FTP problem: connection going idle or missing; takes a minute to refresh

Question

Hi, i hope i explain myself, please forgive me my lack of tech-language and if i'm redundant:
In my office we got a G5 dual that we turn into a server (Mac OS Server 10.5.7) for a couple of websites (for external use). I need this guys to have FTP access for some file sharing. Server is up, websites and databases are running fine, remote administration in local and external network is flawless, everything seems fine, except for the FTP: When i connect with cyberduck or any other FTP app, the authentication is done quickly but then, the connection goes idle (like it didn't exists) so the folder listing takes about a minute. Then, as soon as you get the listing, if you try to put something (i.e, a big file of 50mb, using the local network), the app makes a quick login but then it goes idle again (same, about a minute) and when the connections appears, the transfer goes really fast, after the transfers ends connection goes idle again a minute before managing the folder listing. I know that the connection "goes idle" or "disappears" because i started using little snitch to take a look at it. It appears like if the ftp app wasn´t even trying to connect, then suddenly, it´s there and connects/transfers. Every operation takes this minute to get going. If i try it with a browser, well, it times out. This is happening in both, local and external connection. But every other service is working cool.
Can you give me any ideas about this matter?
Message was edited by: rdlfo

Answer 1

Ok, rather than going for the most problematic protocols known to modern networking, try with something simple.
Don't test with ftp, test with sftp.
I would initially suspect you're running into issues with firewalls here; beyond transmitting your credentials in cleartext, the design of ftp is inherently extremely allergic to firewalls, and particularly to transfers over connections that involve both local and remote firewalls.
ftp is funky here in that it needs two connections between the client and the server, and the second connection tends to get blocked. An ftp active-mode connection has a back-connect from the ftp server to an ephemeral port on the client; traversing firewalls from server to client. An ftp passive-mode connection has a forward connection; a second parallel connection from the client to a specified (usually) ephemeral port on the ftp server; traversing the firewalls.
Ignoring explicit transfer-mode selection, various clients can (transparently) try to switch between active and passive, too.
My preferred approach is to avoid ftp. At all. Use sftp. sftp is far easier to punch through firewalls. And sftp doesn't transmit your username and password in cleartext, for that matter.
The other part of this effort is around ensuring proper file protections and ownership in the web server directories. The web-facing file ownership should be user:www (often root:www) and the www user (the web server) should be able to read its web files, but (in general) should not be able to write to the web files or directories. This is defensive.