Anyone successfully using an FTP server hosted on a Netgear router for uploading clips from XF605?

[JLP]

Recently acquired an XF605 and have been busy wringing it out (and teaching myself to use it).  I have come across a rather intractable problem I hope someone here can help with. 

I'd like to be able to upload clips from the camera while I'm in the field to an FTP server at home so as to guarantee they'll get there even if I or the camera don't for some reason (not that I really anticipate that'll ever happen).  Anyway, I have a Netgear D7000 v1 router and a 50mb cable connection.  The router has the capability of hosting an FTP server and using USB storage with it.  I set the server up following Netgear's instructions and can use it both at home and away with my laptop so I know it works, but the camcorder refuses to connect to it no matter what I do, simply announcing "Unable to connect to FTP server."  I've tried using both active and passive mode and checked my username and password over and over.  It just won't connect.  And here's the funny thing:  There are FTP test servers online that the camcorder will connect to and in one case even even allowed an upload.  I also tried setting up an FTP server on my laptop and the camcorder connected to and uploaded to that. 

So I think I've got this narrowed down to an issue with either this particular router or maybe Netgear routers in general,  Don't think it's the camcorder since I've upgraded the firmware twice now since acquiring it.  I might mention that I've also upgraded the firmware on the router.

The only post I saw here involving anything similar was someone who had the same issue with an EOS camera and a Netgear router around four years ago.  Doesn't look like he or she ever solved it. 

Anyway, we're coming up on our annual tax-free weekend, which would be an opportune time for me to pick up a new router if my current one just won't do for this.  I'd like to stay with Netgear inasmuch as I signed up with their dynamic DNS provider to allow access over the internet without worrying about my IP address changing.  Is anyone else running into this issue with the same or another Netgear router, or with other brands?  Yes, I know that setting up something like a Raspberry Pi  as a server will solve this, but the router is already seven years old and it's likely time for me to move on. 

Any suggestions deeply appreciated.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

That's quite a combination. XF605 and and a 9 yr old D7000 v1.  Just to confirm it's not a R7000 v1?  Both models exist, I owned the latter in 2015.  Both are EoL and neither are receiving further development or updates.  I started using  Netgear devices about 18 yrs ago.  I don't use them any longer.  Primarily because their software development was outsourced.  Of late, their firmware is unreliable and development is poorly managed.  

Granted they make consumer grade products, but even for home use, they just aren't reliable.  It's unfortunate, because they have very good hardware, but when coupled with the firmware, it's not a recipe for success.  I used Linksys products too, for many years switching back and forth between brands until they were acquired by Cisco.  Both remain in the consumer/enthusiast hardware tier.  They are sort of all over the map.  No guarantee their products will deliver as they were marketed or promised.  Some features never get fully implemented and when they do, they often get broken on a subsequent FW release.  Their implementation of USB network attached storage, print server, VPN, FTP, parental controls, QoS, etc is largely unreliable.  

Attempting to connect your 605 to a FTP server being hosted on a router with 512mb flash memory and 1-2GB of RAM may not be feasible.  This has nothing to do with your bandwidth.  Also note that the security standards and protocols available when the router was released are not likely compatible with the more modern OS of your 605.  

One thing I'd like to point out.  Your router is the only thing between your home and the outside world.  Yours is almost 9 yrs old.  

If you plan to try this, I would recommend buying a new router.  It can be Netgear if you wish, but It should be something that is under current support.  It may cut down on your frustration level too.

[JLP]

Got an XF605 which I bought partially to take advantage of its networking features-particularly its ability to transfer clips over Wi-Fi to an FTP server.  Accordingly I set up the FTP server on my ancient Netgear D7000 router but haven't been able to connect the camera to it despite the server working with my laptop, indicating it's properly configured.  The camera also can connect and transfer files to a server I set up for testing on the laptop, as well as a test server on the internet for that purpose. 

The other network functions-streaming, browser remote, etc.-work OK so my first guess was that the router itself was at fault, and I thought I'd try not using its built-in server.  Consequently, I picked up a Raspberry Pi and set up an SFTP server on it that the laptop can connect to with no problem, but the camera still can't.  I just get the repeated message "Unable to connect to FTP server."

So...I thought I'd check here to see if anyone with any Canon camcorder is able to use FTP with any router either hosting an FTP server or with one connected to it like my Pi.  If so which make and model of router are you using, and is it one that offers compatibility with dynamic DNS (and preferably a free DDNS account) so I can connect to it away from home?  If worse comes to worst I can swap my router out if need be-it'll be way cheaper than the camera and our tax-free weekend is coming up.  Just want to know which brands to look at and which ones to avoid.  Thanks in advance.

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

Let's see if anyone else has experience with this. I remember your old thread.  😉

https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/Professional-Video/Anyone-successfully-using-an-FTP-server-hosted...

[JLP]

I've posted twice before asking if anyone with an XF605 like mine or any of Canon's other camcorders is either successfully using their camera's networking functions or running into problems like I am. 

I finally sent the camera back in about a month ago and got it back a couple of weeks later with a proclamation that there was nothing wrong with it.  Well, I still can't connect to any FTP server either on or off my home LAN, other than a test server I set up on my laptop (lot of good that is!) and I've noticed a few interesting things I wonder if anyone else is seeing.

For instance, it appears the camera can't connect to anything on the internet.  Since my last post I've gone ahead and replaced my router to eliminate it as the source of the issue but that hasn't changed anything,  I still can't access the SFTP server I have running on a Raspberry Pi that my laptop has no problem reaching using the dynamic DNS address I set up to give me access over the internet.  The laptop also has no problem accessing any of several online test servers (if anyone wants to try one of these, a good one is test.rebex.net-use the username "demo" and the password "password" with port 21 for FTP or 22 for SFTP; you can also set up a temporary FTP server at https://sftpcloud.io/tools/free-ftp-server that will last for an hour but you'll also have to manually transcribe both a 32-character username and password).  If anyone can connect their camcorder to either of these-as I originally was briefly able to after buying mine-I'd like to hear about it.  I hope you get more than the useless message "Unable to connect to FTP server" that I'm sick of looking at. Hey, Canon-how about giving us a bit more information about why the camera can't connect?

I also am getting the impression that the XF605 may not be compatible with IPv6 despite the user manual asserting it is.  In order to get that laptop test server-or IP streaming and Browser Remote-to work I had to turn IPv6 off.  You aren't going to tell me that in 2024, anything being sold with network capability won't work with IPv6, are you?

Finally, there's a publicly available Wi-Fi network at a local college where I've tried connecting the camera to eliminate my network or router as the problem.  It's secured with WPA2 and my laptop has no problem connectng to it-and no it doesn't require clicking through a captive portal, which is why I took the camera there.  It does, however, prompt for both a username and password when you connect.  Again, no problem entering them with the laptop, but the camera only prompts for the password and then fails to connect, complaining that it can't find a DNS server.

I really am at my wits' end with this.  I don't want to believe Canon isn't being straight with me about the camera working when they had it back, but if it did, why isn't it working now?  What does it need that my laptop doesn't?  What am I missing or failing to do?  Again I need to hear from those of you who are using these networking features and either aren't running into these problems or have run into them and found a way past them somehow.  I need solutions here, not opinions or speculation.  Please keep that in mind.