Why my clients are getting "Error: Failed to retrieve directory listing" when connecting to my FileZilla Server?

In most cases, if your clients are getting "Error: Failed to retrieve directory listing", the firewall setting on your server does not match the FileZilla Server port range for data connection.

For example, if the firewall on your server opens only port 21, your client can connect to your FileZilla Server with no problem, because the FileZilla Server is using port 21 to listen to control connections.

The client can continue to enter user name and password with no problem, because these commands use the same control connection.

But if the client tries to get the directory list, it may asks your FileZilla Server for a data connection in passive mode for receiving the directory list.

Your FileZilla Server will pick up an available port for example, 5050, and tells the client to make data connection on port 5050.

When the client gets the message and tries to request data connection on port 5050 of the server, the firewall stops the request before getting the FileZilla Server.

After some waiting time, the client displays the standard time out error like:

Error: Connection timed out
Error: Failed to retrieve directory listing

To fix the issue, you can:

• Change FileZilla Server setting to use 9001 to 9010 port range for data connections in passive mode.
• Change the firewall on the server side to open 9001 to 9010 ports for inbound UDP connections. This can be done with "Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Firewall > Advanced Settings" on Windows system.

⇒ FTP Over TLS on FileZilla Server

⇐ Restrict Passive Mode Ports on FileZilla Server

⇑ Managing FileZilla Server

⇑⇑ FTP - Frequently Asked Questions