Applicable to:
- Plesk for Linux
- Plesk for Windows
Symptoms
-
It is not possible to connect to a Plesk server (or if connected, copy files) via FTP in the passive mode. One of the following error messages appears during connection (Error message varies depending on FTP client):
PLESK_INFO: 530 Login incorrect.
Login failed.
PLESK_INFO: ftp: connect: Connection refused
PLESK_INFO: Response: 227 Entering Passive Mode (203,0,113,111,250,241).
...
Error: Connection timed out after 20 seconds of inactivity
Error: Failed to retrieve directory listing
PLESK_INFO: ftp: connect: Connection timed out
PLESK_INFO: 425 Can't open data connection.
PLESK_INFO: An error occurred opening that folder on the FTP server. Make sure you have permission to access that folder. The operation timed out
PLESK_INFO: Error listing directory '/httpdocs'. Transfer channel can't be opened. Reason: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it. Could not retrieve directory listing
PLESK_INFO: Connecting data socket to (203.0.113.2) port 39383
Socket error (Connection timed out) - reconnecting -
It is not possible to get a directory listing by FTP using Secured TLS: the connection establishes but directory listing does not work. The following errors appear in
/var/log/secure:CONFIG_TEXT: pam_env(proftpd:setcred): Unable to open config file: /etc/security/pam_env.conf: Permission denied
pam_systemd(proftpd:session): Failed to connect to system bus: Permission denied
pam_listfile(proftpd:auth): Couldn't open /etc/ftpusers
Cause
The passive port range (by default, 49152-65535) is not properly configured.
Resolution
Configure the passive port range:
Plesk for Linux
Plesk for Windows Server
Comments
8 comments
This falls short of a complete resolution.
@Robert Ricci could you please provide me with more details on that?
i am having the same issue: shows Network error: connection refused!
Is it secure to open ports for passive-ports??
any one have the correct solution.
@Ameenullah S yes, it is secure
This article must be the most obscure article of all. I have an IONOS cloud dedicated server with Plesk installed. I'm having problems with connecting using FTP even if I created an ftp account through Plesk. As a side note, I can connect using sftp using my default domain user but I can not connect using other ftp users that I created. This article should have been clearer because the problem is a bit obscure in its nature.
Hello lostadmin
Thank you for the feedback.
SFTP is a different protocol based on SSH.
The FTP issue requires additional investigation. Consider submitting a support request directly to us or to our partner, in case the license was purchased from one of them.
Hello Ivan Postnikov
I solved the problem contacting IONOS, somehow they restricted the port configurations. By default they configure their own firewall. I knew it but I couldn't configure the passive ports. If I were this article's writer, I would add IONOS to the article since they were one of the biggest cloud service provider in Europe (my client is from Germany). I contacted them and there was no plesk issue. By the way I know that sftp and ftp are completely different protocols.
Thanks.
Hello lostadmin
Thank you for the information.
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