THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE APPLIES TO:

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

SYMPTOMS

During an FTP session, the following error is encountered:

ERROR:>  Can't connect to remote server. Socket error = #10060.

CAUSE & RESOLUTION

A socket error 10060 is a connection time-out error that occurs if CuteFTP does not receive a response from the remote FTP server after a command is sent.  It occurs after an FTP session is established but usually before any data is received from the remote FTP server.  This can be caused by a blocked port, an incorrect setting for the data connection type or in some cases by an unusually large file list.

1. If you first encountered this error either when first establishing the connection or when starting a file transfer, then it may be necessary to change the data connection type.  CuteFTP uses passive (PASV) mode by default but for this remote server you may need to use active (PORT) mode instead.
• To make the switch from PASV mode to PORT mode in CuteFTP Home, open the Site Manager and click once on the the name of the problem site on the left side of the window.  On the Type tab change the Data Connection Type to Use Port. 
• If you are using CuteFTP Pro, in the Site Manager, right-click on the name of the problem site and click Site Properties.  On the Type tab, change the Data Connection Type to Use Port.
• Note:  If changing the data connection type has no effect then you should return this setting to the default of Use global settings.
2. If the error occurs after the initial FTP connection has been established (successful authentication on the remote FTP server) but before any data has been received from the remote FTP server, then the needed data socket (port or channel) is being blocked by your firewall.  (Note that in this case, you would not be able to connect with any FTP sites at all.)
3. Configure your firewall so that the FTP protocol is allowed.  At the very least, FTP traffic needs to be allowed on ports 20 and 21.  It may also be necessary to grant specific permission for CuteFTP to access those ports.  If so, then you may need to add cuteftp.exe (or cuteftppro.exe) and ftpte.exe to an exception list maintained in your firewall program.
  If you need help configuring your personal firewall please consult the firewall program's help file or the technical support area of the manufacturer's Web site.  For more information about firewall configuration and some helpful links to manufacturer Web sites, please browse to GlobalSCAPE Knowledgebase Article 10133.
4. If the initial FTP connection has already been established and the firewall has been configured correctly (Can you connect to other FTP sites?), and the error occurs after the LIST command is sent to the remote FTP server, then the remote FTP server may be trying to send a file listing for a directory containing an unusually large number of files (many thousands of files).  That can cause CuteFTP to time out while waiting for the list.  The default transfer timeout setting in CuteFTP 8 is 60 seconds.  Follow these steps to increase the transfer timeout setting:
• On the Tools menu, click Global Options and then click Transfer.
• In the Resume area, increase the value for the number of seconds that CuteFTP will wait before it will automatically reconnect and resume.  For a very large list of files on a slow connection, it may be necessary to increase it to 120 seconds or more.
• Note:  The above situation is rarely encountered.  CuteFTP will connect and display the directory and file list for almost all FTP sites well before the default 60-second timeout occurs.