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    FTP passive port on demand opening

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Firewalling
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    • johnpozJ
      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
      last edited by johnpoz

      If you have 10 users moving files - why would you not setup something like owncloud.. I just pulled a file from my shitty 15$ a year vps in Las Vegas, while I am in Chicago and hit 25MBps without issue for a 400MB file..

      If you have users just downloading, why not just let them download via https?

      This almost 2020, not 2000 - using ftp is not longer a valid protocol.. Why not just use active for your ftp server... Now you don't need to forward anything other than 21.. Since the ftp server will make the outbound connection to them..

      edit: So I just pulled that file via https, and multiple streams so I could max out my pipe.. hit 60+MBps which is my full download pipe...

      If you want users to download, that would be the way to go..

      An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
      If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
      Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
      SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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        openaspace @johnpoz
        last edited by openaspace

        @johnpoz thank you , i will verify to works only with active connections.
        Owncloud that use some like nginx/apache using (PHP?!?) can serve to download to 10 users a single file of 150gb?

        Now with ftp/webdav my user can download 150gb within 1 hour and 30 minutes (live gzip compression) (if there is only one download) with a 1gbps server virtualized.

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        • johnpozJ
          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
          last edited by

          I just grabbed 600MB file from my nextcloud running on one of my servers in CA.. Maxed out my download pipe.. Grabbed it in seconds..

          So picked 3 files that it zipped up for me 1.5GB - again downloaded in seconds hit over 50MBps without any issues.. And that server is not any sort of rocketship...

          An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
          If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
          Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
          SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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          • O
            openaspace
            last edited by openaspace

            you can try generating a big fake file of 150Gb and download it? ๐Ÿ˜‡

            mkfile -n 150G sparseFile
            
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              openaspace
              last edited by

              https://doc.owncloud.com/server/admin_manual/configuration/files/big_file_upload_configuration.html

              This will expose the server to any kind of attack with php set to really high values..

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              • johnpozJ
                johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                last edited by johnpoz

                Dude do what you want.. You don't think ftp is not a security freaking risk??

                Thought you said they were downloading..

                Here not going to do 150G, but here maxing out my pipe

                testfile.jpg

                There is little reason to be using such an antiquated protocol in this day an age..

                An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                • O
                  openaspace
                  last edited by openaspace

                  please post the - htop -
                  screenshot when you download the file

                  also consider that I encrypt all the data on the server side with AES256 that need to be unencrypted when downloaded ... and 5gb are not 150gb as cpu load ;)

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                  • DerelictD
                    Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                    last edited by

                    ๐Ÿฟ

                    Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                    A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                    DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                    Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                    • johnpozJ
                      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                      last edited by

                      @openaspace said in FTP passive port on demand opening:

                      and 5gb are not 150gb as cpu load ;)

                      Huh.. Moving a file doesn't take more cpu just because the file is bigger.. The cpu load would just run longer is all..

                      The vps I was testing this off of does even 150GB of space for me to play with ;) And the host where I do have that kind of space is shared, and I don't have access to see what my process is doing to the overall load.

                      shitbox.jpg

                      Keep in mind that is a shit lowend vps...

                      I would test what ftp does - but I don't even have it installed... I can move files to and from it with sftp without any issues. Zero use for ftp..

                      An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                      If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                      Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                      SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                        openaspace
                        last edited by openaspace

                        (decrypt 150gb on the fly instead of 5gb it's different)

                        Multiply this CPU usage for 5 contemporary connections transfer of each client, and multiply for 10 clients = 50. (it doesn't matter if you have a single core or eight cores, the server will became unstable).
                        And I'm not considering possible contemporary uploads of other users at the same time.. With others 20 connections for example..
                        .. With out transfer that are decrypted and input transfer that are encrypted.. (other CPU load)

                        SFTP is very powerful and secure solution, but not applicable in heavy load environments.

                        Thank you :)

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                        • JeGrJ
                          JeGr LAYER 8 Moderator
                          last edited by

                          If you are running a current business and talking about "heavy load" but still use an antique protocol like FTP I'd say you're having other problems. No company I know, not even heavy hitters with big data pipes, are still using FTP these days. As @johnpoz said, it's 2020. There are other and modern ways to transfer files - securely! - without using antique techniques.

                          Also running 150GB files? What's the use case in that? I've seen companies dealing with 3D printing and architecture or constructions or media production using files this size, but even they won't touch FTP for transferring such numbers. And multiple clients that do up- and downloads of such overly big files at the same time? To somewhere through the internet into some cloud location? Seems strange.

