FTP 220 Service Ready vs 550 File Unavailable
FTP 220 (Service Ready) is a 2xx Positive Completion response, while 550 (File Unavailable) is a 5xx Permanent Negative response. 220 indicates that service ready for new user. This is the greeting message sent by the FTP server when a client first connects. 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
Service ready for new user. This is the greeting message sent by the FTP server when a client first connects.
When You See It
Immediately upon connecting to an FTP server. This is the welcome banner confirming the server is accepting connections.
How to Fix
No fix needed — the server is ready. Proceed with USER and PASS commands to authenticate.
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
220 is a 2xx Positive Completion response, while 550 is a 5xx Permanent Negative response.
FTP 220: Service ready for new user. This is the greeting message sent by the FTP server when a client first connects.
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 220 when immediately upon connecting to an FTP server. This is the welcome banner confirming the server is accepting connections.
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 220 (Service Ready): No fix needed — the server is ready. Proceed with USER and PASS commands to authenticate. 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.