Subj : DOVE-net / QWKPOLL / Unable to open data connection
To   : All
From : DustCouncil
Date : Thu Jul 01 2021 03:51 pm

Hi folks.  There are a few references online to this issue but I am unable to
find a solution.

A few points:

* Ubuntu Linux, v1.12 A46

* FTP is set to passive, as you can see from the log below.  I tried Active
and a bunch of iptables rules to support that, but it was even worse.  

* Occasionally this will work and download the qwk packet, but usually it
fails.  Sometimes it will tell me "Unable to connect" altogether.

* Importantly, the command line FTP client in Linux seems to work fine in
passive mode.  I don't ever have problems connecting, listing directories,
etc.

Case #1: Unable to Connect

Jul 01 15:39:21 Connecting via FTP to dove.synchro.net
Jul 01 15:39:21 Unable to connect

These are less worrisome and more transient than the more obnoxious:

Jul 01 15:39:23 Connecting via FTP to dove.synchro.net
Jul 01 15:39:23 R:220-Vertrauen (vert.synchro.net)
Jul 01 15:39:23 Connected
Jul 01 15:39:23 Local IP is 127.0.1.1
Jul 01 15:39:23 S:USER SHIB
Jul 01 15:39:24 R:331 User name okay, need password.
Jul 01 15:39:24 S:PASS <not shown>
Jul 01 15:39:24 R:230-Welcome!
Jul 01 15:39:24 S:TYPE I
Jul 01 15:39:24 R:200 All files sent in BINARY mode.
Jul 01 15:39:24 S:MODE S
Jul 01 15:39:24 R:200 STREAM mode.
Jul 01 15:39:24 Logged in as SHIB
Jul 01 15:39:24 Downloading QWK packet
Jul 01 15:39:24 S:PASV
Jul 01 15:39:24 R:227 Entering Passive Mode (71,95,196,34,7,218)
Jul 01 15:39:24 S:RETR VERT.qwk
Jul 01 15:39:34 Unable to open data connection

I am eyeballing that "Local IP is 127.0.1.1" - shouldn't it be reporting my
Internet address, and, if so, how can I make it do that?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
 * Origin: Shipwrecks & Shibboleths [San Francisco, CA - USA] (21:1/227)

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