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Ünsal Korkmaz
Asked: 2011-04-19 05:56:37 +0800 CST

remote ftp connection from remote server via WinSCP or a windows program?

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I have a new server. The hosting gives me a ftp account for backing up the main server. My problem is, I can only connect to this ftp account from the server. I don't like surfing inside folders via putty. I am WinSCP to browse folders and editing files on my server via SSH. It has a good windows-like interface.. folders etc.

Can I connect to that remote ftp account on the server with WinSCP or a program that allows it? Basically it needs to connect to my server via SSH then connect to the ftp account from the main server.

Update ( @Phil explained better) You have a server (lets call it LiveServer) and your hosting provider has given you some FTP space on a different server (lets call it FTPServer) that you can use for backups.

You can only access FTPServer From LiveServer - after all, its just there to use for backups of that server

You want to know if there is a way of somehow getting access to the FTP server from your home PC by going via the LiveServer using SSH or something similar.

ftp ssh remote

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Since standard FTP uses multiple (randomly selected) ports to communicate, you can't just tunnel one port like you could with most other protocols.

    If you had control over the FTP server, you could configure it to force passive mode and use only a specific range of ports. It'd also have to lie about its address (or else your client would have to be configurable to ignore the address given by the server). Then you could set up putty to forward every port in that range to the FTP server.

    Ask your host if there is any way you can scp files to the FTP server instead of using FTP. If so, you can set putty up to tunnel from Source Port insert whatever here to Destination ftpserveripaddress:22 (Done under Connection -> SSH -> Tunnels). Then in winscp, connect to localhost:sourceport

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  2. I believe what you are asking is as follows

    You have a server (lets call it LiveServer) and your hosting provider has given you some FTP space on a different server (lets call it FTPServer) that you can use for backups.

    You can only access FTPServer From LiveServer - after all, its just there to use for backups of that server

    You want to know if there is a way of somehow getting access to the FTP server from your home PC by going via the LiveServer using SSH or something similar.

    The simple answer is no although if you had complete control over the LiveServer you could conceivably set it up as a VPN server so it accepts VPN connections from your home machine and then forwards packets on to the FTP server as necessary. However, it may be the case that your hosting provider would not allow such packets through its firewalls and its certainly not an easy thing to set up and get working as a novice

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