FTP doesnt work well outside my network

[ComputerNut]

I decided to re-setup my FTP server for personal use (ie grabbing common program installation files, etc), but im having difficulty using it outside my network. Im using CerberusFTP as my server (since Im kind of sick using IIS), and it works fine while connecting within my LAN. It will still connect outside my network, it just times out when trying to retrieve the directory listing (this is using SmartFTP. If I use the ftp program in the command prompt, it times out when using dir). Heres the things I checked:

- Made sure the router fowards port 21 transmissions to my server IP, and checked TCP
- Checked the mode my client was using was set to active.

The only thing I wonder is I installed a 5-port hub infront of my server, since i often need to fix somebodys computer and I dont want to unplug the server's network line should I need to use it for something else. Could that affect the ability to connect to the FTP outside my network?

[ComputerNut]

Any ideas?

[Force Flow]

You'll need to setup a virtual server for FTP within your router.

[ComputerNut]

Oh I cant just foward the port? How do I setup a virtual server? The router is a linksys BEFSR41.

TIA,
CN

[Statica]

Are you sure that (a) Your ISP is not blocking FTP server ports? (b) Your IP for the ftp server is static?
You need to open ports 20 and 21 for an active connection: http://linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...i=&p_topview=1
http://slacksite.com/other/ftp.html

[ComputerNut]

Oh ports 21 AND 20. ok that makes sense, I just fowarded port 21 on my router. I used to run an FTP server awhile ago, I dont think my ISP is blocking the port. My whole network does run under a static IP setup, but since my server is behind an 5-port SMC Hub I got recently, i dont know if that would change that or not.

CN