FTP errors are difficult to decode especially when it show strange error codes.

One such error in SFTP is “connection error 10060” .

At Bobcares, we help website owners resolve such strange FTP errors as part of our Server Management Services.

Today, we’ll discuss the top 5 reasons for this error and how we fix them.

“Connection error 10060” in SFTP – A Short Description

SFTP “Connection error 10060” means that the connection attempt failed because the remote server didn’t properly respond after a period of time. Or, it can happen when the established FTP session timeout before any data being received from the remote server.

And, website owners usually see this error.

STATUS:> Connecting ftp data socket xx.xx.xx.xx:xx.
ERROR:> Can't connect to remote server. Socket error = #10060.
ERROR:> Failed to establish data socket.

“Connection error 10060” in SFTP – Why & How to fix?

Inorder to fix this error, our Support Engineers identify the cause of the issue by checking and ruling out each possibility.

1) Wrong FTP host and port

This error can occur when the remote FTP server wasn’t found with the given hostname/IP address and the SFTP port in the connection details.

For example in Filezilla, website owners must provide the hostname as sftp.domain.com to securely connect via SFTP. However, we’ve seen instances where users forget to specify sftp in front of the FTP host.

Similarly, the default FTP port is 21, while the SFTP port is 22. We’ve seen instances where users use SFTP connection but fail to provide the correct SFTP port in the FTP client configuration.

So, a typo in the FTP hostname or wrong FTP port can lead to this error.

Solution

Firstly, our Support Experts check the DNS connectivity of the FTP host using the dig command.

dig domain.com

Further, we check the connectivity to the SFTP port using the telnet command.

telnet domain.com 22

After that, we double check the FTP hostname/IP address and the SFTP port are correct in the FTP client configuration.

2) Local firewall/Antivirus restrictions

If the FTP connection has been established, but this error occurs prior to the data transmission from remote server, the reason may be that your local firewall/antivirus blocks the connection.

In other words, we’ve seen cases where third party firewall or antivirus on the user’s PC blocks the connection from your FTP application. Similarly, firewall can sometimes blocks the FTP port and protocol which leads to this error.

Solution

Firstly, our Support Engineers check the network connectivity between the client and the FTP server using the ping command.

ping domain.com

In addition to that, we ask customers to temporarily disable antivirus software and firewall(Windows firewall, third party firewall, etc.). This helps us to identify which security application is causing problems.

Moreover, we suggest website owners to set up their firewall to allow SFTP traffic on port 22. If necessary, we help customers to add the FTP client to the exception list of their firewall.

3) ISP firewall issues

Another common reason for this error is ISP blocking traffic through the normal FTP/SFTP ports. Similarly, connectivity problems at the intermediate routers between the user end to remote server can also lead to this error.

Solution

In such cases, our Support Engineers get the traceroute or tcptraceroute results from the user’s PC to the remote server. This helps us to verify if all the routers in the connection path are working fine. In addition to that, we can identify problems with network connectivity between the FTP server and the user’s PC.

4) Data connection type

FTP transfer can happen in Active and Passive modes. And, most FTP clients are using Passive mode by default. However, some remote servers restrict FTP connection only through Active mode(PORT).

And, if users use Passive mode to connect to the remote server, they’ll receive the SFTP “connection error 10060“.

Solution

The solution depends on the FTP client used by the customer.

Our Support Specialists get the FTP client details from the customer and help them to navigate their FTP settings and enable Active mode.

For example in Filezilla, we enable Active mode from Edit > Settings > FTP > Transfer Mode.

5) Connection/Transfer Timeout settings

This usually happens when users try to retrieve a relatively large file from the remote server. In other words, the remote server is sending a large file. Meanwhile, the FTP client has reached its connection/transfer timeout limit.

As a result, users see the “connection error 10060” in SFTP.

Solution

In such cases, our Support Engineers help users to increase the connection timeout values in their FTP clients. For example in Filezilla, we modify the connection timeout values from Edit > Settings > Connection > Timeout.

In some cases, we completely disable the Timeout settings by making its value as zero.

[So, need an Expert to look into your FTP problem? Click here and get one our Support Specialists to fix it for you.]

Conclusion

In short, “connection error 10060” in SFTP can occur due to wrong FTP client settings, local firewall or antivirus restrictions, and more. Today, we’ve discussed the top 5 reasons for this error and how our Support Engineers fix them.