In short, explicit FTPS is the more modern version and starts with a standard FTP connection, while implicit FTPS listens on a separate port and assumes the connection is encrypted from the beginning. For those of you unfamiliar with the two FTPS types, check out this FileZilla Wiki. It’s worth noting that explicit FTPS often uses port 21, but implicit FTPS uses port 990. To change a port number in FileZilla, simply input the numerical value in the Port: field as illustrated below in the control panel. However, it’s possible a switch from port 22 to port 21 may resolve your issue too. It’s more common that switching from port 21 to 22 resolves the issue since port 21 is often blocked by ISPs and IT teams. Sometimes, simply switching the port you are using can resolve the ECONNREFUSED message.

SFTP is encrypted by default and uses port 22 by default.

FTP is NOT encrypted by default and uses port 21 by default, while.

FTP and SFTP serve similar purposes but have a few key differences. If we use StackOverflow as a reference one of the simplest solutions to this problem is one of the most common. Below we’ll run through a number of possible causes of this message and ways to resolve them.

This error can occur for a variety of reasons, so a fix that works for one person may not work for another. Status: Connection attempt failed with 'ECONNREFUSED - Connection refused by server'. You’ll know you’ve gotten this error when you see something similar to this displayed after a connection attempt: Status: Connecting to someserver:21. “ECONNREFUSED – Connection refused by server” is one of the more common errors that users of FileZilla may encounter. Why FileZilla cannot connect with the server?įileZilla is a popular, free, and open-source FTP, FTPS, and SFTP client used to upload and download files. If that doesn’t work or if you’re interested to learn why it worked, keep reading as we’ll cover that fix and other common solutions to this issue here. Then try again to connect to the host IP address or domain you wish to access.

If you’re looking for a quick fix to “ECONNREFUSED – Connection refused by server” FileZilla error messages, try changing your port number from 21 (default FTP port) to 22 (default SFTP port) or vice versa, as that is one of the most common fixes.

Filezilla client logs location