FTP and FTPS

Choose FTP with TLS when you can

Plain FTP sends your password and files unencrypted; use it only on networks you trust. FTP with TLS (FTPS) encrypts both and works with most hosting providers.

• Explicit TLS (the default) connects on port 21 and upgrades with AUTH TLS.
• Implicit TLS: set the port to 990.

If a server answers “Non-anonymous sessions must use encryption”, switch the server to FTP with TLS.

Certificates

BlazeSCP checks the server’s certificate against your system’s trusted authorities. If it’s self-signed, expired or for a different name, you’ll see why, with its fingerprint, and can choose to trust that exact certificate. It’s pinned from then on: a different certificate later is questioned again.

Anonymous FTP

Leave Username empty to log in anonymously.

Passive and active mode

BlazeSCP uses passive mode, which works through firewalls and NAT. If a server behind NAT advertises a private address, BlazeSCP connects to the address you entered instead.

A few servers refuse passive mode. For those, edit the server and tick Active mode: the server then connects back to your computer for each listing and transfer, which usually fails if you are behind NAT or a firewall.

Listings and resume

BlazeSCP uses MLSD for exact sizes and dates when the server supports it, and falls back to LIST (Unix and Windows formats) on older servers. Interrupted downloads resume with REST, uploads with APPE.