FTP stands for the File Transfer Protocol and it is a TCP/IP standard for transferring the files across the internet. It works as the same way as the HTTP as it transfers the web pages from server to the user’s browser and the SMTP for transferring the emails. There are many existing client and server FTP programs that are used to transfer the files. The most common programs are Cute FTP, WS FTP, AceFTP, Smart FTP and the FTP Voyager.
These software are used to create the FTP sites for transferring the files over the internet. During the FTP sessions the server sends and receives various numbered codes to and from the FTP clients. Some codes represent the errors and some shows the communication status. When the errors are occurred in the FTP sites then the transfer of the files cannot be accomplished. The most common error messages include the following.
Common Error Messages
- 421. Service not available.
- 426. Connection closed. Transfer aborted.
- 425. Can’t open data connection.
- 503. Bad sequence of commands.
- 530. Wrong login password.
- 451. Requested action aborted. Local error in processing.
- 452. Requested action not taken. Insufficient space in the system.
- 500. Syntax error. Command unrecognized.
- 503. Bad sequence of commands.
- 504. Command not implemented for that parameter.
- 530. User not logged in.
- 550. Requested action not taken. File unavailable.
- 553. Requested action not taken. Illegal file name.
- 530. User cannot log in.
- Operation time out.
FTP Troubleshooting Tips
By carefully examining the log file of your FTP program, you can diagnose the exact errors and troubleshoot it. Many FTP download/upload errors are occurred due to the network outages, wrong login/password and server’s IP address and the incorrect routing of the FTP traffic. Sometimes FTP connectivity problems occur when your system is using antivirus program that have blocked the FTP ports or your system is behind firewall software or hardware.
The following tips will help you to resolve the most common FTP related issues.
- Make sure that you are using the exact login, password and the server’s IP address.
- Ping the FTP server by using this command ping ftp-server-name and see that you are getting the reply or not.
- Check the permissions and the directory structures.
- Check server permissions.
- Verify that your network router or a firewall program is not causing the problems.
- Verify that the connection port is correct.
- Try pinging the IP address of the server.
- Verify that your subnet mask is configured properly.
- Disable your antivirus and firewall programs to determine that if they are blocking the FTP access.
- Try again later. The remote server may be temporarily down.
- If the problem still persists then configure another FTP program and try to connect with your FTP server.