Monitor FTP sites with WatchFTP Monitor FTP sites with WatchFTP


 

FTP Server Settings

screenshot of this window

Enter the details of your FTP server:

  1. Complete the settings
  2. Click Browse / Test Connection to verify that WatchFTP can connect to the server.

FTP Server: The FTP server name or IP address in the form "ftp.myserver.com". Do not include an "ftp://" prefix.

Port: The FTP server uses this port. If you are connecting to a "plain" FTP site, this is normally port 21, however the Site Administrator may have changed this.

Passive Connection: Instruct WatchFTP to open the data connection. Otherwise the FTP server opens the connection and your firewall may block this incoming connection.
If WatchFTP "hangs", try toggling this option.

Force Host IP: When you use a secure connection all commands and responses between WatchFTP and the FTP server are encrypted. When the FTP server is behind a NAT router, the router can not translate the internal IP addresses (typically 192.168....) to externally accessible IP addresses so they remain unchanged in the FTP response lines to WatchFTP.
When this option is set, WatchFTP will ignore the (unaccessible) IP addresses in the server's responses and always uses the IP address of the FTP server itself.

Troubleshooting

If connecting to a Secure FTP server,
you may need to enable the
Clear Command Channel option.

screenshot FTP Protocol: Make the connection using this protocol. WatchFTP supports the four most popular FTP Protocols:

  • "FTP" - The most common of the four. Your UserID, Password and other data are transferred unencrypted (as plain text).
  • "Secure, AUTH/TLS" - Your UserID, Password and other data are transferred encrypted.
  • "Secure, SSL" - Your UserID, Password and other data are transferred encrypted.
  • "SFTP" - Your UserID, Password and other data are transferred encrypted.

UserID and Password: If your FTP server requires authentication, enter your UserID and Password here.

Private Key: Some SFTP servers require a UserID and Private Key for authentication (optionally with a password). Press the "Keys..." button to select the private key.

FTP Directory: The Task watches this FTP Directory. Click Browse / Test Connection to make a selection or test the connection.

Keep FTP Session Log: Instruct the Task to write all communication with your FTP server to a log file in your Task Directory. If you experience troubles with WatchFTP, select this option.

These log files are automatically removed after 7 days.

Advanced: Click Advanced to open the Advanced FTP Server Settings window.