Using Router as FTP Server

hello, wonder if anyone can help me out here...

I've got the linksys E4200 router linked to my connection

The router includes a USB port of attached a disk drive, and has the option of being used as an FTP server.

I'm trying to set this feature up, to be able to access it remotely, but am struggling.

The router includes a dyndns option, so I've signed up for that, and have it all working - I can log into my router from work using the dyndns web address on port 8080 - so I know that bit works.

On the router, I've enabled FTP, created a share folder for it, created a login & password and assigned that to the 'admin' group which has r & w access.

I've kept the port as 21

When I access the ftp site from within my network (using ftp://example.dyndns-home.com:21) it works fine.

However, when I use, say, firezilla and give the same address, and the correct username & password, it doesn't connect - I get this...

Status: Resolving address of example.dyndns-home.com
Status: Connecting to 00.000.000.000:21...
Status: Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Error: Could not connect to server

Any ideas where I'm going wrong? it could, I guess, be the company firewall, but I'm sure I've access FTP sites before (anyone know how I can check?)

thanks!

Can you ping the dyndns web address and get an IP returned?

You have to forward Port 20 as well.

Thanks - without wanting to sound too think though .. where do I forward it to?

as the ftp server is built into the router, I'm not having to forward port 21 as such - as the router itself listens for this port.

To access from the outside you need to forward ports 20 and 21 to the internal ip of the router.

http://www.pdfuu.com/go.php?http://homedownloads.cis... page 33 suggests that an Internet Access Policy for ftp may have to be enabled. But the diagrams are rather blurred so I may be misinterpreting the page.

if I ping the full dyndns, it times out (which it would, as it in itself doesn't go anywhere), but does resolve to an IP address first

If I ping ftp://dyndns address, it fails completely (saying it can't find host)

Thanks - I've tried doing this, but it tells me 'You Can't use the router's IP, Network or Broadcast Address' (ie the same IP I use for logging into the router from within the network)

In reply to a post by aldredd:

if I ping the full dyndns, it times out (which it would, as it in itself doesn't go anywhere), but does resolve to an IP address first

If I ping ftp://dyndns address, it fails completely (saying it can't find host)

You can't ping anything that starts ftp:// as ftp and ping are different protocols. Same as you can't ping an http:// address. As dyndns itself is resolving it must be a config problem on the router (afraid I don't know the router to be able to help with what that is though).

From a remote location, can you try to telnet to the ftp server over port 21 (FTP is a plain text protocol so this should enable an interactive session that is sort of understandable)

Once you get a message that starts 220 (meaning the service is ready) try the command "LIST" (what response do you get)

Try the command "HELP" (what response do you get)

Login by using the command "USER yourusername"

You should be told that the user needs a password (response code 331)

enter the password with the command "PASS yourpassword"

Now try the "LIST" command (What response do you get)