How to setup and access an ftp server in Windows Server 2019 with vb.net code?

Bryan 0

I have written an app using webforms in visual studio 2019. I have setup a Windows Server 2019 on a server. With IIS, I am able to access my WebForms.aspx from the internet ok. I made an FTP server website, and also added ftp services to my first website that can access the webforms and run them from other computers. I wanted to allow users to download .exe files from my app. I have tried many code examples, and many configuration examples such as router port forwarding to 21, WebClient, and many other approaches, but noting, works. I can access the server remotely from my laptop, but all of the coding behind buttons, I have tried, it does not access the FTP site for downloading.

Bryan 0

Here are some of the coding I have tried.

Public Sub DownloadFileFromFTP(ftpServer As String, remoteFile As String, localFile As String)

        Dim request1 As New WebClient

        Dim request As Net.FtpWebRequest = CType(WebRequest.Create("ftp://" & ftpServer & "/" & remoteFile), FtpWebRequest)

        request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.DownloadFile

        Dim response As FtpWebResponse = CType(request.GetResponse(), FtpWebResponse)

        Dim stream As IO.Stream = response.GetResponseStream()

        Dim localFileStream As New FileStream(localFile, FileMode.Create, FileAccess.Write)

        Dim buffer(1024) As Byte

        Dim bytesRead As Integer

        localFileStream.Write(buffer, 0, bytesRead)

    Do While bytesRead = stream.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length) > 0

        localFileStream.Write(buffer, 0, bytesRead)

    Loop

    localFileStream.Close()

        stream.Close()

        response.Close()

    End Sub

Private Sub ImageButton8_Click(sender As Object, e As ImageClickEventArgs) Handles ImageButton8.Click

        Dim ftpServer = "192.168.1.157/WIN-1GV74A6MPLP/ChemTechFTP"

        Dim remoteFile = "Convert.exe"

        Dim localFile = "C:\downloads\Convert.exe"

        DownloadFileFromFTP(ftpServer, remoteFile, localFile)

    End Sub

Private Sub FTPDownloadFile(ByVal downloadpath As String, ByVal ftpuri As String, localfile As String)

        Dim request As New WebClient()

        Dim bytes() As Byte = request.DownloadData(ftpuri)

        Try

            Dim DownloadStream As FileStream = IO.File.Create(downloadpath)

            DownloadStream.Write(bytes, 0, bytes.Length)

            DownloadStream.Close()

        Catch ex As Exception

            MsgBox(ex.Message)

            Exit Sub

        End Try

        MsgBox("Process Complete")

    End Sub

Private Sub ImageButton9_Click(sender As Object, e As ImageClickEventArgs) Handles ImageButton9.Click

        Dim downloadpath = "ftp://192.168.1.157/ChemTechFTP"

        Dim ftpuri = "Convert.exe"

        Dim localFile = "C:\Convert.exe"

        DownloadFileFromFTP(downloadpath, ftpuri, localFile)

    End Sub

Private Sub ImageButton11_Click(sender As Object, e As ImageClickEventArgs) Handles ImageButton11.Click

        Dim remoteUri As String = "ftp://192.168.1.157/ChemTechFTP/files/"

        Dim fileName As String = "Convert.exe"

        Dim myWebClient As New WebClient()

        Dim myStringWebResource As String = remoteUri + fileName

        Console.WriteLine("Downloading File ""{0}"" from ""{1}"" ......." + ControlChars.Cr + ControlChars.Cr, fileName, myStringWebResource)

        myWebClient.DownloadFile(myStringWebResource, fileName)

        Console.WriteLine("Successfully Downloaded file ""{0}"" from ""{1}""", fileName, myStringWebResource)

        Console.WriteLine(ControlChars.Cr + "Downloaded file saved in the following file system folder:" + ControlChars.Cr + ControlChars.Tab)

    End Sub

    Private Sub ImageButton12_Click(sender As Object, e As ImageClickEventArgs) Handles ImageButton12.Click

        DownloadFile()

    End Sub

    Sub DownloadFile()

