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Bizarre FTP problem

One of my clients changed their ftp server to use active mode instead of passive mode. Using SmartFTP, WinSCP, the DOS prompt, and Filezilla all fail to get a directory listing off the server. They each appear to connect but then die. One gives an error message of "Failed to retrieve directory listing" and "An established connection was aborted by the software in your host machine." I initially thought Comcast was blocking a necessary port but I can FTP fine to other servers both secure and non-securely.

I can however, connect to the client’s server from one of my shell accounts on a server where I do some hosting. So my work around to this problem is to ftp files to and from the client’s server with the shell and then to and from my local machine with the shell. So the shell account is acting like a middle man. What a pain!

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How to do the impossible

Got something you cannot seem to do?

  1. Stop telling yourself it is impossible!
  2. Put the distractions away. Turn off IRC. Turn off Twitter. Play one final game of Battle Front. Make one final blog post about doing the impossible.
  3. Quit hyperfixating on the stumbling blocks. There are always multiple solutions to a problem. Chose a solution rather than a stumbling block! Even if the solution is not elegant.
  4. Get Nike on yourself. Quit thinking about it and just do it!