Proftpd strange problem

I have a strange problem with proftpd. Everything is worked fine until a few weeks ago. When I connect to the server, after a few usage (directory browsing, upload or download) it is suddenly disconnect the client and after that I can’t reconnect, the server ansver is timeout. I have to restart the proftpd server to connect again.
I found this in the proftpd auth.log: “Login timeout exceeded, disconnected”
I’m tried both total commander and winscp clients but no luck, it is a same problem.
The another strange thing is when sometimes the upload is working it is extremely slow, around 200k/sec, but the server is on 100Mbit and there is no another high bandwith connection on the server in the same time.

Do you have an idea what will be the problem?

Thanks, Gabor.

I’d check Firewall settings on both the server and your client you are connecting from to start. Probably not the issue, but easy enough to check out and eliminate.

Hi Gabor

Do you see same results if using just a pure FTP client

Are you using sftp and if so, can you run a test just using FTP to see if speed increases.

I know you can set the timeout values from nodeworx system settings, but I’m thinking perhaps if FTP server is becoming unresponsive, it maybe running our of open connections available

Many thanks

John

Hi Gabor
I hope you don’t mind, but below is a test for FTP throughput speeds.
I can post the graphs from IW if you would like, but they have not been generated as yet.
The test was conducted using a low powered atom PC, over a wireless connection to broadband to server, and using a 120Mb file. First upload and then download. Server connection 100Mbps
I have not tested SFTP, but would think it would similar albeit with a small loss due to overhead.
I hope that helps
Many thanks
John
Connecting to nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn on port 21. Attempt 1 of 3…
220 FTP Server Ready
USER myftp@domain.url
331 Password required for myftp@domain.url
PASS *****
230 User myftp@domain.url logged in
SYST
215 UNIX Type: L8
Server Type: UNIX (standard)
FEAT
211-Features:
MDTM
SSCN
TVFS
MFMT
SIZE
PROT
CCC
PBSZ
AUTH TLS
MFF modify;UNIX.group;UNIX.mode;
REST STREAM
MLST modify*;perm*;size*;type*;unique*;UNIX.group*;UNIX.mode*;UNIX.owner*;
EPRT
EPSV
211 End
PWD
257 “/” is the current directory
TYPE A
200 Type set to A
PASV
227 Entering Passive Mode (nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,197,31).
LIST
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for file list
226 Transfer complete
Transferred 651 bytes in 0.02 seconds (39.73 KB/s)
Queue completed in 0.47 seconds
CWD /domain.url/
250 CWD command successful
PWD
257 “/domain.url” is the current directory
PASV
227 Entering Passive Mode (nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,196,84).
LIST
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for file list
226 Transfer complete
Transferred 268 bytes in 0.02 seconds (16.36 KB/s)
Queue completed in 0.16 seconds
CWD /domain.url/html/
250 CWD command successful
PWD
257 “/domain.url/html” is the current directory
PASV
227 Entering Passive Mode (nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,196,27).
LIST
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for file list
226 Transfer complete
Transferred 492 bytes in 0.05 seconds (10.22 KB/s)
Queue completed in 0.17 seconds
Connection has been idle for 120 seconds; activating keep-alive measures…
PWD
257 “/domain.url/html” is the current directory
TYPE I
200 Type set to I
PASV
227 Entering Passive Mode (nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,195,135).
STOR 120mb.test
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for 120mb.test
226 Transfer complete
Transferred 123,368,360 bytes in 246.58 seconds (488.60 KB/s)
Queue completed; transferred 123,368,360 bytes in 4:06 (488.42 KB/s)
TYPE A
200 Type set to A
PASV
227 Entering Passive Mode (nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,196,169).
LIST
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for file list
226 Transfer complete
Transferred 567 bytes in 0.02 seconds (34.61 KB/s)
Queue completed in 0.09 seconds
TYPE I
200 Type set to I
PASV
227 Entering Passive Mode (nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn,198,235).
RETR 120mb.test
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for 120mb.test (123368360 bytes)
226 Transfer complete
Transferred 123,368,360 bytes in 28.27 seconds (4262.10 KB/s)
Queue completed; transferred 123,368,360 bytes in 28.33 seconds (4252.63 KB/s)

Hi John!

Thank you for the ideas and for the speed test.
The proftpd has enough connections in the config, the problem also happens when only one client is connected to the server.
The problem is also exist on my partner hosting company.

One of my clients reports me he has this problem from october. I checked the yum log and I found there was an iworx-proftpd update in september (1.3.5).
I forced back the previous version (1.3.4a) rpm and it seems to be the problem solved, today everything was OK!
I will test it for a few days and I hope I can close this case!

Thanks, Gabor.

Hi Gabor

If you don’t mind, what update setting do you use for IW - stable, release etc… To check, server, software and should be shown at top.

I’m thinking perhaps you may have your set to release, which may have a few bugs still which need resolving.

Many thanks

John