An (impossible) problem - off topic from filePro...

Tue Apr 11 22:37:27 PDT 2023

Hi John,

I haven't digested all these twists and turns, but I, like Bill Campbell, 
wondered about passive mode. I don't find that term in your original post.

Check it out. For any FTP client you try, see if it lets you switch to 
passive mode. It may provide a quick resolution.

Here's a LITTLE background, from rusty memory. In active mode, which is 
often the default, the FTP client contacts the FTP server to establish the 
conversation. Then the server opens a NEW CONNECTION the other way, from 
server to client. If it sounds problematic, it is. All kinds of things 
could prevent the reverse connection reaching the client, such as a 
firewall, for good reason.

In a passive connection (sometimes termed PASV) all communication is sent 
over the inital, bidirectional connection.

That's all from me tonight. Good luck! ... Bob Rasmussen.

On Mon, 10 Apr 2023, john--- via Filepro-list wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> Maybe I can do this in a short bulleted list?  Forget it, I tried and this note was 20 pages longer than it is now... ☹
>
>
> The Problem:
>
> I changed out the cable modem/router from my cable company Cox Internet for a new model from a different manufacturer than they previously used.  It had two RJ-45 ethernet jacks on it, and a RJ-14 phone jack 4 telephone service from the provider.
>
> Since changing to that modem/router, I can no longer use FTP from the CMD prompt on Windows 10, or from the Powershell prompt either.  I get various errors like
>
> 550 command STOR failed
>
> 550 command PORT failed
>
> 550 command RETR failed
>
> And so on.
>
> At the CMD prompt, I can immediately log into any FTP server that I've tried.  It takes the username and password perfectly, and logs me in. At that point, executing the BIN command works properly, and a couple of other commands like LCD, but nothing else does.
>
> Doing DIR gives one of the command XXXX failed errors.  Any PUT or GET immediately gives a
>
> Command STOR failed
>
> This all happens on any FTP server that I login successfully to.  Nothing works but only gives these 550 command XXXX failed errors, and that's it.
>
> More experimenting:
>
> If I connect to one of the very same FTP servers using the Filezilla application from a regular Windows 10 desktop, everything works perfectly.  This tells me that the CMD or PS shell must harbor the PROBLEm???.  But with my limited knowledge of FTP (it might be a little more sophisticated than that of the average bear though), aside from being informed of the platform being used, there doesn't seem to be any way FTP could stop working because it is operating in this DOS-like environment.
>
> Plus, everything worked from the CMD or PS prompts with the previous modem/router... so it still might have something to do with that unit.  To diagnose a little further, Jason Garner gave me one of his great ideas... set up my phone as a "hot spot" and bypass the modem/router completely (and the I'sP) by connecting to that newly available wireless network that uses the cell tower system to connect to the net and see what happens.
>
> Unbelievably, everything works perfectly again!  I can do all FTP functions from the CMD or PS shells.  Okay, so to use one of Jim Asman's favorite phrases, there must be some "deadly embrace" between the new modem/router and running FTP from DOS - again that seems impossible to me.  Besides, getting through to Microsoft to determine if that is possible... well, let's just say that is also impossible.
>
> Okay, next test.  I wanted more than two RJ-45 jacks, and I still needed the RJ-14 for my extra home phone service, so I found out there *is* another modem/router with 4 RJ-45s and 1 RJ-14 on it, so I brought the new modem/router down to the Cox Internet Store and exchanged it for the upgraded model.
>
> Very unfortunately, this new model was from the same manufacturer as the 2 RJ-45 jack model.  Looked almost identical, and gave me the immediate feeling that the problem could be with this particular mfgr and their chipset or something.  Well, yes, long story short (remember bulleted version here) the exact same set of impossible circumstances happen with this new device!  I can work from Windows applications, but not from the DOS prompts...
>
> (Incidentally, whay I prefer the text prompt is the totally blind thing again. Text based screens are pretty much always readable in some way... only well written GUI applications allow access to all the controls that a sighted person simply "sees"... so lots of them (sadly) do not work so well... including for example the FileZilla that sort of works well enough with a screen reader, but really, no cigar!)
