FTPSClient returns MalformedServerReplyException: cannot parse response code

Question

I have an SFTP connection set up. I used WinCSP and Filezilla and the test server is working no problem. The java code is from the apache commons-net 2.0 and it gives me the unexpected error

Code

private String ftpServer="XXX.xx.x.XX";
private int ftpPort=99;
private String ftpUserName="myUserName";
private String ftpPassword="myPassword";

FTPSClient ftp = null;
        try{
            ftp = new FTPSClient();
            ftp.connect(hostname, port)
        } catch (Exception e){
           Logger.debug(e)
        }

Stacktrace

Server reply:SSH-2.0-WeOnlyDo-wodFTPD 2.3.6.165
org.apache.commons.net.MalformedServerReplyException: Could not parse response code.
at org.apache.commons.net.ftp.FTP.__getReply(FTP.java:315)
    at org.apache.commons.net.ftp.FTP._connectAction_(FTP.java:364)
    at org.apache.commons.net.ftp.FTPClient._connectAction_(FTPClient.java:540)
    at org.apache.commons.net.ftp.FTPSClient._connectAction_(FTPSClient.java:167)
    at org.apache.commons.net.SocketClient.connect(SocketClient.java:178)
    at myHomeFtpService.getFtpConnection(HomeFtpService.java:40)

Solution

Since you are connecting to an SSH server using FTP client. FTPS and SFTP are two different protocols.

Both WinSCP and Filezilla works fine because they supports SFTP.

Comments

[bouncingHippo]

if i were to change the SFTP server to a FTPS server. Will it work without changing my Java code using the FTPS class?

[Raymond Tau]

As FTPS is more complex then FTP, some changes may still be necessary, such as implicit/explicit mode. If your connection will goes through some firewall, you may want to explicitly disable encryption when sending the PORT/PASV command to allow firewall to see the port you will use and allow that or you need to force the FTP data connection to go through some port.

[bouncingHippo]

what if i have to use an SFTP test server, are there any Java libraries I can use to connect in apache-commons?

[Raymond Tau]

I don't aware of any from apache-commons. For SFTP library, please take a look at this question: stackoverflow.com/questions/14617. Personally, I am quite satisfied with schmizz.net/sshj.