ECONNREFUSED means FileZilla reached an address, but no service accepted the TCP connection on the port it tried. The fix is usually to correct the host, port, or protocol, start the server service, allow FileZilla through security software, or repair the second connection used by passive mode. Work through the checks below in order; each one rules out a different failure point without leaving your computer unprotected.
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What “ECONNREFUSED” means in FileZilla
A connection-refused response happens before any file transfer starts. The TCP connection reached the destination address, but the destination immediately rejected it because nothing was listening on that port, the requested service was unavailable, or a firewall actively refused the connection. It is therefore a network, port, protocol, server, or firewall problem—not a problem with the file you are trying to upload or download.
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The wording can appear while FileZilla is opening the initial control connection, or later when it tries to create a data connection for a directory listing or transfer. Those two situations point to different checks, so note when the refusal occurs.
Use this diagnostic order
| Check | What it rules out | Typical scope | Risk and effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host, port and protocol | A typo, mismatched service, or wrong custom port | FileZilla configuration | Low risk; a few minutes |
| Server listening state | An stopped FTP/SFTP service, missing site, or unavailable account | Server or hosting account | Requires server access or the host’s help desk |
| Local and server firewalls | A security rule rejecting the connection | Client and server | Testing is quick; permanent rules should be deliberate |
| Passive versus active mode | A refused second connection used for listings or transfers | Client, NAT and server port range | Usually low risk on the client; server changes need care |
| Network Configuration Wizard | Active-mode configuration problems | FileZilla active mode only | Low risk, but it is not a universal test |
| Connection limits | Too many simultaneous sessions | Hosting provider or server | Low risk; close sessions and wait |
| Hostname and network | A wrong DNS name or restricted Wi-Fi network | Addressing and local network | Low risk; verify and retry elsewhere |
1. Verify the host, port and protocol
Start with the values in FileZilla’s Site Manager, not with assumptions from an old bookmark or a different FTP client. The host must be the name or address supplied for this particular account. A single missing prefix or an old server name can send the connection to a machine that does not offer FTP or SFTP.
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FTP settings
Traditional FTP normally listens on port 21. In Site Manager, choose the FTP protocol and enter port 21 unless the server’s documentation specifies another port. If the service uses an encrypted FTP variant, use the exact protocol and logon settings supplied by the host; changing only the port does not change the protocol.
SFTP settings
SFTP is a different protocol that normally listens on port 22. If you change the port to 22, also select SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol in Site Manager. Selecting FTP while entering port 22 sends FTP traffic to an SSH service and will not establish a valid session. Conversely, selecting SFTP for an account that exposes only FTP on port 21 will fail.
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Some administrators move FTP or SFTP to a custom port. Do not guess the number: confirm it in the server or hosting documentation, then enter that port together with the matching protocol. A refusal on a custom port is meaningful only after you have confirmed that the service is intended to listen there.
Retest with one clean profile
- Open FileZilla and choose File > Site Manager.
- Select the affected site and check the host name, protocol and port as a group.
- Save the corrected values, reconnect once, and note whether the refusal occurs immediately or only when FileZilla starts listing a directory.
Changing several unrelated settings at once makes the result harder to interpret. Correct the address and service first, then move to firewall and transfer-mode checks only if the same error remains.
2. Confirm that the server is actually listening
A correctly formatted FileZilla profile cannot connect to a service that is stopped or absent. On a self-hosted machine, verify that the FTP or SFTP daemon is running and configured to listen on the address and port you entered. A service bound only to an internal interface will not accept connections arriving through the public address.
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Check the site and account
A refusal can also mean that the site, virtual host, or account no longer exists on the server. Confirm that the account is active, the hostname still points to the intended machine, and the server administrator has not disabled the protocol. If another administrator manages the server, provide the exact hostname, port, protocol, time of the attempt, and the full FileZilla error so they can check the listener and server logs.
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Both conditions can produce the same FileZilla message. If the service is stopped, starting the correct FTP/SFTP service resolves the issue without a client-side change. If the service is running but a firewall rejects the port, the listener will appear healthy locally while remote clients still receive a refusal. The server owner must check both the service status and firewall policy.
