FTP problems using Belkin Router

[Serious Sam]

I was told that this is probably the best place on the net to ask questions related to this kinda stuff...I hope so because I'm ready to tear out my hair...So, here's my problem...

I just bought a Belkin 4port DSL Gateway Router to network my puters at home...The thing works great...for the most part...but today, when I tried to access my ftp server from work and I couldn't... the connection wasn't allowed...So I called Belkin's techsupport and they told me to set the virtual server properties to allow it to be accessed through the firewall...problem is, they couldn't/wouldn't tell me how to go about setting it up...So I was hoping that maybe someone here would be able to give me a hand in figuring this out...Any and all help would be GREATLY appreciated!!


Thanks in advance, Sam

[krohnjw]

Do they have a graphical config utility? Try typing in the IP from one of your home computers, of the router, and it should pop up with a graphical config. From there you need to allow access to the port. They are pretty user friendly. Have you looked in the manual for the router? That may also be a good place to look.

[Serious Sam]

The manual doesn't cover it very well...just says what it's for...as for the GUI, i know what IP addy to put in...I know what port I want to use for the server...but i have no idea what a private port is...here's my options:

PRIVATE IP - PRIVATE PORT - TYPE (TCP) - PUBLIC PORT

the ip is 192.168.2.5
I have no idea what the private port would.should be
TYPE i left at TCP
And I'm assuming the public port would be 21

I'm not too sure... It says to look at the manual for detailed instructions, but the manual just shows a picture of what it looks like in the GUI...there are no instructions as to it's use...that I'm sure of...Not much of a manual to begin with...

[Serious Sam]

I went to thier website and am d/l the pdf manual...I hope it is more thorough than the one that came with the router itself...





Nope...they're the same...

here's the link to the manual...Maybe someone can see something I cannot...


http://web.belkin.com/support/downlo...ish-manual.pdf

[krohnjw]

Try setting private port to 21 and public port to 21. That should open those ports up on that IP. What are the other types listed? Just curious.

[Serious Sam]

I have set both port options to 21...I went to this site to check and see if it was open and it was...https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

If you're referring to protocol types then they are TCP/UDP, I have it set to TCP...The link to the manual shows what the options are....Page 33


btw...this is what I'm using

WinXp
BulletProof FTPserver
dns2go

do you have passive mode set up on the FTP since its behind the router and do you have the option clicked on dns2go for connecting to ftps behind a firewall?

here is some tips from BP web site to maybe help you and see if you have it propertly configed

To allow the ftp server to receive ftp requests behind a firewall you need to open the port 21 (allow incoming) & 20 (allow outgoing) on the firewall, as well as the passive port range (allow incoming, setup / multi ip settings / passive port range).
If you do not use default ftp port, you need to open main port (allow incoming), main port -1 (allow outgoing) & passive port range (allow incoming).

When running the ftp server behind a router, the ftp server can only use local ip (10.0.xxx.yyy, 192.168.0.xxx ...).
This causes problems when a client switches to passive mode (PASV) because the ftp server will reply with the internal lan ip; as a consequence the ftp client can not transfer data (no directory listing, no upload / downloads, only commands).

To solve this problem :
1) Go in server option / multi ip settings / passive ip and enter your internet ip (not local, but the one assigned by your isp, check http://www.gene6.com/g6ftpd/ip.php3 to know your ip.
2) enter a passive port range 50000-50100 in passive port range option.
3) in your router (hardware or software) create a port range redirection for 50000-50100 to the computer ip running the ftp server.

here is a pic to help you unserstand

(here selected passive port range is 5000-6000, internet ip is 193.251.33.22, this can vary with your need, restricted access, firewall ...)

The ftp server will now use the external ip for passive mode and the router will correctly redirect passive connection thanks to the passsive port range option.

if this doesn't help here is the information i got from there FAQ website

http://faq.bpftpserver.com/

oh yeah do you have winxp firewall on? im not sure since im running win2k on all my machines but you might want to disable the built in firewall when tresting this out. it just kills another factor of a problems in the long run.

JaYsin

[Ritalin Kid]

I have that exact same router at the house.. the best thing I have found to d is not fight the router and let the computer with the FTP server be the DMZ host so basically and requests to port 20 or 21 will be forwarded straight to the computer put in the DMZ host. The drawback is that you will no longer be protected by the router's built in firewall so you might want to setup a program like Zone Alarm on the computer set to the DMZ Host..

I have a webserver running like this with no probs and also no probs using FTP or letting friends and family hook up to the file server and transfer files.. any other way except this I could not get to work plus these Belkin routers are bad to freeze up every once in a while atleast once or twice a day.

Check it out...

http://204.116.113.193/Website/matt.html

Now if it don't work then blame the router... already had to set it once today.

Ok now make that twice... Only buy Belkin Cables not routers... screww this I'm getting a Linksys.

[Serious Sam]

I tried both of your ideas this morning....

No luck...
I guess I'll go back to burning the data I may or may not need today...lol


I'll try again this evening when I get home...Thanks for all of your help, I appreciate it...