THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE APPLIES TO:

• CuteFTP Pro^®, all versions

SYMPTOM

Having problems connecting to SSH2 SFTP sites

RESOLUTION

Refer to the following checklist:

• Check the configuration settings on your computer and on the server.
• Verify that the server you are connecting to supports SFTP connections.

Note:

CuteFTP Professional supports SFTP, which is a secure service provided by the SSH2 host, in which the server both encrypts the data and handles the file transfer. This should not be confused with FTP over SSH2, in which the SSH2 uses port forwarding to forward standard FTP transactions over an encrypted tunnel, with the actual file transfer being handled by a separate and non-secure FTP server.

• Verify the connection port. SFTP usually occurs over port 22.
• Try toggling the compression options in the SSH2 Security page.
• Verify the authentication mechanism supported and required by the server. It may require password, public key (identity file), or both.
• If public key authentication is required, be sure to provide a copy of the public key you created to the server’s administrator, as it must be in the server’s trusted list in order to connect.
• If the server administrator creates a public key for you, be sure to replace your existing one with it and select the provided key from within the SSH2 Security page.
• Copy the connection log to a text file or e-mail to assist in troubleshooting when contacting your FTP or Web service provider or the GlobalSCAPE support team.

Public key authentication

To use public key authentication, you must send your public key to the server administrator before making an SSH2 connection. If the server is running OpenSSH, convert the public key as described below:

1. Create an identity file in the client.
2. Send the public key (Identity.pub) to the server administrator (via FTP, e-mail,etc.)
3. The server administrator must convert the public key to OpenSSH, check it with wordcount, and add it to authorized_keys.

Command sequence:

ssh-keygen -i -f Identity.pub > sshpub

wc sshpub

cat sshpub > ~\.ssh\authorized_keys

Note:

Wordcount should return "1" as the first number. OpenSSH is going to ask for the identity files password the first time you log in. If CuteFTP fails to connect, please contact our support team and provide the kernel version, OpenSSH build, and the CuteFTP Pro build number.

To view the CuteFTP Prol build number:

• From the CuteFTP menu, select Help > About CuteFTP.