FTP 120 Service Ready Soon vs 550 File Unavailable
FTP 120 (Service Ready Soon) is a 1xx Positive Preliminary response, while 550 (File Unavailable) is a 5xx Permanent Negative response. 120 indicates that the service will be ready in a certain number of minutes. The server is not yet available but expects to be shortly. In contrast, 550 means that requested action not taken. File unavailable — the file does not exist, the path is wrong, or you do not have permission to access it.
Description
The service will be ready in a certain number of minutes. The server is not yet available but expects to be shortly.
When You See It
When connecting to an FTP server that is starting up or temporarily busy with maintenance tasks.
How to Fix
Wait the indicated number of minutes and try connecting again. If the server never becomes ready, contact the server administrator.
Description
Requested action not taken. File unavailable — the file does not exist, the path is wrong, or you do not have permission to access it.
When You See It
When you try to download, delete, or navigate to a file or directory that does not exist or is restricted by server permissions.
How to Fix
Verify the file path and name are correct (FTP paths are case-sensitive on most servers). Check your user permissions with the server administrator.
Key Differences
120 is a 1xx Positive Preliminary response, while 550 is a 5xx Permanent Negative response.
FTP 120: The service will be ready in a certain number of minutes. The server is not yet available but expects to be shortly.
FTP 550: Requested action not taken. File unavailable — the file does not exist, the path is wrong, or you do not have permission to access it.
You encounter 120 when when connecting to an FTP server that is starting up or temporarily busy with maintenance tasks.
You encounter 550 when when you try to download, delete, or navigate to a file or directory that does not exist or is restricted by server permissions.
When to Use Which
For 120 (Service Ready Soon): Wait the indicated number of minutes and try connecting again. If the server never becomes ready, contact the server administrator. For 550 (File Unavailable): Verify the file path and name are correct (FTP paths are case-sensitive on most servers). Check your user permissions with the server administrator.