3. Check local firewall and antivirus rules
Desktop security software can prevent FileZilla from opening its control or data connections. This is especially relevant when a recent antivirus update, operating-system update, or new network profile changed application permissions.
Use a brief diagnostic test
- Keep FileZilla closed and record the current firewall and antivirus state.
- Temporarily pause the relevant network protection for a single connection attempt, only if your security product provides a controlled pause.
- Reconnect in FileZilla.
- Immediately restore protection after the test.
If the connection works only while protection is paused, the test identifies a security rule as the cause; it does not make disabling protection a solution.
Create an exception instead of leaving protection off
Add FileZilla to the firewall or antivirus application allow-list, and permit the specific outbound connections required by the server. Then re-enable all protection and test again. Keep the exception limited to the trusted FileZilla installation and network profile where your security product allows that level of control. If the rule is managed by an organization, ask the administrator to approve it rather than changing policy yourself.
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Remember the server-side firewall
A local allow-list cannot fix a server firewall that rejects port 21, port 22, or a custom port. The server administrator must allow the control port and, for passive FTP, the configured passive data-port range. Treat a refusal that persists from multiple networks as evidence to investigate the server firewall.
4. Test passive and active FTP mode
FTP uses a control connection plus a separate data connection for directory listings, uploads and downloads. A session can therefore authenticate successfully and still show ECONNREFUSED when FileZilla opens the second connection. This pattern often indicates a passive-port, NAT, or firewall configuration problem rather than a bad password.
Why passive mode is usually the right choice
In passive mode, the server supplies a data port and the client makes the outgoing connection. That model generally works better when the client is behind a home router, carrier NAT, or a restrictive firewall. In active mode, the server must connect back to the client, which is more difficult when the client’s private address is not reachable from the internet.
Switch the mode in FileZilla
- Open Edit > Settings.
- Select Connection > FTP.
- Choose the other transfer mode, apply the setting, and reconnect.
Use one mode at a time and repeat the same directory-listing or transfer operation. If passive mode succeeds while active mode fails, leave passive mode selected unless the server administrator requires active mode.
Configure passive mode on a NAT server
The server needs a predictable passive range when incoming connections are not allowed on every port or when a NAT router sits in front of it. The FileZilla wiki recommends a specific range beginning at 50000 or higher, with about 50 ports in most cases. Open that range in the server firewall and forward it from the router to the FTP server. The client’s firewall must allow outgoing connections to all ports needed for passive mode.
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For a NAT setup, the passive-mode address advertised by the server must be the public IP address, not the server’s private internal address. Advertising an internal address can make the control connection work while every data connection fails.
See the official configuration overview for the network-side requirements: FileZilla Network Configuration.
What the symptom tells you
- Refusal immediately on connect: recheck host, protocol, control port, listener and firewall before changing transfer mode.
- Login succeeds but a directory listing is refused: investigate passive/active mode, the passive range, NAT address and server firewall.
- Listings work but a transfer is refused: check whether the transfer opens a data port outside the allowed range or whether a security rule treats upload and download connections differently.
5. Use the Network Configuration Wizard with the right expectation
FileZilla’s Network Configuration Wizard can configure and test active mode. Community guidance indicates that the wizard does not test passive mode. A wizard failure therefore does not prove that passive mode is broken, and a wizard success does not validate a server’s passive port range.
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- Run the wizard only when you are diagnosing active-mode connectivity.
- Follow its test result for the active connection.
- If your normal profile uses passive mode, test that mode separately from the Site Manager connection.
Do not keep rerunning the wizard as a general-purpose fix for an initial port-21 or port-22 refusal; first verify the service and protocol.
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Some hosting environments limit the number of simultaneous FTP sessions. Repeated retries, multiple open FileZilla windows, scheduled jobs, or another FTP client can consume the allowance. The server may refuse new connections until existing sessions close or time out.
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- Close other FTP/SFTP clients and duplicate FileZilla connections.
