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Can't Resolve Host Name

: 9 Years Ago

: CuteFTP

THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE APPLIES TO:

CuteFTP® Home (All Versions)
CuteFTP Pro® (All Versions)

SYMPTOMS

When attempting a connection with a remote FTP site, an error similar to one of the following examples is encountered:

ERROR:> Can't resolve "ftp.yourhost.com".

ERROR:> Cannot resolve host name.

CAUSE

This error is displayed if the FTP host address is invalid for some reason. Either the address does not exist or the FTP site is experiencing technical difficulties. It may also be attributed to not having an established Internet connection or more specifically, not having FTP access to the Internet over the required FTP ports.

RESOLUTION

There are several possible solutions.

Connect to the Internet before using CuteFTP.
Double-check the FTP Host Address. Your FTP Host Address is probably not the same address as your Web site address. It is also possible that the host address has changed for some reason. If the remote FTP site is related to your own domain or Web site then contact your Web hosting company for the correct address. Most Web hosting companies have instructions for FTP access available on their Web site. If the remote FTP site belongs to some other company then contact the technical support department at that company for help with your FTP account.
If you have the correct Host Address, then make sure you typed it in the proper format. For example, if you were provided an FTP Host Address in the format of ftp://ftp.yourhost.com, you should use only ftp.yourhost.com. Do not prefix or append any other characters (such as a slash or backslash) to the host address. (If you were instructed to connect to a specific directory on the remote server, add that directory name into the Default Remote Directory box when configuring this site in the Site Manager.)
Make sure you are not trying to connect to an HTTP (Web) server such as http://www.cuteftp.com. You cannot connect to a Web server at all with some older versions of CuteFTP and in most cases you will not want to.
Outgoing connections can be affected by the presence of firewall or antivirus software on the local computer or network connection. Either one can block the ports needed (20 and 21) to make a successful FTP connection to the remote server. For more information about firewalls, browse to Knowledge Base Article Q10133.
Try again later. The remote FTP site may be having technical difficulties. If so, then the problem is probably temporary and may clear up within a short period of time.

If you need to change the Host Address for a site that is already setup in the CuteFTP Site Manager, you can edit it easily. To make changes, first open the Site Manager (press F4) and then in CuteFTP Home, click once on the name of the site and then make the necessary changes on the right side of the screen. If you are using CuteFTP Pro, right-click on the name of the site and then click Properties and make the necessary changes.