Cannot download files via FTP

I'm not going to be much help, but I will say this. I use an FTP client for my job (PC-based) and we use the "explore" function, (right click start menu, to go explore, enter your FTP address in the bar at the top) and not an internet browser to pull up our sites. How it is done on a mac is beyond me, and I'm actually using google to look it up because I am curious too.

Goldenberg, welcome to the forums and to Macs. Would it be possible for you to give us the URL of the page and of the file you are trying to download? Sometimes if another user tries, it may be possible to spot the problem or to see if it is downloadable. That part url you give looks to me as if that may be the problem.

There are lots of FTP applications available for Macs (as well as command-line work -- only for the brave). A source for some may be either a search via Google, or to search using FTP as keyword in Versiontracker, a site worth bookmarking.

That was no problem. I was able to follow your link and that took me to the right page. The HP Color LaserJet 2820-2840 Release for Mac OS X 10.5 is a bit down the page and there are two ways to work with this. The easiest may be by pressing the Download icon to the right. As you wrote earlier, this takes us to an FTP server and, in my case, the download started without me having to do anything.

In the case of the URL link to the left, that takes you to a second page and again there is the icon marked, Download there. I pressed that and I am still waiting for something to happen. Ah . . . it took almost 5 minutes and it has now downloaded, so both of the possible links are working for me over this side of the world.

It may be that the unspecified error you reported before is just a question of running out of time - the file that downloaded did take a while to complete, but there are often a number of factors involved between your click, your service and the HP server (and back). Trying the same link a couple or more times may spur it into action. As I say, this should work automatically in Safari.

If you are not sure, you could always download the .DMG file on a Win machine and put the file onto a flash drive. Try this again and see what response you get. Does your internet provider have any limit on downloads?

Give it another try and let us know if there is any difference. If not, we can have another think.

If this is still giving you the same result, and I am able to download from both links, this suggests something in your connection or with your installation of Safari (I used Safari and that was OK). Have you tried with another browser?

If that is successful, then the Safari settings may need looking at. If not, the network settings may be awry.

What DNS settings are you using? (See System Preferences> Network> Advanced. If these are automatically entered by OS X (usually the router), try Open DNS: 203.144.207.29 and 208.67.222.222 (these are what I am using).

Do you have another account you could try in? That might narrow it down to network or the user account version of Safari. You might also try to set up another Location (network settings), entering the details manually rather than duplicating.

As for FTP, Macs will also have no problems with FTP, so I am sure it is not platform specific, especially as I did download the driver from that URL you gave. 2MBPS should be ample.

Now this is odd. While I was able to open that page yesterday, clicking on the link in the message gave me the same result as you. However, if I go to this page -- http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us &prodNameId=445195&prodTypeId=18972&prodSeriesId=445194&swLang=8&taskId=135&swEn vOID=219 -- and click on the Download link lower down the page, that does work properly.

Curioser and curioser.