FTP Problems - New Filezilla
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in AMX Hardware
I couldn't find this on the lists, but anybody having problems FTP'ing into a master with current releases of Filezilla? It comes back with a bad directory structure or something?
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Note that you must use the site manager, not QUICKCONNECT to access these required connection settings. That's not a downside, it saves the details, including login, for one-click connects next time.
While you are in the Site Manager of FileZilla (or the FTP client of your choice), look in the TRANSFER SETTINGS tab and check the box for LIMIT NUMBER OF SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS to ONE. This will help avoid the dreaded 421 error you can get when you move a lot of files. FTP will presume robust servers, and if you want to make 100 file transfers, it will open 100 connections and move them all at once. The NetLinx FTP server is -not- a robust FTP server, and it will soon exhaust its allotted IP connections and not allow any more until it cleans up, which can take minutes, hours, or a reboot to do. During this time, you will get 421 errors, "Too many connections". Limiting to a single thread virtually eliminates this problem.
FileZilla is our preferred client after years of trying probably over 50 alternatives. While it requires these settings, they are there for that express purpose. Clients that don't have these settings leave you to wonder what they are doing. Something to do while waiting for the 421 to clear, I guess.
By the way, that same TRANSFER SETTINGS tab has a TRANSFER MODE. It defaults to an AUTOMATIC mode, but if you find, as I sometimes do (maybe 1 in 20 customer sites), that a file listing seems not to occur, go to this tab and chose ACTIVE, and try again. If it still fails, try forcing PASSIVE by that setting. One will work, and FileZilla will use that for the site thereafter. It seems to be an issue with some routers or ISP arrangements that sometimes prevents the AUTO from working.
This is all that I have ever had to change in filezilla to get it to work with AMX masters.
Yup, that's what I was thinking
Probably most AMX users move one or a few files at a time, and the 421 error will not occur. We see it at every training session, where we have all the dealers connect FTP to the same NetLinx. It lets about 6 in at most, then everyone trying after that gets a 421. Even long after the initial 6 drop out.
But if you move large datasets (well over 200 files at a time) as we do with our relational database system for the NetLinx, this "too many connections" error is common if you don't limit the simultaneous transfers. It happens with any FTP software, it is worst if you use the ftp in a browser (they specialize in rapid parallel transfers on as many ports as they can open). FileZilla is among the clients that allow you to limit that.
Its reporting of what is and isn't happening, errors, etc. is also very good. And the price (free) is better than many.
And Dave - I think the strange bed comment was TMI
More to blame on the not-enough-coffee situation. Should have mentioned I'm traveling this week. Strange bed = not sleeping at home.
You are correct. I just checked filezilla and I had enabled the checkbox to "Limit Active Connections to 1" as well as switching the server type.