FTP issues could arise due to different reasons. The likely causes are incorrect login details, Internet connection problems, etc. The first thing, you need to do is to get the exact error message your FTP Client or the browser you're using for the connection returns.
The following articles detail some of the FTP problems you could encounter and how to fix them:
FTP Timeout Issues
If you receive an FTP connection timed out error while trying to access your account, there are several reasons for that. Please, take a look at the list below for more information on what causes the issue and how to fix it.
Your Internet Service Provider is blocking the port you're trying to use to connect via FTP - Port 21. Read our article on how to check if port 21 is blocked on your computer for further instructions;
Your FTP client is not set to work in Passive mode - please, refer to your FTP client documentation on how exactly you can switch between different FTP modes;
Your domain name is expired or is resolving incorrectly. You can eliminate this issue by accessing your account directly via its IP address;
If you experience issues connecting to your Todhost account, feel free to contact our Support Team. We will happily further assist you.
Further reading:
Filezilla usability and functionality
How to Change File Permissions
How to fix the ‘421 Home directory not available – aborting’ FTP error
If you receive this error when trying to connect to your account via FTP: 421 Home directory not available - aborting, this means that the FTP user you are trying to log in with is configured to use a home directory which does not exist.
The problem can easily be fixed by creating the directory set as home for the FTP user. You can see which directory each FTP user has from your cPanel > FTP Accounts. The directory will be shown in the Path section of the page.
Incorrect FTP Login Error
When you receive an error about incorrect FTP login we recommend changing your cPanel / FTP password.
If you are a Todhost customer, you can do this from your Todhost Customer Area > Services. There you will find the option to change your cPanel / FTP password.
If you are using an additionally created FTP account, you should make sure to add @yourdomain.com after the FTP username. For example, your username should be ftpuser1@yourdomain.com if you have created an FTP user with username ftpuser1 and your domain is yourdomain.com.
Further reading:
How to check the log of an FTP client
Impossible to Connect to Server Error
The most probable reason for getting this error: Impossible to connect to the server when trying to log in to an FTP account is a missing home folder for the FTP account.
The solution is very simple - you have to recreate the home folder for the FTP account. Then you should be able to log in without any problems.
Your bandwidth usage is restricted FTP Error
The message "Your bandwidth usage is restricted" means that there is a bandwidth restriction for all FTP connections to the server. This restriction prevents FTP transfers from taking a big part of the network bandwidth and slowing down the rest of the connections to the server.
How to Check if FTP Port 21 is Blocked
How to Check if FTP Port 21 is Blocked: The default TCP port for FTP connection is port 21. Sometimes the local Internet Service Provider blocks this port and this will result in FTP connection issues.
Here's how to, depending on your OS, check whether your ISP blocks port 21:
Check FTP Port 21 with a Windows OS
Click on the Start menu button, usually located on the left low corner of the screen. There is a tab called "Run". You have to click on it, in order to proceed further. You will notice the appearance of a new small window on the screen. In the text field of this window you need to type "cmd" and then press the "Enter" key. Another window will open. It is the so called "MS-DOS prompt" or "command prompt". Just type the following command in the command prompt window and press "Enter":
telnet my-domain-name.com 21
Check FTP Port 21 with Apple/Mac
Each Mac OS is delivered with a preinstalled terminal emulator. The terminal is a tool which allows you to execute commands from the command line. Usually, the terminal is located under your Mac HD > "Applications" directory > Utilities sub-directory. When the window opens, you will see a command line with a flashing cursor on it so you can start typing right away. Just type the following command and press "Enter":
telnet my-domain-name.com 21
Check FTP Port 21 with Linux
Open your favorite terminal emulator and execute the following command in order to telnet your website:
telnet my-domain-name.com 21
Results from the 21 port check
If the test is successful, you should receive a message:
If the welcome message does not appear, you should contact your local ISP and ask them to unblock this port for you.
Todhost provides the best FTP hosting services and we will help you with any FTP questions or problems you might have.
Further reading:
Understanding FTP and How to Use it for File Transfer
How to restrict simultaneous connections in Filezilla
How to restrict simultaneous connections in Filezilla: FileZilla will by default transfer 5+ files at a time, which means that each time when you make a transfer, the application will initiate 5+ simultaneous connections to the server.
