Hi everyone. I'm currently running proftpd on redhat 8.0 and we're having immense trouble with FTP. Firstly, the initial connection is incredibly slow. It takes approximately 30 seconds before it goes through (it just seems to hang there). The same problem occurs when I'm trying to get a directory listing, uploading or downloading a file.etc. It seems to hang for 20 to 30 seconds, and then will finally commit the action.

I know this is very vague, and could be a host of problems, but I'm quite a newb at all this and this problem is causing me a lot of headaches as its taking forever to do simple site updates, when they should take only a few seconds. Any help is greatly appreciated.

cmon guys, someone must know of a solution!

Are you running many processes on that ftp server? What is your bandwidth connection? Is the ftp server running as a stand-alone daemon or a spawn from inet.d?

-twantrd

Sounds like the ftpd is timing out waiting for a reverse look up on the IP address connecting it.

Update your DNS zone files or put an entry in /etc/hosts for the IP of the client connecting.

You could also try forcing the client to use passive mode

I tried all of the above, all to no avail. This really does have me stumped =/ And the main problem is, I'm doing site updates all the time, and each time I upload a file its taking at least 45 seconds (only 2kb files ). Very frustrating.

of course you are testing this with no firewall in place?

might be a PASV problem

ok, I've done more testing, and I think its outgoing packets:

I tried doing a wget from rpmfind to an ftp location -r it hung on login. It just did not move for over an hour. I think something is stopping outgoing packets for ftp. How do I check this?

got tcpdump working finally, and by using: tcpdump -x port 21, i got this:

16:59:34.392901 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: P 904143790:904143821(31) ack 3562706719 win 64222
4500 0047 d607 0000 7106 aa7e dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23ae d45a 971f
5018 fade 9d11 0000 4357 4420 2f6d 6167
7374 6f72 652e
16:59:34.393026 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: . ack 31 win 5840
4510 0028 6d30 4000 4006 0465 cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 971f 35e4 23cd
5010 16d0 ff51 0000
16:59:34.466121 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: P 1:30(29) ack 31 win 5840
4510 0045 6d31 4000 4006 0447 cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 971f 35e4 23cd
5018 16d0 21c8 0000 3235 3020 4357 4420
636f 6d6d 616e
16:59:34.500556 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: P 31:36(5) ack 30 win 64193
4500 002d d608 0000 7106 aa97 dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23cd d45a 973c
5018 fac1 7cd1 0000 5057 440d 0a00
16:59:34.500670 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: . ack 36 win 5840
4510 0028 6d32 4000 4006 0463 cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 973c 35e4 23d2
5010 16d0 ff2f 0000
16:59:34.501406 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: P 30:85(55) ack 36 win 5840
4510 005f 6d33 4000 4006 042b cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 973c 35e4 23d2
5018 16d0 be3b 0000 3235 3720 222f 6d61
6773 746f 7265
16:59:34.600150 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: P 36:42(6) ack 85 win 64138
4500 002e d60a 0000 7106 aa94 dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23d2 d45a 9773
5018 fa8a 6a8e 0000 5041 5356 0d0a
16:59:34.603245 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: P 85:137(52) ack 42 win 5840
4510 005c 6d34 4000 4006 042d cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 9773 35e4 23d8
5018 16d0 3f07 0000 3232 3720 456e 7465
7269 6e67 2050
16:59:34.689616 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: P 42:52(10) ack 137 win 64086
4500 0032 d60e 0000 7106 aa8c dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23d8 d45a 97a7
5018 fa56 ed04 0000 4c49 5354 202d 614c
0d0a
16:59:34.728554 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: . ack 52 win 5840
4510 0028 6d35 4000 4006 0460 cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 97a7 35e4 23e2
5010 16d0 feb4 0000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
16:59:51.179024 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: P 137:191(54) ack 52 win 5840
4510 005e 6d36 4000 4006 0429 cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 97a7 35e4 23e2
5018 16d0 0e5d 0000 3135 3020 4f70 656e
696e 6720 4153
16:59:51.261792 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: P 191:215(24) ack 52 win 5840
4510 0040 6d37 4000 4006 0446 cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 97dd 35e4 23e2
5018 16d0 2f69 0000 3232 3620 5472 616e
7366 6572 2063
16:59:51.318426 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: . ack 215 win 64008
4500 0028 d635 0000 7106 aa6f dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23e2 d45a 97f5
5010 fa08 1b2e 0000 0000 0000 0000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
17:00:42.114062 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: P 52:58(6) ack 215 win 64008
4500 002e d69f 0000 7106 a9ff dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23e2 d45a 97f5
5018 fa08 7076 0000 4e4f 4f50 0d0a
17:00:42.114171 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: . ack 58 win 5840
4510 0028 6d38 4000 4006 045d cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 97f5 35e4 23e8
5010 16d0 fe60 0000
17:00:42.132636 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: P 215:244(29) ack 58 win 5840
4510 0045 6d39 4000 4006 043f cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 97f5 35e4 23e8
5018 16d0 4983 0000 3230 3020 4e4f 4f50
2063 6f6d 6d61
17:00:42.343114 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: . ack 244 win 63979
4500 0028 d6a3 0000 7106 aa01 dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23e8 d45a 9812
5010 f9eb 1b28 0000 0000 0000 0000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
17:01:33.136239 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: P 58:64(6) ack 244 win 63979
4500 002e d6f8 0000 7106 a9a6 dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23e8 d45a 9812
5018 f9eb 7070 0000 4e4f 4f50 0d0a
17:01:33.157746 IP www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp > adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887: P 244:273(29) ack 64 win 5840
4510 0045 6d3a 4000 4006 043e cb54 ef82
dad6 337d 0015 0b47 d45a 9812 35e4 23ee
5018 16d0 4960 0000 3230 3020 4e4f 4f50
2063 6f6d 6d61
17:01:33.341918 IP adsl-51-125.swiftdsl.com.au.2887 > www.expresspublications.com.au.ftp: . ack 273 win 63950
4500 0028 d6fb 0000 7106 a9a9 dad6 337d
cb54 ef82 0b47 0015 35e4 23ee d45a 982f
5010 f9ce 1b22 0000 0000 0000 0000

Notice the time differences between the different steps (first one is authorization, then when it goes to change directory, then listing). Its taking up to almost a minute to do each step. Its ridiculous.