Why does Apache-Commons-Net's FTPClient sometimes make the wrong computation for the port number in the PORT command? This is in active mode. For example FTPClient it could send out
PORT <some>,<ip>,<address>,<here>,235,181 when in fact the port number used is 60340. What's the cause for this wrong computation?
This could happen on version 3.3.
I know ftpClient.enterLocalPassiveMode(); could solve this, but I want to know the part where the active mode doesn't work as expected.
From your comments, I assume you mistake an FTP control connection with a data connection.
I assume that the 60340 is local port of the FTP control connection. When opening data connection, 60341 is assigned (hence the PORT ...,235,181).
Reasoning: In an FTP active mode, the client opens listening port for the expected data connection, which it then reports to the server via PORT command over an existing control connection. If the server cannot connect to the port, no TCP/IP packet can ever come to that port. As you claim that the "two machines still communicate at port 60340", it must be the control connection. There cannot be any communication on port, if the connection failed ("Can't open data connection").
The actual cause of the "Can't open data connection" error is likely that you are behind a firewall, so the server cannot connect back to the client. What is a common nowadays. That's what passive mode is good for.