windows 7 - Why does FileZilla ask for password every now and then?

27
2013-11
  • Tomas

    I am downloading thousands of files over FTP using Filezilla. The download takes several hours, so I want to run it overnight, but there is a problem - Filezilla keeps re-asking the password every now and then - almost like every 10 minutes! Why? How to fix this?

    I've enabled FileZilla to establish 2 simultaneous FTP connections. It is strange that FileZilla keeps re-asking for password, even if I have set Logontype to "Ask for password". Snip from the documentation:

    Ask for password: FileZilla asks you the password during logon, and it remembers the password during the session.

    Interactive: FileZilla asks for the password, and asks again for every new connection to the server.

    This means that when I set "Ask for password", it shouldn't ask for every new connection to the server. Yet it does ask again and again...

    Site manager settings:

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    Login settings:

    enter image description here

    Settings:

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    The log just after Filezilla re-asks the password (with 1 simultaneous connection only the log looks exactly the same):

    Command:    PASV
Response:   227 Entering Passive Mode (81,31,47,235,239,66).
Command:    RETR P034624.jpg
Response:   150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for P034624.jpg (1242518 bytes)
Response:   226 Transfer complete
Status: File transfer successful, transferred 1 242 518 bytes in 1 second
Status: Starting download of /avif/photos/orig/P034625.jpg
Command:    PASV
Error:  GnuTLS error -53 in gnutls_record_send: Error in the push function.
Error:  Could not write to socket: ECONNABORTED - Connection aborted
Error:  Disconnected from server
Error:  File transfer failed
Status: Resolving address of ftp.birds.cz
Status: Connecting to 81.31.47.235:21...
Status: Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response:   220 iris.fortion.net
Command:    AUTH TLS
Response:   234 AUTH TLS successful
Status: Initializing TLS...
Status: Verifying certificate...
Command:    USER birds.cz
Status: TLS/SSL connection established.
Response:   331 Password required for birds.cz
Command:    PASS 
Response:   530 Login incorrect.
Error:  Critical error
Error:  Could not connect to server

    Screenshot of the log right after Filezilla re-asks the password:

    enter image description here

    If I switch to Active mode, the download works without re-asking the password!!! (Tested with 1 simultaneous connection and Timeout = 0).

    But, delete doesn't work - it will break the connection after like 400 deleted files in both active and passive mode, 1 sim. connection, timeout 0. This time it doesn't re-ask the password, it just stops. The log:

    Command:    DELE P025791.jpg
Response:   250 DELE command successful
Command:    DELE P025792.jpg
Response:   250 DELE command successful
Command:    DELE P025793.jpg
Error:  GnuTLS error -53 in gnutls_record_send: Error in the push function.
Error:  Could not write to socket: ECONNABORTED - Connection aborted
Error:  Disconnected from server

    Conclusion

    The above testing was done from my office, Windows 7, behind Zyxel P660HW-T3 FW/modem with more or less default settings. Switching to passive mode has helped here for downloading, for deleting no remedy found. When I tried from home, Windows XP, Filezilla 3.7.3 (current), behind Edimax BR6225N/BR6226N FW/modem, it both downloading and deleting went all OK even with default settings (timeout = 20, 2 sim. connections, passive mode)!!!

    • Answers
  • ultraloveninja

    Interesting. I've never had Filezilla ever re-ask me for a password during a transfer process.

    Have you tried to set the Timeout to 0 so that it doesn't close the connection if there is a timeout with server? I would try that and see if that works or not.

    Also, what kind of server is it that you are trying to connect into? Is it Windows or Linux?

    You might have switch it from Passive to Active mode:

    enter image description here

    I know I had to do that recently with FTP'ing into a client server.

    What I normally do when connecting to a server is use the Quickconnect in the top area:

    enter image description here

    If I want to save that info, then I copy the connection to the site manager:

    enter image description here

    If I need to open another connection, then I usually create a new tab and do the process over again.

    It also could be a server configuration as well. It might be that the server is configured to only leave any FTP connections open for a limited amount of time.

    Another issue could be bandwidth and connection to the server. I might be possible that the connection is timing out and disconnecting, and then on re-connect it needs the password again.

    But try setting the Timeout to 0 and see if that works or not.

    I'd also recommend looking at your firewall settings as well. From the looks of the log records, it might be from a firewall setting somewhere:

    https://forum.filezilla-project.org/viewtopic.php?t=14574


    • Related Question

    windows xp - FTP upload stalls at same point every time on FileZilla
  • John

    On two different FTP accounts, I am having problems uploading files. I can login and see the contents of the dir, and start an upload. Using Filezilla the transfer seems to always stall at either 0.9% or 1.2% (always those two numbers) and may simply hang, or keep restarting and then again stop at the same point. WindowsXP FTP is not great but I get similar types of problems there... it starts uploading and after a short while I get a timeout error.

    FTP used to work fine, and I don't know if it's these accounts in particular (both have the same service provider although purchased on opposite sides of the world) or if "FTP is broken on my PC"... can that even happen?!


    • Related Answers
  • Sam

    This issue could be related to a number of things:

    • The provider - as both these accounts are with the same provider, there could be an issue with them, or the settings you are using to connect to them, can you try ftp'ing to a completely different account?
    • Your internet connection - maybe your ISP is having issues, or throttles FTP for some reason, can you get someone else at a different location to try ftp'ing to that site to see if it works.
    • Your software - maybe your software is not configured correctly, or maybe your firewall is causing an issue.

    The key to solving this problem is eliminating what is not causing the problem, once you know what’s definitely not the cause, you can home in on the actual problem.

  • GregD

    Try using passive FTP as opposed to active and see if that clears up your issues.

  • John Gardeniers

    It's a bit of a long shot but see what happens if you disable your antivirus software for the duration of the transfer. It's possible the AV software is holding up access to the file on your end, causing a timeout while reading it.

  • boot13

    Try enabling the logging and debugging options in Filezilla. Enable timestamps. Max out the debug options. Follow the steps you take to reproduce the problem, then disconnect, close Filezilla and check the log. That might give you some clues.