Setting up ftp server for external network

[garyrizzo]

Hey guys,

i have just bought an external hard disk which i want to use as an ftp server. my internet connection setup at home is like so. I have a standard wireless router that my isp provides, and a wireless router(TPLink tl-wr1043nd). When i first connected the HDD to my tplink router, i had successfully made an ftp server, but just for local access. Now i cannot get how i can make my ftp server externally(access it from outside my LAN). i have a quote from the tplink manual that i wish to share with you.

http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?id=341

"You may have dual WAN access to the internet, so you can see a public IP in the FTP server configuration page. And you can also access to the FTP server by this public IP."

http://www.tp-link.tw/Resources/document/FTP_Server_Application_Guide_f.pdf

"The WAN port of TL-WR1043ND is linked to the LAN port of an xDSL modem. If the modem has
already obtained a public IP by dialing to the Internet with the username and password provided
from your ISP and TL-WR1043ND obtains its IP through Dynamic IP service provided by the
modem, the remote PC cannot reach the FTP server through the WAN IP of TL-WR1043ND
because the WAN IP of TL-WR1043ND is not a public IP in case of this situation. You can consult
the vendor of the modem to modify some settings to let the TL-WR1043ND obtain public IP or
assign a specific port for FTP server application with private IP"

Now im a bit of a "green" networking guy and would like some help implementing the ftp to be accessed from an external network.

thank you very much guys hope to get as much help as you can give

 

[PhilFrisbie]

You will need to use port forwarding on the ISP supplied router to allow access to your router.

 

[garyrizzo]

can you be more specific? what ports do i need to forward?

 

[PhilFrisbie]

Port 21.

 

[garyrizzo]

Port 21.

the public ip still won't show. is there anything else i have to do? like reset my modem and router?

 

[PhilFrisbie]

the public ip still won't show. is there anything else i have to do? like reset my modem and router?

Won't show where? In this case, you must use the public IP of your ISPs router, not your router.

 

[garyrizzo]

Won't show where? In this case, you must use the public IP of your ISPs router, not your router.

i have managed to get it working by bridging them, but ran into some complications and reverted back to the default setup. is there any kind of device or hardware that i can use to be able to connect to share my HDD? like a device that connects to my main modem and has the HDD connected to it?

thanks