FTP login failed

Why FTP login attempts fail and how to resolve credential or account issues.

Diagnose this automatically

Verify whether authentication is the actual failure point.

terminal

npx ftpmonitor check --protocol ftp --host ftp.example.com --port 21 --username user --password pass

Shareable output

terminal

npx ftpmonitor check --protocol ftp --host ftp.example.com --port 21 --username user --password pass --format slack --copy

FTP login failures occur when the server rejects the provided username and password.

Common causes

FTP 530 Login incorrect — How to fix FTP 530 errors: bad credentials, account restrictions, FTPS requirements, and permission issues.
FTP anonymous login disabled — Why FTP anonymous login fails and how to configure server access policies.
Authentication failed — Why FTP/SFTP authentication fails and how to correct credential, key, and account policy issues.
FTP passive mode firewall issues — Why FTP PASV fails behind firewalls/NAT and how to configure passive ports correctly.
ECONNREFUSED on port 21 — Why FTP port 21 returns connection refused, and how to isolate service-down vs firewall vs wrong host/port.
FTP connection refused — Why FTP servers refuse connections and how to diagnose port, service, and firewall issues.