- Stop automatic retries or queued transfers temporarily.
- Wait for abandoned sessions to expire, then try one new connection.
- If the refusal continues, ask the host or server administrator whether an account or IP connection limit is active.
This is a server-side limit, so changing FileZilla’s passive or active setting will not raise it. Once access returns, keep only the number of simultaneous connections your host permits.
7. Recheck the hostname and the network you are using
Verify the exact hostname
A wrong hostname can resolve to a real machine that does not run your service, producing a refusal that looks like a port problem. Confirm every character with the host’s documentation. In one common configuration error, the required ftp. prefix is omitted. Do not add or remove prefixes unless the service documentation specifies them.
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Guest wireless networks, workplace networks and other restricted connections may block FTP or SSH ports. If permitted, test from your main private network or another trusted connection. A successful connection elsewhere points to a network policy rather than a FileZilla profile. Ask the network administrator whether outbound port 21, port 22, or your custom port is filtered; do not attempt to bypass an organization’s controls.
A practical recovery workflow
Use the following sequence when you need a fast, evidence-based decision rather than random setting changes:
- Capture the symptom: note whether refusal occurs before login or during a listing/transfer.
- Validate one Site Manager profile: confirm hostname, protocol and port together; use FTP/21 or SFTP/22 only when those are the services the server provides.
- Confirm the listener: have the server administrator verify the service, account and control-port binding.
- Check security rules: test briefly, restore protection, and create an allow-list exception if it is the cause.
- Repair data connections: use passive mode behind NAT, then verify the server’s passive range, public address and firewall.
- Run the wizard only for active mode: do not use its result to judge passive mode.
- Remove external causes: close extra sessions, wait for limits to clear, verify the hostname and test a permitted network.
When to contact the server or network administrator
Escalate after the profile is correct and the same refusal occurs from more than one trusted network. Include:
- the exact hostname, port and protocol selected;
- whether the refusal is immediate or appears during a directory listing or transfer;
- the date and time of the attempt;
- whether another network produced the same result;
- the full FileZilla status message, without sharing passwords or private keys.
Ask the administrator to verify that the FTP/SFTP service is listening, the account exists, the control port and passive range are allowed, the NAT advertisement uses the public address, and no connection limit or IP block is active.
Fixes compared by where they act
| Fix | Use it when | Who changes it | Important caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correct port or protocol | The Site Manager values do not match the service | FileZilla user | Port 22 requires the SFTP protocol; a port change alone is not enough |
| Start or restore the service | No FTP/SFTP listener exists on the destination | Server administrator | Confirm the intended address and account before exposing a service |
| Allow FileZilla | Local security software blocks the application | FileZilla user or security administrator | Use an exception; do not leave antivirus or firewall protection disabled |
| Use passive mode and a defined range | Listings or transfers fail behind NAT | Both client and server administrators | Open and forward the same range, and advertise the public IP |
| Close extra sessions | The account has reached a simultaneous-connection limit | FileZilla user; host if persistent | Retries can prolong the limit while old sessions remain alive |
| Change networks | A guest or managed network filters the port | Network administrator | Use only a network you are authorized to access |
Preventing another refusal
- Keep a current Site Manager entry with the documented hostname, protocol and port.
- Record whether the account is intended to use passive or active mode.
- For self-hosted FTP, document the passive range, firewall rules, router forwarding and public address.
- Limit simultaneous connections to the host’s stated allowance.
- Keep FileZilla and security software updated, and review application exceptions after major updates.
- When a host changes ports or migrates a server, update the protocol and port together rather than editing only one field.
Bottom line
ECONNREFUSED in FileZilla is a rejected TCP connection, not a failed file operation. First make the hostname, port and protocol agree—FTP commonly uses 21 and SFTP commonly uses 22. Then verify that the server is listening, allow FileZilla through local security software, and investigate passive-mode data ports when the error appears during listings or transfers. The Network Configuration Wizard applies to active mode only. If those checks pass, look for host connection limits, a wrong hostname, or a restricted network.
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