# Help setting NAS as FTP on home network



## meirionwyllt (Jul 26, 2006)

I have a wireless home network, and I have a Buffalo Linkstation Pro NAS connected by wire to my router. On the NAS I have a share, the contents of which I would like to be accessible via ftp from any PC anywhere.

I am complete FTP novice, but here's what I have done so far:

On the NAS's control panel I have allowed ftp support, set up access permissions, and given an user name/password, one set for read only and the other for read/write. I have also allowed ftp on my router's control panel (under Port Forwarding).

I am on static IPs (with PlusNET, my ISP) and I have registered my router's external IP with the DynDNS service so that my IP address can be used as a web address.

What else do I have to do to access the contents of the NAS via FTP? I don't want to have to install any third party software - I want to do it all with Windows/Internet Explorer if possible.

Please help,
Thanks.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

What you describe should be sufficient.

One question. If you're on a static IP address, what are you doing with DynDNS?

Well, actually two questions, what ports did you forward in the router?


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## meirionwyllt (Jul 26, 2006)

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry I should have explained - it's the Static DNS service that I have signed up for, just to give my IP address a domain name that's easier to remember. DynDNS is just the name of the website that offers both Dynamic and Static DNSs as a service.

Your second question - I'm not sure which port, because in my router's (D-Link DSL-G604T) control panel, FTP is an option that I pick from a list of preset options that I can open ports for, just as I can do for things like POP3 or Bearshare. But I it doesn't show what port it actually is. I can only assume that it's port 21 but I can't be sure.

If I have in fact done all that's necessary to use FTP, how do I access it from the web browser? At the moment, if I type ftp://<IP address> into the browser, it just shows my router's control panel. How do I access the shares of the NAS? Do I have to specify Port 21 or something? What's the syntax that I need?

Thanks again.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

If you're doing that locally within your network, you can't use the public IP address. If you're doing this remotely and getting the router's control panel, you need to disable remote administration on the router, which is a huge security hole! For local FTP access, you need to address the NAS IP address directly.

For accessing the ftp remotely, all you need is what you've specified.

One question, is the NAS setup on a static IP address? Are you sure the router's port forwarding is actually getting to the NAS IP address?


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## meirionwyllt (Jul 26, 2006)

Yeah sorry I meant to say that I was getting the router's control panel coming up when typing the public IP internally.

So, just to get this straight, is opening the right port all I have to do to get the contents of the share to appear in the browser?

Also, how do I check that I have the ftp port open?

Thanks


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## meirionwyllt (Jul 26, 2006)

When I say...



meirionwyllt said:


> Also, how do I check that I have the ftp port open?


What I mean is, how do I _double-check_ that the port is open? I have enabled the "FTP Port" in my router's control panel, but how do I know for sure. Is there a program/website that can check this for me?


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## jmwills (Sep 28, 2005)

What kind of router?


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## meirionwyllt (Jul 26, 2006)

It's a D-Link DSL-G604T wireless-g router with built-in broadband modem.


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

Have you tryied typing in ftp://user: [email protected] ip: port number?

Disreguard the space between : and p if i put it in here in the post it turns out like 


Where user is the username you setup, password is the password your ip is your external ip and port number is the one you set up in the router...

Also if you used port 21 you may have to check to see if it is being blocked by your ISP ( check here http://www.canyouseeme.org/ )...


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I have a dial-up account with a free service (limited hours/mo) for testing such things. Another method is to have a friend try to access the FTP server.


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## jmwills (Sep 28, 2005)

Add Port 22 (return side of the equation) to the forward and see what happens.


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## meirionwyllt (Jul 26, 2006)

Thank you all for your replies.

Jedi_Master - thanks for that website, I have now turned off the preset "FTP port forward" on my router and done it manually for port 21/22 of my NASs (static) IP address. When visiting the website you gave the link for, it says that port 21 is ok (but says that 22 isn't, even though I've also opened this on my router).

I have tried typing in the syntax you gave...

ftp://<user>:<password>@<my external IP>:21

...but to no avail.

Have I done all I need for my shared files to appear? When I type this into my browser, how does my router know to display the contents of a specific device on it's network?

Sorry if this is elementary stuff, but I would really like to learn about this.

Thanks


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

What's happening when you type that address in, blank screen, any errors?

Also what ftp server software does the NAS use, does it support Passive Mode?


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## meirionwyllt (Jul 26, 2006)

The only error message I get is just the standard one that Internet Explorer shows when it can't find a website "Internet Explorer cannot find this website", or words to that effect.

I don't know what ftp server the NAS uses, I guess it's their own inbuilt one. I will try to phone Buffalo this evening to find out more.

I will report back as soon as I have more info.


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

OK...

While waiting on Buffalo, try browsing through the FTP setup to see if there are any settings for Passive mode or PASV mode, and for a setting for listening port...

May have to set it up on a different port other that port 21...


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