                          (BTW: just have a look at how YouTube et al handle video upload. Ever seen a video in 4k/8k with 60fps? And they push that via HTTPS, too. Noone decrypts/encrypts the file on the fly because the services use TLS layer to encrypt. The file isn't encrypted - sent - decrypted. So I don't understand your logic with 150GB being more CPU bound then 5GB while transferring via modern protocols?)

                          Don't forget to upvote ๐Ÿ‘ those who kindly offered their time and brainpower to help you!

                          If you're interested, I'm available to discuss details of German-speaking paid support (for companies) if needed.

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                          • O
                            openaspace
                            last edited by

                            I'm talking about the local storage encrypt, non about the transfer ;) all the files are encrypted on the disk. Files are decrypted when downloaded and are transfered over https.

                            I already use https from browser for upload and download and with webdav client the same using https.

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                            • O
                              openaspace
                              last edited by

                              Anyway, my question was for the on-demand opening of passive doors...

                              ....and can be possible to interact with pfsense using API from a web page? .. i want to create a PASS firewall rule when a client compile a protected form where will write her static ip , in order to allow access only to him.

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                              • JeGrJ
                                JeGr LAYER 8 Moderator
                                last edited by JeGr

                                What indeed means, that it has nothing at all to do with running another protocol but is due to your local storage encryption thingy. So again, don't understand why you keep on mentioning that 150GB files would be harder/more CPU bound to transfer with any other possible (current, modern) transportation method. SFTP, HTTPS, etc. wouldn't need any more CPU cycles for 150G or 5G. If SFTP is slow I'd check with your target. Never seen that much difference on our customer hosting servers at all. More often it's a thing with the customers not updating their client software and using old/deprecated SSH/SSL ciphers/settings. I'd try updating clients etc. to ensure best protocols are used with hardware encryption in use etc. Had that discussions too many times like "But that tool worked for years!" - "Are there updates?" - updated tool multiple major versions "Wow it really is faster/is working now!" ;)

                                But again, to stay in the OP: No passive port opening automagically as passive ports are configured on the server side and every server can declare them as they want. pfSense has an active FTP helper for outbound connections that could help with that but it relies on the other side offering active FTP - not everyone does that (or uses FTP at all these days).

                                @openaspace said in FTP passive port on demand opening:

                                i want to create a PASS firewall rule when a client compile a protected form where will write her static ip , in order to allow access only to him.

                                Why? Passive FTP means you have inbound (if you host the server) or outbound connections with 21/tcp as well as xxxxx-yyyyy/tcp. So if it's your own FTP server where you upload your huge file stuff, why not allow your passive port range to your specific IP? Don't get the problem with opening passive ports here?

                                Don't forget to upvote ๐Ÿ‘ those who kindly offered their time and brainpower to help you!

                                If you're interested, I'm available to discuss details of German-speaking paid support (for companies) if needed.

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                                • johnpozJ
                                  johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                                  last edited by johnpoz

                                  As I already answered in my first post, there is no passive helper or way for pfsense to auto open the passive ports. If you want to provide passive ftp as an option to your ftp server then you need to set your ftp server to use a specific range of ports for its passive connections. And then forward that range.

                                  You can for sure lock down the source IPs on this forward/firewall rule.

                                  An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                                  If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                                  Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                                  SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                                    openaspace
                                    last edited by

                                    Yes, I will see if is possible to interact with pfsense using api to do this

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                                    • O
                                      openaspace @JeGr
                                      last edited by

                                      @JeGr it's well known that an sftp process use more cpu

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                                      • johnpozJ
                                        johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                                        last edited by johnpoz

                                        Your more than welcome to tinker all you want - but would be akin to coming up with a faster way to read floppy disks.. Nobody uses them ;)

                                        Sure there is a huge user base for something like this - the 3 people still using ftp will love you I am sure ;)

                                        An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                                        If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                                        Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                                        SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                                          openaspace @johnpoz
                                          last edited by

                                          @johnpoz said in FTP passive port on demand opening:

                                          Nobody uses them ;)

                                          that's where you're wrong ;) ๐Ÿ˜‚

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                                          • johnpozJ
                                            johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                                            last edited by johnpoz

                                            Yeah there are still people using horses to pull their carts as well.. Not my point!

                                            An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                                            If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                                            Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                                            SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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