Fetch Softworks

What if I want to enable my OSX firewall? (5 posts)

• Started 19 years ago by geckorem
• Latest reply 18 years ago from geckorem

• geckorem Member

  It seems I have to disable my personal firewall for Fetch to work on my laptop.

  If I want to enable my OSX (10.3.9) firewall, can I specify what ports to leave open for Fetch to use?

  Posted 19 years ago #

• Jim Matthews Administrator

  The short answer is no. If you are using passive mode (i.e. you've checked "Use passive mode transfers (PASV)" in the General section of Fetch Preferences), you don't have to disable your firewall. But if you are using active mode you have to disable your firewall because the data connection could be made to any port between 1024 and 65535.

  Thanks,

  Jim Matthews
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 18 years ago #

• geckorem Member

  With the firewall active, I've tried connecting with PASV on and off, also with PASV on and off in the Network settings in X prefs. (I think you said somewhere that the X prefs PASV doesn't matter, because Fetch will enable/disable PASV according to its prefs, but I tried, anyway) When I use any combo of those settings, it fails to return a file list. The dog just keeps running. If I ditch the firewall in X, it connects just fine. I'm so confused. . .

  Posted 18 years ago #

• Jim Matthews Administrator

  It is confusing. The simple version is that either you or the server has to do without a firewall; you can't both have one blocking inbound connections. It sounds like your server does not support passive mode, probably because they have a firewall on their end. When that's the case you have to use active mode, and you can't have a firewall blocking inbound connections.

  A computer behind a firewall is like a phone that can place outgoing phone calls but can't accept incoming calls. Two phones like that will never talk to each other -- one of them as to be able to accept an incoming call.

  I hope this helps,

  Jim Matthews
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 18 years ago #

• geckorem Member

  Thanks, Jim. That makes sense. The FTP server happens to be a G4 running PureFTPd Manager, and I have its firewall turned on. Just for grins, I downloaded a competitor's FTP utility to a public iMac last night and attempted to connect to the FTP site. Had to have it in active mode, too. You've been very helpful!

  Posted 18 years ago #