🚀 go-pugleaf

"David Ayre" <davidcayre@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:44bd1d4a$1@newsgroups.borland.com...

> Why is it that ftp requires so much info, such as
> username and password

Because that is the way the protocol is designed.  HTTP also has
username/password support, but it is not used as much since HTTP is mostly
used for publically accessible files.

> and has difficulty getting through a firewall

FTP uses multiple socket connections.  Data is sent on a separate connection
than the one that is used for sending commands.  Every time a new transfer
is started, even for directory listings, a new socket connection has to be
established.

For active transfers, that requires extra configuration inside of routers,
and extra inbound ports to be opened in firewalls.  For passive transfers,
that requires extra outbound ports to be opened in firewalls.  Admins don't
like opening up ports unnecessarily.

You also need to keep in mind that FTP is one of the oldest Internet
protocols that is still commonly in use, long before firewalls and routers
became commonly used.  The protocol was never designed to handle those newer
scenerios very well.  There have been some standards proposals to add new
features to FTP, but they are just patching the underlying design flaw that
is FTP's weakness.

> while http seems to be able to go straight in?

HTTP does not suffer from any of the problems that FTP has.  HTTP does not
use multiple socket connections.  And it is commonly used over standardized
ports that routers know how to handle efficiently, and that are commonly
open on firewalls to allow web browsers to work on company networks without
needing extra configuration by admins.


Gambit