FTP: Cannot connect to FTP Server (without further information)

Hi @siniztr,

The FTP functionality is pretty simple. It directly calls ftp_connect. If ftp_connect fails, then you get the error message. The warning message means that PHP was unable to resolve the domain name, which could point to a DNS problem.

If you’re comfortable with PHP, I invite you to create an empty PHP file that just contains something like this:

<?php
var_dump( ftp_connect( 'yourdomain.com', 21 ) );

Where yourdomain.com is the FTP host.

If BackWPup is having problems connecting, then this, too, should also fail. If it doesn’t, then indeed there is something deeper to look into. But if it does, then the error is not with BackWPup.

Hi @terry789, the server that doesn’t work, you said it works with other instances of BackWPup. Are these on the same host, or different hosts?

Hey @cocreation,

Ok using the script that you posted, I tested it with both domain name and IP address, and get a bool(false) error. I have my FTP server to run on a port different to port 21 (for security reasons), so for testing purposes I changed this back to port 21, and am now able to connect to the ftp server with BackWPup, however when it gets to the part where it should transfer the file, I get a “Can’t open data connection for transfer of **file name of the backup**”

I tried with and without SSL-FTP connection, and the same with PASV mode. I am trying it on 3 different sites, I have played with both the website (backWPup) and server settings, and just can’t get the files to back up. It was working fine up until March of this year. I don’t understand why it stopped suddenly.

@siniztr, if it’s running on a port different than 21, then you’ll have to change your settings to that port. But my guess is that your host doesn’t allow outgoing connections on that port. So, ask them if they could allow outgoing connections on whatever port your FTP server is on… or else have the server run on port 21.

@cocreation,

the server that doesn’t work, you said it works with other instances of BackWPup. Are these on the same host, or different hosts?

Both, from the same host and from another host.

@terry789 thanks for the extra info. Can you do the same as I suggested to siniztr above? Create a PHP file with:

<?php
var_dump( ftp_connect( 'yourdomain.com', 21 ) );

Where yourdomain.com is the FTP server that is not working for you. See if it works for PHP itself or not.

@cocreation,
On the sites that work, I get this: resource(2) of type (FTP Buffer)

On the site that does not work, I get this: bool(false)

@terry789, that’s what I thought. You’ll want to contact your host about this and let them know that PHP is unable to connect to the server. You might want to give the FTP host and/or IP adress to see if anything is blocked on their end.

@cocreation,

Okay, I’ll do that tomorrow. Thanks!