FTP Password Length limit?

[chrisgrainger]

Hi Boris,

Last week, I changed the FTP password associated with the meteobridge FTP of data from my station to my website. Yesterday, I noticed the files affected were not being uploaded since the password change. I went for a very complicated, 12 character psssword including several special characters. It seems that does not work in Meteobridge. Even though the password field allows the 12 characters to be entered, and Meteobridge reports that the Test-Upload file has been transferred successfully, none of the files are actually uploaded. Also, the live data page does not indicate any problem with FTP showing a green check mark.

After much head scratching, I changed the password to one with 9 characters, and only one special character. This works. So, what is the limit on the password field? And shouldn't the password field in indicate what this limit is? If it isn't a limit on number of characters, are there some special characters that are not allowed in the FTP password field?

Cheers!

Chris

[wvdkuil]

On most automated upload systems the FTP commands are stored as ftp:// user : password @ host : port / path /
I added the spaces for clarity. You should therefor not use the special characters which are used to seperate the parts @ : /
On windows servers a | character should als be avoided.

Wim

[chrisgrainger]

Hi Wim,

Thanks for the information. I am aware of how user/pass/host/path strings are stored on automated systems. The password in question had none of the special characters you mention in it, but I had not checked that prior to your suggestion. Special characters contained in the password that Meteobridge had trouble with were + . _ ' and ^

Questions still remain...

1. Is there a limit on the length of password Meteobridge stores?
2. Are there other forbidden or limited special characters allowed?
3. Is there a bug in the way Meteobridge reports success of FTP transfers in this particular circumstance?

I would say yes to the 3rd.

Cheers!

Chris

[chrisgrainger]

Bump...

[admin]

I don't think you touched a limit in length. One of your special characters might be poisoned. Can you please post a scrambled version of the password you did initially try? Having that I can try to debug, where this does go wrong.

[chrisgrainger]

Hi Boris,

Sorry for the length of time between replies, but I've not been online for a couple of weeks. To your question, sorry, but I can't post the password because I changed it to a simpler one when I noticed the problem. I have searched through my notes, but can't find the password that I used. All I can say is that it was 12 characters long and contained the following special characters

+ plus sign
. period
_ underscore
' single quote
^ carat

My host is using an Apache server so I'm assuming a flavour of Unix.

As I said, I've changed the password so all is well in terms of my site being updated correctly, but it definitely was not working with that longer password containing the characters noted. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Cheers!

Chris

[admin]

Single quote might have been the trouble maker.