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Tried turning my Windows XP PC into an FTP Server but can't connect remotely..

by Vibrant Warrior
6 replies
This might seem like an unusual topic for Internet Marketing but the reason why I am doing this is so that my hosting company can upload the cPanel backups (from my PC) to my hosted home drive.

My upload speed (as it is the case with many), is very limited; or at the very least it's not ideal to upload Gigabytes worth of cPanel backups with. So I thought of letting my hosting company do that for me. Unfortunately I had to close down my previous hosting company's account early and the new hosting company (arvixe.com) wasn't able to retrieve all the cPanel backups on time. But they did volunteer to help me with the uploads if I were to provide them with an FTP location. So the only thing I could think of is to convert my XP Pro machine into a file server and then provide them with my static IP for them to make a remote connection.

I followed this video () and set everything up as per instructions, but I can't seem to establish a remote connection to my FTP (or my Win XP Pro computer). It turns out that it returns a 404 error at the other end. I can however make a local connection through my web browser.

Has anyone tried doing this before? :confused:
#connect #ftp #remotely #server #turning #windows
  • Profile picture of the author michael_gourlay
    I didn't watch the video, but a few possibilities come to mind:
    1. Are you using a router? If so, did you forward the ports to the computer with the FTP server?
    2. Could your ISP be blocking the FTP port you are using? (What port did you use)?
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  • Profile picture of the author Nigels
    Is your firewall set to allow connections to the port on which the hosting company's FTP client is trying to connect? Also, just to be on the safe side I would double check that your IP address is definitely the one you expect. I have read that ISPs occasionally (if infrequently) change static IPs.

    I wonder if it might be easier to do this the other way round though. The speed of the transfer will be the same whether the hosting company requests the files from your server or you use an FTP client to upload to their FTP server. But you'll probably find it easier to use an FTP client which you can set to transfer the files and then leave to do its thing.
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    • Profile picture of the author wiseleo
      I'd never ask my customer to setup an FTP server. I'd probably have you ship your data to me on an HDD.

      Short version.

      1. Login to your router
      2. Setup port forwarding to your PC's internal IP on port 21
      3. Error code 404 is NOT an FTP error code. That's an HTTP code. If someone's getting that for an FTP transaction, someone is totally clueless.
      4. Setup exemption for port 21 in your firewall software

      I can set this up for you in a matter of minutes for a reasonable fee.

      For the record, I'd be using SFTP. Running an unprotected FTP server without IP restrictions is not very smart.

      My recommendation

      Forget this.

      Upload to their FTP server. Filezilla will queue it up and eventually complete the uploads. You can change the priorities on the upload queue.
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      • Profile picture of the author AllAboutAction
        Originally Posted by wiseleo View Post

        2. Setup port forwarding to your PC's internal IP on port 21
        Don't forget to forward port 20 as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author Terry Crim
    I have not watched your video but creating a FTP server as you describe does go against the TOS of your ISP unless you have a commercial account.

    It would be much easier for you to use something like FileZilla and FTP the website files from your computer to the new hosting account yourself.

    Though if you really want to setup something like that there was a software I have used in the past that allows connections to your computer remotely, allows you to setup security and access to selected folders by username.
    Unfortunately I forget the name of it now. Do a search on google for remote server for windows XP and you may find options.

    Though if your ISP discovers you are using something like that they will cancel your account.

    Alternatively you can also use Remote Assistance hat is built into XP and allow one of their support staff to access your computer directly. I personally would not waste my time doing any of this though.

    Just use FileZilla and FTP directly to a folder on your new host and tell them where you uploaded the files. They will take it from there.


    - T
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  • Profile picture of the author Meadowview
    I gather the OP is most concerned with his lack of upload speed thus the idea to use remote access to his XP Pro machine. But unless uploading slowly in the background with FileZilla FTP prevents him from doing any other work, I don't see why FTP is not the best option. I assume there is nothing urgent about getting C-panel backups uploaded.
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