Accessing FTP As Explorer Location

[PCHomepage]

I am suddenly experiencing an odd problem and am not sure if this is the proper forum to use. On an FTP site that I host myself and for my own use when traveling, I can generally access it by using an icon in Windows Explorer but accessing the site this way is not working here. However, I can still access it easily via the browser. I've gone through all the router settings on this end and the problem seems confined to my current location as I can access it easily from other places I visit, but not this one. Any ideas?

 

[rclarke250]

nope, because you have told us nothing to go on. Are you using the same hardware at all locations, how are you accessing the internet, is this on a laptop that goes to the locations with you? or is it different hardware, at each location. You indicate router settings, what router? and what settings? what about firewall settings at the location it isn't working? Are you going through a wireless access point or is this wired? If wired is it an unmanaged or managed switch?

 

[SamBones]

You're probably going through a proxy server from that location. The browser can pick up the proxy information when your PC gets its network config via DHCP, but your "icon in Windows Explorer" is probably just referring to the FTP site and has no knowledge of the proxy. It's expecting direct, unassisted access to the FTP server, which it doesn't have because of the proxy server.

At least that's my guess from what you've written.

 

[PCHomepage]

Sounds like a good guess and, while I am not a stranger to networks, I am unsure what to do about it. To answer some of rclarke250's questions, it is a laptop using WiFi which is a constant wherever I am but the routers are all different. In this case, the router was supplied by the ISP and is an Encore Electronics ENHWI-2AN3. A wired PC on the same network prompts for the login name and password (the laptop does not) but still fails to log in. Oddly, when using an FTP app on an iPad, I can log into the server without any problem but not on the laptop.

 

[SamBones]

You're being a little vague about the login name and password prompt. Is that at system startup to log into Windows? That could make it something like an Active Directory domain login. If it's when the browser connects to anything, then there could be password authentication on the proxy to control who can reach what on the Internet.

One solution I found for unpredictable Internet connections at different sites is a Verizon Wireless 4G Wifi Hotspot on my phone. It's with me all the time. I just fire it up and connect from my laptop. It's very fast and there are no limitations on what I can reach. I have a little cable that connects my laptop USB to the phone's charging port so it gets power from the laptop. Never a problem with a phone battery dying that way.

Sorry for sounding like a Verizon ad, but hey, it really works well for me.

 

[PCHomepage]

Thank you and sorry, I didn't mean to be vague. It appears to be the login prompt from the FTP server so it seems that the PC is actually reaching it while the laptop does not get the login prompts.