The Well and the Cathedral

I’ve been having some active/passive FTP issues recently. It seems the server had some specific issues with FileZilla (an awesome free, open source FTP client– highly recommended).

From FileZilla’s Wiki:

Setting up FileZilla Client

In case you’re running FileZilla 3, it’s recommended you run the network configuration wizard. It will guide you through the necessary steps and can test your configuration in the end.

Obviously, if you want to connect to any server, you need to tell your firewall that FileZilla should be allowed to open connections to other servers. Most normal FTP servers use port 21, SFTP servers use port 22 and FTP over SSL/TLS (implicit mode) use port 990 by default. These ports are not mandatory though, so it’s best to allow outgoing connections to arbitrary remote ports.

Since there are many servers on the internet that are misconfigured and don’t support both transfer modes, it’s recommended that you configure both transfer modes on your end.
[edit] Passive mode

The client has no control over what port the server chooses for the data connection in passive mode, so in order to use passive mode, you’ll have to allow outgoing connections to all ports in your firewall.
[edit] Active mode

In active mode, the client opens a socket and waits for the server to establish the transfer connection.

By default, FileZilla Client asks the operating system for the machine’s IP address and for a free port number. This configuration can only work if you are connected to the internet directly without any NAT router and if you have set your firewall to allow incoming connections on all ports greater than 1024.

If you have a NAT router, you need to tell FileZilla your external IP address or active mode connections will not work with servers outside your local network:

* If you have a fixed external IP address, you can enter it in the configuration dialog of FileZilla.
* If you have a dynamic IP address, you can let FileZilla obtain your external IP address from a special website automatically each time you start FileZilla. No matter what version of FileZilla you have, no information will be submitted to that website.

If in doubt, use the second option.

Cincinnati’s Public Library is consistently rated among the best in the country. Besides a whole host of great services like ebooks, endless research databases, and tons of neighborhood branches, they offer a virtual library.

Six of Cincinnati’s finest librarians (and I use this term intentionally) are continually scanning gems from the library’s collection. The virtual library offers more than it first appears, so do a little digging. You can find the virtual library at virtuallibrary.cincinnatilibrary.org. Also check out their Virtual Victorian Valentines on Facebook.

Number two in a series on my favorite Cincinnati innovation/open source/collaborative projects, spaces, and events:

Photo courtesy of Bill Barnett (http://www.bill-barnett.com/)

According to The Freelancer’s Union, independent workers make up thirty percent of the nation’s workforce. Independent workers hang out in coffee shops, spare bedrooms, and libraries. Now Cincinnati has a wonderful place for those independent workers to go. It’s got coffee, parking, and really, really smart people to talk to. Isn’t that where you want to be?

Learn more:

Soapbox Media wrote an article about Cincinnati Coworks.

Stop by the Willow Creative offices any weekday between 10 AM and 5 PM, at 222 E. 14th St. in Over the Rhine.

Visit the coworking website (designed by the talented Ms. Anna Baur), become coworking’s friend, or read some tweets.