Timeout on "Retrieving directory listing..."

[Stryp]

I am trying to connect to my webhosting's FTP server, which has been working normally for 3 years, ever since I started using their hosting.

The past previous days though, something has happened and now I do not receive any directory listings after successfully logging into the FTP server.

Code: Select all

Status:	Resolving address of [webhostingserver]
Status:	Connecting to [webhostingserver]:21...
Status:	Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Status:	Initializing TLS...
Status:	TLS connection established.
Status:	Logged in
Status:	Retrieving directory listing...
Command:	PWD
Response:	257 "/" is your current location
Command:	TYPE I
Response:	200 TYPE is now 8-bit binary
Command:	PASV
Response:	227 Entering Passive Mode ([webhostingserver],137,208)
Command:	MLSD
Error:	Connection timed out after 20 seconds of inactivity
Error:	Failed to retrieve directory listing

At first, I thought it is the server, but no, as https://ftptest.net/ can log in with the same details and gets the directory list as well. Then I thought it was my computer, so I disabled my antivirus, firewall, added an exception for Filezilla (all ports, all protocols, all network types private and public, everything tested). Then, I thought it must be my router, so I first enabled additional ports, then put my home computer's local IP address into the DMZ feature, so now all ports are open. Still nothing. I tested passive and active modes, pre-set ports and system given ports, I added another external IP address provider instead of the default, and I also tested my connection with the FileZilla configuration wizard. Both active and passive modes yield a successful result:

Code: Select all

Connecting to probe.filezilla-project.org
Connection established, waiting for welcome message.
Response: 220 FZ router and firewall tester ready
USER FileZilla
Response: 331 Give any password.
PASS 3.66.5
Response: 230 logged on.
Checking for correct external IP address
Retrieving external IP address from http://myip.wtf/text
Checking for correct external IP address
IP [my ip]
Response: 200 OK
PREP 53401
Response: 200 Using port 53401, data token [numbers]
PORT [my ip],208,153
Response: 200 PORT command successful
LIST
Response: 150 opening data connection
Response: 200 Successful
QUIT
Response: 200 goodbye!
Connection closed
Test finished successfully

So I literally eliminated every part of the connection, yet something is still wrong because I get no directory listing. I am slowly starting to lose my mind, so I am open to any and all ideas.

[Stryp]

Okay, I have figured the problem out.

The online testing tool COULD connect to my FTP server, but it was connecting to it using IPv6. When I specified an IPv4 address, it stopped working at just the same step as mine. Therefore I knew that I had to get IPv6 working somehow. (Why it is not working on IPv4, I still don't know.) My computer was somehow in a faulty state, even though IPv6 was enabled in Adapter Options for the Ethernet property I am using, there was a registry key that was set incorrectly. I found this article on Huawei.com:
https://support.huawei.com/enterprise/e ... on-windows

In it, the following part helped me:

On the cmd, run the regedit command and find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters. Set DisabledComponents to 0.
Restart the PC.

I did this, restarted the PC, and I started getting IPv6 addresses in ipconfig when checking in the command prompt. Before, online IPv6 testers also gave me a score of 0 or 1 out of 10 for IPv6 connectivity, while after the restart, I now get 10/10.

And now, my FTP server also works again! Granted, through IPv6, but that does not matter right now. If anyone has this extremely niche case, I hope this can help.