Home network: connect with FTP client

DUTCHIE · August 2019

Dear all,
I have installed the app, and it is very interesting. I have connected a flashdrive (Fat 32) with audio files to my Fiberhome router USB port. I would like to access the files on my Android (Nougat 7.1) smartphone via my home network. With the Fing app I went to the menu "Find open ports" (21 ftp). Now I try to connect with FTP client, and need an Authentication (Username: Password:). Whatever I try to type in there, it simply won't work.
Could you please explain to me what kind of username/password I need to fill in? Is it the username/password from my router, which I used already several times, or anything else?
Respectfully,
Mr. Dutchie

Pooh · August 2019

As you've found out elsewhere, information on this router is sketchy at best.

Best I could find is the following:

When you fire up the management interface for the router, Under Management, do you have a sub-menu for Device Management? If so, when you select that, is there a sub menu for USB Storage? If there is, then select that and it might have what you're looking for.

It would also help if you specify the exact model number in question.

DUTCHIE · August 2019

Thank you very much for your detailed response.
I went to the "Device Management" menu, and unfortunately there is no sub menu USB Storage.
The router is a FiberHome AN5506-04-FA and the ISP is 3BB in Thailand. I have already for over a year searched any information about this router and the desire to upgrade to a newer firmware and setup a home network. I have also considered to purchase a NAS 2 TB, but these items are very expensive. Furthermore I have checked WiFi HDD's, but I'm not experienced enough to be sure if it will work.
Any suggestions are very welcome.
Dutchie

VioletChepil · August 2019

Hi @DUTCHIE I've just amended the title to see if we can get a few more tips on this one. I'm also moving this over to the Devices/Security category.

Pooh · August 2019

It looks like the F2 has the requisite setting, and not the FA. Not too sure what to do at this point because I think it's getting clearer that this particular model does not support the functionality you desire.

kltaylor · August 2019

DUTCHIE said:

Dear all,
I have installed the app, and it is very interesting. I have connected a flashdrive (Fat 32) with audio files to my Fiberhome router USB port. I would like to access the files on my Android (Nougat 7.1) smartphone via my home network. With the Fing app I went to the menu "Find open ports" (21 ftp). Now I try to connect with FTP client, and need an Authentication (Username: Password:). Whatever I try to type in there, it simply won't work.
Could you please explain to me what kind of username/password I need to fill in? Is it the username/password from my router, which I used already several times, or anything else?
Respectfully,
Mr. Dutchie

From what I can see, unless there is a place where you can designate a different password for FTP, I found the following:

"The majority of FiberHome routers have a default username of useradmin, a default password of ''randomly generated'', and the default IP address of 192.168.1.1. These FiberHome credentials are needed when doing a login to the FiberHome router's web interface to change any settings."

Try using use admin as the username and the password that you defined as the admin password to access the router.

I'm not insanely familiar with that particular router, but in any case with a consumer router, please do not use the standard FTP port. Bots will continuously scan and attempt to hack into any resolve they find on a <publicIPAddress:21> that they find.

If possible, obtain an SSL cert from Let's Encrypt, too.

EDIT: Forgot to also suggest to ensure that your admin password is as robust as you can make it (and remember it), also see if your router allows you to designate new user profiles so that you're not using the admin account to access network resources,

kltaylor · August 2019

DUTCHIE said:

Thank you very much for your detailed response.
I went to the "Device Management" menu, and unfortunately there is no sub menu USB Storage.
The router is a FiberHome AN5506-04-FA and the ISP is 3BB in Thailand. I have already for over a year searched any information about this router and the desire to upgrade to a newer firmware and setup a home network. I have also considered to purchase a NAS 2 TB, but these items are very expensive. Furthermore I have checked WiFi HDD's, but I'm not experienced enough to be sure if it will work.
Any suggestions are very welcome.
Dutchie

What model of NAS systems have you considered? What's your budget look like for that item?

kltaylor · August 2019

Pooh said:

It looks like the F2 has the requisite setting, and not the FA. Not too sure what to do at this point because I think it's getting clearer that this particular model does not support the functionality you desire.

If it has a USB port, could mean that it's used primarily for a connected storage solution, a network printer port, or a place to back up the firmware via USB.

If the router doesn't support SFTP protocol, honestly I agree with @Pooh your router may not support that function. There are other ways that you can define and use mass storage though ... will do some more digging on this router and see what I can find out.

kltaylor · August 2019

Just found this via Google search: FiberHome

EDIT: Adding more information instead of posting another.

This section located here discusses how to set up and configure the FTP server for the USB storage solution that you're looking for. Can you navigate to this screen?

Pooh · August 2019

@kltaylor - @DUTCHIE has the FA - the one you found is the same one I did - for the F2.

kltaylor · August 2019

Pooh said:

@kltaylor - @DUTCHIE has the FA - the one you found is the same one I did - for the F2.

Well, poop.

Back to Google-Fu!

kltaylor · August 2019

I found a manual that mentions the username and password, still searching through it for the FTP function.