        Dim address As String = "http://192.168.1.157/ChemTechFTP/Convert"

        Dim locadress As String = "C:\dump\Convert"

        Dim download As WebClient

        Try

            download = New WebClient

            download.DownloadFileAsync(New Uri(address), locadress)

            AddHandler download.DownloadFileCompleted, AddressOf FinishDownload

        Catch ex As Exception

            MsgBox(ex.Message)

        End Try

    End Sub

    Sub FinishDownload(sender As Object, e As AsyncCompletedEventArgs)

        Try

            If e.Cancelled = False AndAlso e.Error Is Nothing Then

            End If

        Catch ex As Exception

            MsgBox(ex.Message)

        End Try

    End Sub

    Private Sub ImageButton13_Click(sender As Object, e As ImageClickEventArgs) Handles ImageButton13.Click

        Dim FolderBrowserDiaglog1 As New FolderBrowserDialog()

    Dim folderPath As String = "C:\"

    Dim fileName As String = "Convert.exe"

        Dim downloadFile As String = "http://192.168.1.157:21/ChemTech/Convert.exe" ''VLC MEDIA PLAYER

        If FolderBrowserDiaglog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then

            folderPath = FolderBrowserDiaglog1.SelectedPath

        End If

        If My.Computer.Network.IsAvailable Then

            Dim combinePath As String = System.IO.Path.Combine(folderPath, fileName)

            WClient.DownloadFileAsync(New Uri(downloadFile), combinePath)

        End If

    End Sub

    Private Sub WClient_DownloadFileCompleted(sender As Object, e As AsyncCompletedEventArgs) Handles WClient.DownloadFileCompleted

        MessageBox.Show("File Downloaded")

    End Sub

    Private Sub ImageButton14_Click(sender As Object, e As ImageClickEventArgs) Handles ImageButton14.Click

    Dim client As HttpClient = New HttpClient()

End Sub

Private Sub DownloadFile(destinationPath As String, ftpResource As String, ftpUsername As String, ftpPassword As String)

    Dim client As New WebClient()

    client.Credentials = New NetworkCredential(ftpUsername, ftpPassword)

    Try

        Dim dataBytes() As Byte = client.DownloadData(ftpResource)

        If dataBytes.Length > 0 Then

            File.WriteAllBytes(destinationPath, dataBytes)

            MessageBox.Show("Download Complete")

        Else

            MessageBox.Show("Download failed")

        End If

    Catch ex As WebException

        MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)

    Catch ex As IOException

        MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)

    End Try

End Sub

Private Sub ImageButton15_Click(sender As Object, e As ImageClickEventArgs) Handles ImageButton15.Click

  "ftp://ftp.192.168.1.157/ChemTechFTP/Convert.exe", "------", "-------")

    'ImageButton15.Enabled = True

    Dim folderPath As String = "C:\"

    Dim fileName As String = "Convert.exe"

    My.Computer.Network.DownloadFile(

"http://ftp.192.168.1.157/ChemTech/Convert.exe",

"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Convert.exe", "------", "-------")

End Sub

Bryan 0 Reputation points

2025-03-02T22:05:28.6666667+00:00

I have also tried many things like firewall settings, and on and on. Perhaps I do not understand some basic premise of accessing the FTP server to download files, as I am trying to do it from my app WebForms that any user would click the button to download the exe file.
XuDong Peng-MSFT 11,336 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-03T07:41:53.12+00:00

Hi @Bryan,

it does not access the FTP site for downloading

It looks like you tried a lot of code (methods), but your code looks a bit messy. Regarding this, have you tried referring to its official documentation: How to: Download files with FTP.

In addition, what exception did you get when you ran the code? For example, error message or error code.
Bryan 0 Reputation points

2025-03-03T13:38:18.1033333+00:00

Hi XuDong.

When you say "it does not access the FTP site for downloading," do you mean my button subs, or FTP in Windows Server 2019?

When I run any of those subs, I do not get an error message, just stays on the webform.

I will look at your reference now.

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How to setup and access an ftp server in Windows Server 2019 with vb.net code?

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