Topic: Ftp Question

[Ian]

How do I make my ftp.mydomain.com secure meaning only users with accounts can see the files and navigate anyone that does not log in sees nothing but a blank window.

[Ian]

also I would like to disable the guest account if it is not by defualt deactivated.

Can anyone answer my questions

[Ian]

You guys are not very helpful lately

[naI]

maybe you should use a real email address to be taken seriously

[Scott Smith]

[rant on]
Oh, please! The "using a real name and email address on the Internet makes you more legitimate" police. Anyone can make up a name and address on the net. Why does it matter if that identity is patently false or superficially believable?

I can be John Wilson at jrwilson@global.att.net if I want. It looks real and no one will give me any grief about, gladly accepting the lie simply because it is not blatantly false on the surface. However, I'll never receive any email if you send to that address. And I could be anyone IRL -- banker, doctor, programmer, hacker, thief, 9 year old kid, you name it.

And yet the no less illegitimate Ian at noone_AT_nowhere.com -- and it is perhaps even MORE legitimate because it is OBVIOUS and HONEST about its intent (ie, anonymity, and many people have rightful concerns about publishing their identity on the net, and others just want to be anonymous) -- is frowned upon and deemed somehow less deserving of being treated seriously? If I really had less than noble motives on a forum or newsgroup, I wouldn't use a glaringly false ID, I would use one that gave the illusion of reality. I'm sure most nefarious types have the sense to realize that.

So, are you seriously saying you would more willing to help the equally but surreptitiously false John Wilson at jrwilson@global.att.net than the directly false Ian at noone_AT_nowhere.com?

Sorry, but that makes no sense.
[rant off]

[Ian]

I completely agree with you and right now I am between ISP so I dont have a valid email adress to put except my work and they frown heavily on that.

[John Wilson]

I also agree. Especially when I have a e-smith server that I am trying to open FTP on it, I also do not have a valid email address.

[rant on]
Get real!
[rant off]

John Wilson

[Ian]

So can anyone answer this question

[Italo]

Hi Ian,

the way I understand your question you don't have to do anything, for e-smith is set by default the way you are actually asking. Meaning that any user with an account can log in and browse about in the ibays directories only. Anyone that gets in as an anonymous user sees nothing or an "/" empty directory. Hope I answered your question.

/Italo

BTW I really liked Scott's very articulated answer.

[Ian]

Ok then how do I set up so that it asks them to insert a user name and password when they are using a web browsewr to access my ftp site

[Italo]

Hi Ian,

the command would be:

ftp://ibayname:password@ftp.domainname

However, I would recommand you to read the "16.2. Accessing the i-bays" section and the previous one, on settings, of the user manual (assuming you are using SME 5.1.x) where you can find more detailed explanations on pros and cons of doing so.

greets
/Italo

[Ray Mitchell]

Ian
If I browse to url of ftp.mydomain.com I see no files because I have no files in the Primary web site ibay ie \server\Primary\files, so there is your answer of how to prevent users gaining access, don't put the files in your Primary web site folders.
I don't know how to password protect that site.

If you add another ibay and (using server manager/Information bays) set it to require password for Internet access ie Entire Internet (password required) then all users attempting to browse to that ibay (ie ibay@ftp.mydomain.com) will need to enter a password . Users do not enter their own user name and password but enter as the username the ibay name and enter the ibay password.

It might not be exactly what you want but it does work.

I do suggest you read the handbook thoroughly and experiment with the settings in server manager.

If you only want users with accounts to access the files securely then they should VPN into the sme server and then they will have access to everything they are entitled to, just like being connected to the server LAN.
From everything I read ftp is inherently insecure.

Regards
Ray Mitchell

[Ian]

I am not really worried about the security as much as I only want specific people to be able to download files from me.

[Ian]

I forgot to mention I am using 5.5

[John Wilson]

>I am not really worried about the security as much as I only want specific people
>to be able to download files from me.

I don't get it. Isn't that what security is about?