EDIT1: This seems odd to me. USB is for the power adapter? (7 Port USB USB1, USB2 Interface connecting to the power adapter.)

EDIT2: OK, this makes more sense to me (USB USB interface USB 2.0 For connecting a USB terminal device.)

@pooh was right, your device doesn't support that through the USB interface. If you want to set up file sharing through your network, it's going to be best that you use something that will connect through Ethernet connection and obtain a private IP address. Something like a NAS, or at the very least a 'Cloud' based device like WD My Cloud.

Pooh · August 2019

@kltaylor fyi, the documentation had the port info all totally messed up - if you look at it closely you'll discover how screwed up it really is!

This would also explain the screenshots - feels very much like they reused some screenshots that are for the F2 for the FA documentation.

I'm guessing the FTP server ports are open because - again, sloppiness. There's probably a horribly nasty unsecured FTP server service running on this thing, but no way to control or configure it.

kltaylor · August 2019

Pooh said:

@kltaylor fyi, the documentation had the port info all totally messed up - if you look at it closely you'll discover how screwed up it really is!

This would also explain the screenshots - feels very much like they reused some screenshots that are for the F2 for the FA documentation.

I'm guessing the FTP server ports are open because - again, sloppiness. There's probably a horribly nasty unsecured FTP server service running on this thing, but no way to control or configure it.

All the more of a reason to purchase something better. An open FTP port/service is not a good thing to have.

DUTCHIE · August 2019

Dear all.
First I would like to thank everyone for your tremendous support. I have never seen so much effort in any other site.
I have made a picture from the "Management" menu from the router (See below this page). As you can see my router is different than the F2 and I do not have the USB menu. As kltaylor and Pooh mentioned already I have disabled FTP server after I made the picture.
Unfortunately the knowledge from the ISP technicians is very basic here in North East Thailand, and I will try to find out if a new router will be available. Furthermore I will find out more about which NAS, as kltaylor mentioned, is affordable to me. For a couple of reasons I didn't like the WD (2TB) cloud, because it only works with WiFi Internet and without it is useless, for example to use the storage to play music or videos.
Thanks a lot, and I will keep you updated within a couple of weeks.
Dutchie.....................

kltaylor · August 2019

DUTCHIE said:

Dear all.
First I would like to thank everyone for your tremendous support. I have never seen so much effort in any other site.
I have made a picture from the "Management" menu from the router (See below this page). As you can see my router is different than the F2 and I do not have the USB menu. As kltaylor and Pooh mentioned already I have disabled FTP server after I made the picture.
Unfortunately the knowledge from the ISP technicians is very basic here in North East Thailand, and I will try to find out if a new router will be available. Furthermore I will find out more about which NAS, as kltaylor mentioned, is affordable to me. For a couple of reasons I didn't like the WD (2TB) cloud, because it only works with WiFi Internet and without it is useless, for example to use the storage to play music or videos.
Thanks a lot, and I will keep you updated within a couple of weeks.
Dutchie.....................

"As kltaylor and Pooh mentioned already I have disabled FTP server after I made the picture. "
Absolutely great way to start for sure! Looking at the pic, you cannot designate a custom port, which means your public IP address will receive a lot of connection requests using 'Administrator' as the username and a myriad of password attempts before it eventually moves on.

"Furthermore I will find out more about which NAS, as kltaylor mentioned, is affordable to me. For a couple of reasons I didn't like the WD (2TB) cloud, because it only works with WiFi Internet and without it is useless, for example to use the storage to play music or videos. "

Actually, I checked that before I suggested it. It does have an Ethernet port on the back, so it will connect directly in your home network and receive a DHCP address for you to access.
I agree, if it was Wireless only it would be near useless.
I'm not sure of the availability of devices there in Thailand, but a 2 Disk Synology system could meet your needs. I know a lot about them and can assist with any questions that you may have if that's your choice.

I'm glad that Pooh and I were able to help you with this, please keep us updated on your progress of this as you move forward.

Pooh · August 2019

DUTCHIE said:

Dear all.
First I would like to thank everyone for your tremendous support. I have never seen so much effort in any other site.
I have made a picture from the "Management" menu from the router (See below this page). As you can see my router is different than the F2 and I do not have the USB menu. As kltaylor and Pooh mentioned already I have disabled FTP server after I made the picture.
Unfortunately the knowledge from the ISP technicians is very basic here in North East Thailand, and I will try to find out if a new router will be available. Furthermore I will find out more about which NAS, as kltaylor mentioned, is affordable to me. For a couple of reasons I didn't like the WD (2TB) cloud, because it only works with WiFi Internet and without it is useless, for example to use the storage to play music or videos.
Thanks a lot, and I will keep you updated within a couple of weeks.
Dutchie.....................

Whilst I'm very happy that @kltaylor and I were able to give you better answers than you got elsewhere, it's a shame you didn't get the answers you wanted.

If you need any more assistance then we'll be here to assist.

Take care!

Home network: connect with FTP client

Answers