Common FTP Connection Errors and How to Solve Them

FTP connection issues almost always trace back to one of a small set of specific, well-understood causes.

"Connection Refused" or Timeout

Double-check the hostname, port (usually 21, or a custom port if specified), and that you're not behind a network firewall blocking outbound FTP traffic.

"Login Authentication Failed"

This almost always means an incorrect username or password. Copy-paste credentials directly from your welcome email or Plesk rather than retyping them to avoid typos.

Connects But Can't List Files

This is often a passive vs active FTP mode mismatch. Most modern FTP clients default to passive mode, which works better with most firewalls — check this setting if browsing fails after a successful login.

Uploads Fail Partway Through

This can indicate a disk space limit reached, an unstable network connection, or a file size exceeding a server-side limit — check your account's storage usage first.

Consider SFTP Instead

SFTP (FTP over SSH) is more secure and, on some networks, more reliable than standard FTP, since it uses a single encrypted connection rather than FTP's separate command and data channels.

Still Not Connecting?

Try an alternative like the Plesk file manager to rule out whether the issue is specific to your FTP client or a broader account access problem.

Further Reading

• Contact Support
• Browse the Knowledge Base
• MDN HTTP Status Codes Reference