-ftpd running on centos)

                          The other one is my firewall @ home,

                          I have issues with a lot of FTP servers and it seems to be caused by this, reconnect and all is well, it's always occurring when you need to open a Pasv connection to the ftp (Such as Doing a MSLD, LIST, PUT, GET.etc)

                          I seem to recall having issues on pfSense 1.3 but turned the ftp helper off and all was well, can't find that option on 2.0 anywhere though.

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                          • N
                            nocer
                            last edited by

                            hello,

                            same here on the latest. as far as tested with 3 dozens of public/private ftp hosts, every single attempt for the very first PASV conncetion will be blocked by the ftp "HELPER" built into the kernel in 2.0 which can't be disabled unfortunately. so whenever you stuck while getting directory list, disconnect and reconnect again then everything starts working flawlessly 'cos you now have a session out to the server. i must say ftp helper "helps" blocking first PASV attempt while creating outgoing session. also, even PORT(active) doesn't work quite sometimes. same work around, try disconnect/connect, port/pasv several times. very annoying. this happens once in a while since ftp-helper has been built into the kernel.

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                            • F
                              Frankk
                              last edited by

                              @ermal:

                              Update to latest snapshot.

                              I dont have anymore FTP problems with this snapshot.
                              I'm replying because I see a lot of people having problems with FTP.
                              I had the same problems as others  (passive mode only working at the second attempt) with a snapshot of around 20 september.

                              Good work,
                              Thank you Ermal

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                              • M
                                mastermindpro
                                last edited by

                                Huh???  I'm running the Sep. 28th snap, and I've NEVER gotten a passive FTP session to work when the FTP server is behind pfSense's NAT.  Are you talking about having the FTP client behind pfSense?

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                                • F
                                  Frankk
                                  last edited by

                                  @mastermindpro:

                                  Huh???  I'm running the Sep. 28th snap, and I've NEVER gotten a passive FTP session to work when the FTP server is behind pfSense's NAT.  Are you talking about having the FTP client behind pfSense?

                                  Yes, sorry for misunderstanding.
                                  I was having problems with a client behind & natted by pfsense connecting to a passive ftp on the internet. Not tested with ftp server behind by pfsense.

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                                  • M
                                    mxx
                                    last edited by

                                    Hi,

                                    is the issue not being able to connect to an ftp server (pasv mode) from inside the local lan ->pfsense-> wan resolved now?

                                    Thanks!

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                                    • M
                                      mastermindpro
                                      last edited by

                                      That's never been the problem discussed here.  The problem has always been an FTP server behind a pfSense NAT, with a client on the pfSense WAN trying to connect to the FTP server passively.

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                                      • S
                                        soconfused
                                        last edited by

                                        I also am trying to get a client working behind PfSense. Same problem as the rest of you here, dies on first passive connection. Using Thu Jan 13 build. Has anyone managed to get this to work?

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                                        • R
                                          rpsmith
                                          last edited by

                                          no fix yet that I know of but you can follow any progress here:

                                          http://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/1177

                                          Roy…

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                                          • S
                                            soconfused
                                            last edited by

                                            We all know that the FTP protocol sucks, that there are better alternatives and et cetera, but it is one of those features that simply has to work. No matter what you might think about FTP, forcing every user over to something else or applying a special configuration to every machine does not work toward simplifying one's life.

                                            What kind of bounty would it take to make a solid fix for the ftp helper a priority? I am not loaded but am feeling the need to at least put some money in someone's pocket for all the team has already given us.

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