Can an FTP server do this?

chrisgeary

chrisgeary

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An anonymous FTP server to serve as a blind drop-box BUT to help clients resume uploads, it only will permit the list right to the same IP address that uploaded the file.

So in effect, an FTP server configured with list rights to files uploaded per IP address. Customer A sees only files they uploaded, Customer B sees only the files that they uploaded but both customers login anonymously.

Anyone know if an FTP server product out there can do that?
 
Not that I am aware of.

Also - if the client does not have a static IP (which most home users don't) how can you know which IP they are coming from?
 
If it's corporate users then use separate accounts. IP restrictions can be added for an extra layer of security if required.

You could look at an upload service. but they cost and I suspect they still won't give you what you're after.
 
Don't think it's possible I'm afraid, removing LIST and READ permissions pretty much destroys the FTP clients ability to resume transfers.

There are a whole load of other issue with not allowing users to see the contents of the directory as well. What if user 1 uploads mypic.jpg, then an hour later user 2 uploads his version of mypic.jpg?
 
How about giving each client a different IP address for the FTP server... I'm not even sure thats possible, but maybe worth investigating
 
-RV- said:
How about giving each client a different IP address for the FTP server... I'm not even sure thats possible, but maybe worth investigating
Click to expand...

I've just thought about it again, and would probably be easier to give them a different "virtual folder" or account.
 
-RV- said:
How about giving each client a different IP address for the FTP server... I'm not even sure thats possible, but maybe worth investigating
Click to expand...

You can only give out as many different IP addresses as the server running the FTP service is capable of listening on and only those IP addresses.

Generally a typical server will listen on one or two, you can't just go claiming huge swathes of routeable IPv4 space for yourself. For one thing you wont have routeing for them so you wont get the traffic.
 
yes it would be, especially for thousands of customers :D

I'm trying to figure out a way to be able to provide a secure and easy FTP upload facility that allows customers resume option (uploads can be many gig) without exposing each others files. Customers like privacy. Obviously this has to scale. FTP may be the wrong choice in the long run, but for multigig files, it seems the only choice at the moment.

We may look at tieing it into our support system and having them login with a userID, which could solve all problems.
 
yeah thats fair enough..

we run a windows IIS ftp server with virtual ftp folders pointing to physical folders with restricted AD access to just their specific logon. but i honestly couldnt tell you if that supports resumable uploads..
 
I have no idea how it works but some of the stock libraries I upload to allow this - each submitter has an individual username and password and can upload only to their own area, we cannot actually see them uploaded until they hit our file area - ie we cannot see them on the server as we ftp them, have to look at them from within the site itself - hope that makes sense
 
further to my last post..... oh and make the default folder for the FTP site (not the virtual folders) a blank "deadend" so that they cannot end up with a directory listing of all virtual folders on the site (not that they could access them, but its a bit more privacy).
 
chrisgeary said:
I'm trying to figure out a way to be able to provide a secure and easy FTP upload facility that allows customers resume option (uploads can be many gig) without exposing each others files. Customers like privacy. Obviously this has to scale. FTP may be the wrong choice in the long run, but for multigig files, it seems the only choice at the moment.
Click to expand...

You can use FTP but it would have to be non-anonymous. However with multi-gig uploads writing it out to a tape or DVD or CF card and posting special delivery might well be faster.

A normal ADSL connection will probably upload about 1GByte every 6 hours or so going flat out, if I haven't missed an order of magnitute working that out in my head. Anything more than a couple of GB many people might as well post to you.
 
chrisgeary said:
yes it would be, especially for thousands of customers :D

I'm trying to figure out a way to be able to provide a secure and easy FTP upload facility that allows customers resume option
Click to expand...

And your still looking at FTP? Anon access at that? FTP is one of the most unsecure protocals used on the web. Any reason why you don't want to use SFTP?
 
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