WinSCP: The server rejected SFTP connection, but it listens for FTP [closed]

Question

I am using the WinSCP in order to download files using FTP protocol.

I got this error in the XML log. Any idea?

Network error: Connection to "example.com" refused. The server rejected SFTP connection, but it listens for FTP connections.

Did you want to use FTP protocol instead of SFTP? Prefer using encryption.

Answer 1

WinSCP uses SFTP protocol by default, contrary to most other file transfer clients, which use FTP protocol.

For this reason, when you try to connect using the default SFTP protocol to a server that does not have an SSH/SFTP service (does not have a port 22 open), but it has an FTP service (a port 21 open), it suggests you that you might have actually wanted to use the FTP.

You need to select the FTP protocol explicitly on Login dialog:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/ui_login

For more details:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/message_server_rejected_sftp_listens_for_ftp

Answer 2

Even if all these protocols have similar names they are different:

• FTP - file transfer protocol RFC959
• SFTP - "secure file transfer", which is file transfer over a SSH connection
• SCP - "secure copy", also file transfer over SSH
• FTPS - "FTP secure", an extension of the original FTP with use of SSL (not SSH) connections

So SFTP and SCP need an SSH server at the peer, while FTP/FTPS need an FTP(s) server.

WinSCP can probably all of these, but it can only do FTPS if the FTP server has the SSL extension enabled. So if you want to do FTPS (and not SFTP) please check your servers configuration.