Setting up Ftp Server in Windows Vista Home Premium

Oh, and one more point, you can test whether the ports are opened by using a site such as http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/. Open that site, where your external IP should automatically be filled in. Enter 21 in the Port Number box, and hit the Check button. You will then get a result as to whether the port is actually open or not. Of course, it needs to return as being Open for FTP to work externally.

-tigermatt

Hi tigermatt
The I.p address I gave out to my friend is the one assigned by my ISP which I can view in my router configuration program .Thanks to you I discovered that port 21 is closed by following the link you gave me to check for open ports.I am running Zonealarm  checkpoint security suite (free edition) which I briefly shut down and then tested port 21 again and it was now open .In the programme listing in zonealarm FTP program is allowed and ACCESS and SERVER are both ticked for trusted and internet but there is obviously some more configuration that needs doing

It looks like we have managed to track it down to ZoneAlarm being the issue then. There seems to be a guide available at http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial128.html#ports for opening ports in the Pro edition of ZoneAlarm, so can you take a look and see if you can get at that feature in the Free Edition which you are running?

The Applications section of ZoneAlarm is for connections by applications through the firewall TO the Internet, as far as I am aware, although the Server Settings should be for inbound connections, I'm not too sure where it evaluates the port for a Server Application from.

-Matt

Hi Tigermatt
I am attempting to add an expert rule to zonealarm and keep testing for open port 21 no luck so far but I will keep trying With the help you have given me so far I am going to accept your solution as you have pointed out where the problem lies.

Don't feel compelled to accept my solution until it's completely fixed! I'm not a brilliant expert on ZoneAlarm firewall though, so can't really help out with adding the port change!

Since you have a router which will more than likely have a hardware firewall anyway, have you considered just switching back to the standard Windows Firewall? This would be perhaps a bit easier to setup the rule on, and still gives adequate protection anyway.

-Matt

Hi Tigermatt
I have been tearing my hair out trying to get port 21 open and finally I have succeeded.In the alerts and logs in zonealarm in the program section there is a continual log of svchost.exe being blocked (Host Process for windows services was blocked from accepting a connection from the internet and the i.p. of the port checking website.In the program listings the same program was not ticked to allow it under server / internet so once that was done the port 21 was open when tested.Should it now just be a matter of my friend typing in the following address in internet explorer   ftp://MYEXTERNALIP   and he should be able to connect after logging in?

If port 21 is open, and shows on the port forwarding site I posted above for you as being open, then get your friend to enter ftp://external-ip, login and then you should have your FTP site up and running.

-Matt