Actinic cannot ftp (V9.02 business plus)

[calmncomfy]

On Friday our broadband & hosting provider had a catalogue of problems problems with broadband connectivity email etc. After they had fixed I was suddenly unable to ftp my web server with my website software (Actinic Business Plus 9.02). The website is still accepting orders, sending out customer email order confirmations, but we are not receiving the company email notifications of orders that we normally get. We cannot upload updates or download orders to/from the server by using Actinic.

I can manually FTP connect to the site using a different ftp client application. However, this will not allow me to access order information or update the site.

We have no other problems with broadband and are sending or receiving all other emails OK. None of our Actinic network connection settings have been changed, Everything was fine before the Fasthosts broadband connectivity problems on Friday.

I attempted to test the network settings of Actinic and got the error message: "Unable to connect to the FTP server "ftp server address". The computer is disconnected from the network"

When trying to download orders I got the error message:
"The system cannot find the file specified"

When trying to upload the site It runs until it reached the collecting files stage then returns the error message: "Unable to connect to the FTP server "ftp server address". The computer is disconnected from the network"

In an attempt to fix the problem I have run an ODBC repair to Actinic but still had the same problem. I tried connecting using our previous version of Actinic(V7) and experienced exactly the same errors.

I have a netgear modem/router which I have not changed the settings on.

I need to fix urgently. Does anyone know what the potential causes are & how to test for them or fix them?

[Duncan Rounding]

Your ISP or host has obviously changed something or you PC firewall is blocking Actinic.
Export your network settings and check the settings against how you can manually connect.
Turn off your firewall to make sure that is not causing the problem.

[Darren B]

Sounds to me as though someone has blocked actinic on your pc firewall. If you can still browse the internet and send and recieve emails there is little wrong with your connection.

What software are you using, zone alarm norton e.t.c

[calmncomfy]

I uninstalled the PC firewall software some time ago after it caused other untold problems with actinic. So it can't be that.

When I tried to export the network settings it asked me where I wanted to save it but said to save as all files. Is there a particular file extension I should Give it?

[Darren B]

extension of txt is all your require.

Windows also has a firewall and it could be blocked in this, it is unlikely to be a port as you say you already use an ftp program and this works

[calmncomfy]

The windows firewall has also been disabled.

When I exported the network settings for checking against manual ftp, the ports are the same. ftp host, Username/password matches too.

[Duncan Rounding]

Do you have another computer to try Actinic on?

If an FTP client works yet Actinic doesn't then it sounds like a pc issue.

That leaves the Actinic program itself (very unlikely as it was working fine before) or a security issue which is certainly the most likely.

Are you running Vista? Have any MS updates been installed since the ISP connection came back?

[RuralWeb]

there have been some recent vista updates that have been causing problems. There have been other fasthost issues similar to this recently so have a look at those threads

[calmncomfy]

We have XP on the PC.
Not aware of any MS updates.
We'll try another PC & see what happens.

[calmncomfy]

Wow

I just opened up IE6 instead of Firefox (my default web browser) & then tried again. It worked.

Don't know whether it was Firefox casing a problem or whether Fasthosts have fixed the problem at their end as I've been emailing them about it all weekend. I've not had much feedback et that end though.

Thanks for all your suggestions. but the problem is gone as mysteriously as it started.

[Duncan Rounding]

Although Actinic uses IE for the previewing you can still have a different browser as your default browser without affecting Actinic.

I reckon it was Fasthosts.

Anyway glad your sorted.

[calmncomfy]

The problem is half back again.

I can download orders but cannot upload the site.

Fasthosts came back to me earlier today to say they had tested the FTP & it worked so it must be an Actinic thing.

I then sent them an an email to say it couldn't be the Actinic settings because of the sometimes it will/sometimes it won't scenario & asked them if they were sure it wasn't problems at their server or a security issue.

They never got back & shortly after the problem started again.

Is it fair to say that it cannot be Actinic causing the problem?

[leehack]

Do yourself a favour and move off fasthosts, they simply do not work with Actinic. How many more times do we have to see the same old problems on their hosting when using actinic, before people stop using them.

[RuralWeb]

LEAVE FASTHOSTS NOW

[TraceyHand]

LOL Mal

couldn't quite make out what you were trying to say there...could you clarify?