Can't connect to FTP while tethering with EE Sim.

Junction10 · ‎21-02-2023

Ok - I know I'm not alone in this.

A couple of nights ago I was trying to send photos from a remote location via FTP - from my Macbook, which was using my iphone's personal hotspot for internet connection. I kept getting FTP error 229 (blocked network port). I couldn't connect at all to my agency's FTP site, but eventually managed to connect to a slow WIFI hotspot and send them via wifi.

I tried when I got home, thinking it may have been a local cell issue, but the same thing happens.

I tried my son's iphone, on the Three network, and connected my macbook via his personal hotspot, and managed to connect to FTP just fine - so it's not my Macbook.

Then I took his Three sim and put it in my iphone, and managed to connect to FTP through that - so it's not my phone.

I then put my sim in HIS phone, and that also didn't work - while it had worked with his Three sim - so it all points to the SIM or my EE account restricting FTP access.

I've seen a lot of other press photographers in various forums all complaining about this as well..

I've spent a day and a half with EE tech support trying to resolve it and now they're at the point saying they can't continue to try to resolve it until I erase and reset my phone completely and restoring from a backup.

I'm not doing that. I've already established it's not an issue with the phone, as a Three sim works. Besides which - if there is any corruption, it will be there in the backup and simply restored again - but I'll still have the inconvenience of having to reset all my banking apps and authentication etc..

I'm going to nip into an EE shop and try a new SIM today, but if that doesn't work it looks like I'll be leaving EE and going back to Three.. 😞

Katie_B · ‎22-02-2023

Hello @Junction10.

Welcome to the community.

I am sorry to hear this is happening.

Have you been able to try a new SIM?

Speak soon,

Katie

Junction10 · ‎22-02-2023

Yes. I went into an EE store yesterday and replaced my SIM. It still won't let me connect to FTP servers.

The assistant let me connect to his personal hotspot on his phone, and I could connect without any issue via his personal hotspot.. but not via my own.

Tech support won't help me any further unless I'm prepared to reset and erase my phone completely and then restore from a backup, which I'm not prepared to do as it will take too long (it's a business phone) and it will result in me losing access to my banking apps again until I go through all the rigmarole of setting up the security - even after restoring from a backup.

Katie_B · ‎22-02-2023

Hi @Junction10.

Thanks for confirming.

Did our technical care team advised if there was any other route?

For the team to to be able to complete a full diagnostics sometimes this step is required.

Katie

Junction10 · ‎22-02-2023

They said I couldn't progress any further along the support route without erasing and restoring my phone.

I suggested they trigger a 'carrier settings' update to my phone but they said they can't do that.

I honestly don't see what erasing my phone and restoring from a backup will do other than cause me days of inconvenience.

I've already shown that connecting to FTP is possible when I use a Three SIM in the phone, so it's not the phone that is the problem..

I'd be better off just ditching my contract and going to Three for half the price and a personal hotspot that I know works..

I'm getting a few comments from other people suggesting it's something to do with the NAT on the EE network.. not sure why it affects a handful of people and not everyone though..

Christopher_G · ‎22-02-2023

Sounds like it's part of the diagnostic process, @Junction10. If the technical support team have suggested it, it's likely been known to fix similar problems in the past.

Chris

Junction10 · ‎22-02-2023

Hi Christopher - I guarantee it's not going to fix it:

I connected to FTP via a different phone's personal hotspot, using the SIM already in that phone.. it worked - so it's not my computer.
I took the SIM out of that phone, and put it in mine.. FTP worked fine on my phone with a Three SIM - so it's not my phone, as my phone works with a different carrier.
I took the EE SIM out of MY phone and put it in the phone that the Three SIM came from, which worked in steps 1 and 2 - FTP didn't work.

It's not my phone that is the issue here, and the above demonstrates that. There is no need for me to erase my phone to continue to the next step of support...

Christopher_G · ‎22-02-2023

OK, thanks for clarifying, @Junction10.

The technical support team will need you to do it before they can escalate it to the next level of support for investigation.

I know you don't think it will make a difference, but at least you'll have an up to date backup and it generally doesn't take as long to do as it used to.

Chris

Junction10 · ‎22-02-2023

Yeah, the backup doesn't take as long as it used to.. you're right - the problem, however, is the time it takes to fully restore - and the loss of authentication data for banking apps and inconvenience that causes to my business.

The last time I was asked to do a backup/restore - it took a few days to complete and I lost access to a few apps in the meantime because I had to re-authenticate security devices.. And that didn't resolve the issue then either (having strong 4G/5G signal but not being able to connect to ANY mobile data in crowded concert areas where I work).

It's unreasonable of EE to refuse to take this any further unless I'm prepared to erase my phone, since if there were a legitimate reason for doing that, then they should also be demanding that I erase and restore EVERY phone I've tried the SIM in that doesn't work either - despite nothing being wrong with them as they work with the SIMS of other carriers too...

How are they going to investigate those phones that don't belong to me, which also don't work with my SIM? They can't..

The only element that remains common in this issue is my account - not devices.

I'm not even sure why they say they can't force a "carrier settings" refresh/update - that was one of the first things they'd try in days gone by.. start with the most obvious and least inconvenient options first.

James_B · ‎23-02-2023

Hi @Junction10,

I'm sorry about any inconvenience caused by having to restore your phone. When connected to WiFi I would expect the restore to take minutes or hours, rather than days.

Our Technical Support Team have to run through each diagnostic step methodically in order to isolate the issue and I understand this can be frustrating.

James