Does anyone here know anything about firewalls and FTP sites?

[xpanda]

I am having a major issue with one of the prepress printers that I use, namely that they can't open up any pdf files that I upload to their FTP site, although they have no issue opening the same pdf files via email. I have never had this problem with any other printer (interestingly, the printer in question is the only American one that I do business with) yet they are determined that the problem is not at their end. It has been suggested to me that my firewall settings could be all messed up and causing the conflict.

Since I spend too much time surfing the net, I have not brushed up on my firewall knowledge -- I know absolutely squat about them.

Anyone here know what the problem might be?

Appreciated.

 

[newbie666]

hi xpanda...
your question is 2 ubiquitous

now let me ask you the simple facts...

First. when you upload your pdf files to the ftp site.. do you use a third party program.. lets say an ftp program... if so... how's your kind transfer BINARY... ASCII?... now. do you actually are allowed to connect trough the ftp server... i mean. does your computer says you're connected, and. if so.. when you upload a file, is shows you the opening connection... and the confirmation that you're done???...

Second... Firewall... try any public firewall... if you don't have any third party software for ftp... would you like to try for an example... ftp.anyftp.com/pub/uploads/ if you can find any public ftp with anonymous access and you can upload files, that means,, you're allowed, to use the 21 port. for outgoing... as for incoming.. try in your browser.. ftp.freebsd.org if you are allow to get in to.. then your firewall is open for incoming on 21...

Third. as for emails... if you send an email with your pdf attached. are they allowed to open it with no problems?...

please clarify all those points...

 

[xpanda]

1. I use Fetch 4.03, and I don't know how it transfers, although I am sending my pdf in binary (from postscript.) I get into the FTP site just fine, I upload, watch the loading process and then, yes it tells me when I'm done. Uploading .sit files in Quark and Photoshop (eps) is no problem whatsoever, so the printer is now having to work on that. (I use system fonts, though, so I would naturally prefer that the printer use my embedded pdfs.)

2. I will have a look at those FTP sites and see how they work out. I'll load those same pdfs and see if I can retrieve them uncorrupted (although if the issue is that my firewall settings are different than that of my printer, I'll still be stuck.)

3. All emails with these same pdf attachments are opened fine, even by my printer. Additionally, I have them save my Quark originals as pdfs and store them on their FTP site so that I can download them for verification and approval, and I am unable to open their pdfs. It seems to me that the issue may be with Distiller, where I convert the postscipt files from.

My head hurts.

 

[xpanda]

It may also be worth noting that I work on a G4 Macintosh with Acrobat 4 (will be upgrading to 4.1 after all this) and Quark 4.0 and Photoshop 6.0 and use OS 9.1.

Thanks for your help.

 

[newbie666]

im not 2 familiar with the MacClicktosh...
but anyways,,, it's not ftp/firewall issue...

probably has to be with the typos...

 

[FloydGondolli]

xpanda - try a Mac FTP client called Transmit. It blows Fetch away.

http://www.panic.com/transmit/

What version of Acrobat Distiller are you using? 5.05 is the latest version for Mac OS 9.

 

[FloydGondolli]

Also, are you sure you are transferring the files in Binary mode? Sometimes using ASC mode versus Binary mode (or vice-versa).

Make sure your FTP client is set to transfer in Binary mode, delete the first group of files you sent from the server, then re-name the files and re-send using Binary mode.

[This message was edited by Floyd Gondolli on March 17, 2004 at 07:08 PM.]

[This message was edited by Floyd Gondolli on March 17, 2004 at 07:09 PM.]

 

[xpanda]

I've never used Transmit before so will give that a whirl. I checked, and Fetch had defaulted to binary for me. I've discovered that the problem is in distilling the files and the fact that my printer is on a PC and his firewall-to-pc settings were designed to knock out MacBinary (or something like that ... I dunno.) Would've been nice to know that before today. So, I've uploaded straight postscript and the printer has distilled them on his end.

Thanks for all the help, though, guys. I have already updated my Acrobat and it seems to have eliminated any distilling issues.

Floyd, I'm impressed, I must say. We may have just engaged in a moment of unrelenting civility. If you're ever in Toronto, I owe you a drink.

 

[newbie666]

mac is hexadecimal...

 

[FloydGondolli]

No problem, glad to help. I didn't realize we were in the same type of business. Interesting.

I find Toronto wonderful actually. 1000% times better than Montreal. If I had to live somewhere other than the US, it would be Toronto.