UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Current setup:
I am running Solaris 8 and PROFtpd. I have my network functioning correctly. The server can be pinged from any machine on the network. There is no firewall between the client and the server. The proftpd service is running using the correct and only proftpd.conf file in standalone mode with no virtual host. From the ftp server, I can ftp it, log in, etc.

Problem:
When I try to ftp to the same server from another machine, it connects saying, "Connected to 196.x.x.x..", waits for about a minute, and gives a message "Connection Closed by Remote Host"

I have checked my proftpd log file and it does not show any activity. I was able to connect without problems before. I had to change the net configuration to work on another network. After I did this, I started having problems.

What could I be missing? Thanks for you help.

I have not used PROftp on Solaris but you can check that /etc/hosts.allow is allowing the different network and check the configuration files for PROftp for the same thing. It looks like that new network isn't allowed.

I do not have a hosts.allow or hosts.deny. Do I have to have one?

You don't have to have it - simply stating it in case you forgot to change it when you moved to the new network.

Suggest you look at what you changed - that is where the problem is.

If you have more info - like exactly what you did (step by step) -post back.

I really did not do much. I physically patched it into a different network. changed hostname.elxl0, hosts, defaultrouter, netmasks to work with the new network restarted and was able to ping away at it. I just couldn't ftp it. Port 21 is the only port showing to be open it. Shouldn't FTP have 20 open also? I have since moved it back to the original network and changed all the settings back and still have the problem.???

To answer my own post:
Proftpd by default does a reverse DNS lookup on the IP of the client. In my proftpd.conf file I set the following...
UseReverseDNC Off
IdentLookups Off

I restarted the ftp service and that worked. I found this info in the FAQ of proftpd.org's website under the slow logins question. I guess the Reverse DNS feature wasn't finding my private ip in the DNS server's database.