IBM Mainframe Forum

I am trying to use command prompt to download a file from Mainframes to my PC. (FTP purpose)
I need to connect to mainframes first from command prompt.
For that I open cmd and then enter the following command
FTP XX.X.XXX.XX
where XX.X.XXX.XX is the mainframe ip address that we use.
But i get the following error message connect: Unknown error

I need to know how to determine the correct ip address.

I have tried using the PING SYSA command from start 6 option in mainframes. But this too gives me an error message saying 'Unknown Host' .
(I found this solution from Google)

So is there any other method to find the correct ip to connect?

So is there any other method to find the correct ip to connect?

the only legal and safe method is to ask those who know Your support

I was going to add

a reasonable but not 100% legal and safe method is to look at the IP address used for the 3270 emulation

but I guess that

where XX.X.XXX.XX is the mainframe ip address that we use.

You already tried it

Thanks Enrico for your reply.
I will still try to get a solution and will share once i get it.

Your site support group should be the ones to ask, not a forum -- as enrico indicated. One thing to consider is that your site support group may have altered the default port number for FTP for your mainframe (for some reason) so even knowing the correct IP address may not be enough to connect an FTP session. And if the port number was changed, only your site support group (or someone working at your site) could possibly tell you what port number to use.

To know your Mainframe IP just issue the command : TSO HOMETEST and you will find your mainframe IP.
Port that you want to open would be : 20 or 21(Check with your network guru's)
To check if you have got the FTP access, then open up your DOS prompt and issue the telnet command.

HTH
jaggz

Thanks jaggz for the HOMETEST command.
We can get the IP address by issuing the NETSTAT CONN command from Start 6.

jaggz wrote:To check if you have got the FTP access, then open up your DOS prompt and issue the telnet command.

I did not get the telnet part . Could you explain me on how to check for the FTP access using the telnet command. It would be great. Thanks.

Hello,

As this topic again proves - many of the "things" available on one system may not be available on others.

People who have experience with only one organization often believe that something they use is available everywhere. . .


How might telnet help find the ftp ip address?

dick scherrer wrote:...How might telnet help find the ftp ip address?

Beats me! Sometime in the late 1990s - probably '98 - I did a telnet to an FTP server. I don't recall why I did this, but I did it.

Nope.. its not about believing that something will work everywhere. Its just a learning process. There are so many people with so many ideas out there. These forums are meant to share your findings and to learn from them ...Right ?

If others techiniques help us then well and good. If not its Okay.

And jaggz did mention that we can check for the "FTP ACCESS" from telnet, so i was curious to know about it.

Whoa Nellie!!! When I run the TSO HOMETEST, I get the "wrong" address back.

I get the address for the IP stack to which the mainframe belongs, but it's NOT the right address to use when I try to do an FTP from my PC. Our network is on a different stack, and there are some bridges in between that we need to use.