>
>
> Conclusion/What's next?
>
> You just have to believe me on this next possible issue.  Some of you are screaming out there "It's the ISP stupid!  And I would be screaming right along with you, but I managed to get a very knowledgeable engineer from Cox on the phone, and two hours later, after doing dozens and dozens of tests, he (also) became convinced that the problem is in the modem/router manufacturer's product line.  He absolutely swore to me that Cox is not disallowing anything, or firewalling any port, etc., etc., - ONLY FROM DOS-like shells - and agreed with me that there would be virtually no way to do this anyway.  Although, themodem manufacturer certainly has managed to do it somehow!  Whether it is purposeful, or some as yet unknown glitch like the y2k bug in their firmware, or possibly even the actual chip architecture... who knows?
>
> But, the next easiest thing to do was the second thing you are all screaming... "put the damn badly behaving modem into BRIDGE mode, and obtain a completely different mfgr's r9outer to do my in-house network.  Done and don!  I purchased a Mesh system called EERO 6+ from Amazon a couple days ago and bridged the Cox modem to it. Now I have terrific coverage in my house with 3 cute little devices that cover a huge 4,500 square feet... and I can add more at any time.
>
> So, I disabled the old wireless network by putting the Cox modem/router into bridge mode, and now I'm working directly *through* the problem Cox supplied modem router - on a new wireless network that is implemented on the new mesh system of router/access-points.
>
>
> HERE NOW, IS SOME MORE IMPOSSIBLE:
>
> The exact, same problem that existed before!  I can FTP from Windows apps, but not from the DOS/CMD prompt (or PS prompt).    It is as if the deadly embrace between DOS and the Cox supplied modem happens whether I'm using that routers provided wireless network, or bridging through the old device and using a completely different wireless network provided by the new manufacturer's device.  And yes, if I establish a cellular hot spot with my phone, and connect to it instead of going through Cox cable, FTP from a DOS or PS prompt works again.
>
>
> NEXT:
>
> Some of you will probably say that it is still the ISP (Cox) that is causing the problem... but then someone who suggests that, would have to tell me how Cox knows I'm coming from DOS/PS and exactly what they do to generate these various 550 errors.
>
> I intend to get a new completely approved modem that Cox Internet authorizes as good for their system.  (Stop paying for their modem/router every month) and just buy one outright. Then I will bridge through *that* modem, and use the new mesh system I like, and my bet is the Dos FTP will work again just like it used to work before either of the two replacement modems from the same mfgr which do NOT work.
>
> Last, (and this was the short bulleted version remember... ☹  ��  Sorry - I did try...)  after checking on a generalized search using Google stating the problem as:
>
> I get 550 command STOR failed error from DOS when using FTP on Windows 10....
>
> Does give me a couple of hits, but for the people getting this kind of error, they are all playing with FTP Servers under Windows 10, not just the simple FTP client app that is still built into the DOS emulation that came around in the Windows 8 version I think.
>
> And why did I switch modems in the first place when everything was working...?  The modem/router seemed tobe getting intermittent with drop outs and other strange errors, but it worked perfectly for nearly 5 full years.
>
> I can't read the mfgr name on the new model modem/router... I will get someone to tell me what it is as soon as I can, but for now, it is sort of unnecessary.  Both models by this mfgr do NOT work with FTP from DOS.  All the other things in the chain do work.  ☹
>
> If anyone has any suggestions, I'm willing to try them of course.
>
> This one has been messing me up for months and months, so I don't expect any quick answers or ideas.
>
> /john
>
> P.S.  Now, if anyone comes on this forum with anything like, John, just login to your modem/router as admin, and find the Advanced option page where there will be a checkbox that says, "Allow FTP from DOS..." and check it.  Well, you will hear the scream all the way from Tucson.  ��  Happily, I still believe this to be an impossible thing to accomplish.  After all, there is no place to say something like:
>
> If: @os eq "DOS"
> Then: show "FTP only executes the BIN command, and nothing else!"; EXIT("IMPOSSIBLE")
>
> ��
>
>
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Regards,
....Bob Rasmussen,   President,   Rasmussen Software, Inc.

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