If you are hosted on a shared server and trying to transfer many files, the server firewall may block your IP address due to excessive number of simultaneous connections from one and the same IP address.
There is an easy way to reduce the number of simultaneous connections and transfers in FileZilla.
To do this, open the application > Edit > Settings > Transfers. There you will see a field called Maximum simultaneous transfers - change the value to 1 and click on OK to save the changes.
To reduce the number of simultaneous connections, open the application > File > Site Manager > select your site > go to Transfer Settings tab > check the box next to Limit number of simultaneous connections and set Maximum number of connections to 1. Click OK to save the changes.
Introduction to FTP
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a protocol that enables you to transfer files between your Todhost Hosting account and another computer. FTP establishes a connection between a server (in this case, your account on Todhost Hosting server) and a client (your local computer). To make your website files accessible to the public, you use an FTP client to upload them to your Hosting account on the server. You can also download files from your hosting account to your local computer.
The original FTP protocol does not encrypt data sent between the server and the client. A more secure way to transfer files over the internet is to use SFTP (Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol). When you use SFTP, all the data you send and receive is encrypted. Although you can use a regular unencrypted FTP connection to upload and download files, we strongly recommend you use SFTP whenever possible.
Using an FTP client
There are numerous FTP clients available, and many of them support SFTP as well. Todhost web hosting recommends FileZilla, a free program that you can download here. It supports FTP and SFTP, and runs on Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, and Linux. In this article, we show how to use FileZilla to connect to your account and transfer files.
If you want to use a different FTP client, you will need the following information to connect to your account:
Your web site's domain name.
The FTP account username:
For non-secure FTP connections, this can be either your cPanel username, or the username for an FTP user you have created in cPanel (for example, ftpuser@example.com).
For secure SFTP connections, you must use your cPanel username.
The password for the account you are using.
For SFTP connections, use port 7822 instead of the default port 22.
Connect to your account with FTP
To connect to your account using FileZilla, follow these steps:
Start FileZilla.
On the File menu, click Site Manager. The Site Manager dialog appears.
Click New Site, type a name for the site, and then press Enter.
In the Host text box, type your site's domain name.
If you want to connect using SFTP, type 7822 in the Port text box. Otherwise, leave the Port text box blank.
In the Protocol list box, select the protocol you want to use:
If you want to use SFTP, select SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol.
If you want to use regular FTP, select FTP - File Transfer Protocol, and then in the Encryption list box, select Only use plain FTP (insecure).
In the Logon Type list box, select Normal.
In the User text box, type the account username you want to use:
If you are using SFTP, you must use your cPanel username. Make sure you do not include your domain name. For example, type username, do not type username@example.com.
If you are using a regular FTP connection, you can use either your cPanel username, or the username for an FTP user you have created in cPanel (for example, ftpuser@example.com).
In the Password text box, type the password for the account you specified in step above.
Optionally, you can specify a default directory for FileZilla to open on the remote server after it connects. For example, many people prefer to have an FTP client access the public_html directory by default. To do this, follow these steps:
Click the Advanced tab.
In the Default remote directory text box, type the full path to the directory that you want FileZilla to open. For example, to open the public_html directory, type /home/username/public_html, where username represents your hosting account (cPanel) username.
Click Connect. After a few seconds, the connection is established.
Transfering files
After FileZilla establishes a connection between your local computer and the hosting server, you can transfer files. FileZilla has a Local site pane that displays files on your local computer, and a Remote site pane that displays files in your account on the hosting server.
To transfer files using FileZilla, follow these steps:
You can navigate through folders in the Local site and Remote site panes just as you would in Windows Explorer or the Mac OS X Finder. To open a folder, double-click it.
To upload a file to the server, drag the file from the Local site pane to the Remote site pane. After the file transfer is complete, the file appears in the Remote site pane.
To upload a file, you can also double-click it in the Local site pane.
To download a file to the local computer, drag the file from the Remote site pane to the Local site pane. After the file transfer is complete, the file appears in the Local site pane.
To download a file, you can also double-click it in the Remote site pane.
You can also transfer entire folders at once:
To upload a folder to the server, drag the folder from the Local site pane to the Remote site pane.
To download a folder to the local computer, drag the folder from the Remote site pane to the Local site pane.
