CuteFTP error "connection failed due to an error or timeout"

THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE APPLIES TO:

• CuteFTP® (all versions)

SYMPTOM

The following error message occurs when trying to establish a connection in CuteFTP:

ERROR:> The connection failed due to an error or timeout.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

There are a few possible causes for this error:

1. The host address was mistyped, is not valid, or has changed.

2. Your firewall or antivirus software is blocking outbound/inbound connections to/from CuteFTP.

3. The FTP Server is temporarily down.

RESOLUTION for #1

Here some examples of valid FTP host addresses:

• yourdomain.com (Your own .com, .net, .org, etc domain)

• ftp.yourdomain.com

• yourwebsite.net

• yourwebsite.org

• Number IP address format: 68.68.208.68

If you are not sure what the host address is, contact the FTP Server administrator / Web hosting provider to verify that you are typing in the correct host address.

RESOLUTION for #2

Verify that your firewall/antivirus software or hardware is not at fault by disabling it completely. If you are able to connect to the FTP Server after you have disabled your firewall, you will need to configure it to allow traffic from CuteFTP (add CuteFTP as an exception) in order to prevent having to disable your firewall each time you use CuteFTP. You must add BOTH cuteftp(pro).exe and ftpte.exe to the list of exceptions in your firewall software. Contact the software’s manufacturer if you need assistance with adding exceptions.

RESOLUTION for #3

Contact the Server administrator / Web Hosting provider to check the status on the FTP Server. It could be possibly undergoing maintenance or experiencing problems. If you are using CuteFTP to upload/download files for your website, contact the company that you pay to setup/configure your website (this is your Web hosting Provider)