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SFTP Setup Guide: Secure File Transfer for Your Seedbox

2 min read

SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) is a secure way to transfer files between your computer and your seedbox. Unlike regular FTP, SFTP encrypts everything — your credentials and your data. It’s built into your seedbox and works with the same credentials you use for ruTorrent. No extra setup required.

SFTP vs FTP — What’s the Difference? #


  FTP vs SFTP
  ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  FTP (port 21)                    SFTP (port 22)
  ┌──────────────────────┐        ┌──────────────────────┐
  │ ⚠️ Unencrypted       │        │ 🔒 Fully encrypted   │
  │ Password sent in     │        │ SSH-based protocol   │
  │ plain text           │        │                      │
  │ Multiple ports       │        │ Single port (22)     │
  │ (passive mode)       │        │ Firewall-friendly    │
  │                      │        │                      │
  │ Faster for bulk      │        │ Secure by default    │
  │ (multi-connection)   │        │ Built into seedbox   │
  └──────────────────────┘        └──────────────────────┘

  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │  Use SFTP when security matters (public Wi-Fi,       │
  │  sensitive files). Use FTP when speed is priority    │
  │  (FileZilla multi-segment downloads).               │
  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Connection Details #


  YOUR SFTP CREDENTIALS
  ═══════════════════════════════════════

  Host:     YOUR-SERVER.myseedbox.site
  Port:     22
  Username: (same as ruTorrent)
  Password: (same as ruTorrent)
  Protocol: SFTP (not FTP!)

  Find these in your Client Area:
  Services → Your Seedbox → Login Details

Connect with FileZilla #

FileZilla supports both FTP and SFTP. Here’s how to connect via SFTP:

  1. Open FileZilla
  2. Go to File > Site Manager > New Site
  3. Fill in:
    • Protocol: SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol
    • Host: YOUR-SERVER.myseedbox.site
    • Port: 22
    • Logon Type: Normal
    • User: your seedbox username
    • Password: your seedbox password
  4. Click Connect
  5. Accept the server’s host key when prompted (first time only)

  FILEZILLA SITE MANAGER
  ═══════════════════════════════════════════════

  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │ Protocol: [SFTP - SSH File Transfer ▼]   │  ◀── NOT "FTP"
  │ Host:     [your-server.myseedbox.site]   │
  │ Port:     [22                        ]   │
  │ Logon:    [Normal                    ▼]  │
  │ User:     [your_username             ]   │
  │ Password: [••••••••••                ]   │
  │                                          │
  │         [Connect]  [Cancel]              │
  └──────────────────────────────────────────┘

  ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Select "SFTP" not "FTP" in Protocol.
  The credentials are the same, but the protocol is different.

Connect with WinSCP (Windows) #

  1. Download WinSCP
  2. On the login screen, select SFTP as the protocol
  3. Enter host, port 22, username, and password
  4. Click Login

Connect via Terminal (macOS / Linux) #

SFTP is built into macOS and Linux terminals:

# Connect
sftp [email protected]

# Navigate
sftp> cd downloads
sftp> ls

# Download a file
sftp> get movie.mkv

# Download a folder
sftp> get -r movies/

# Upload a file
sftp> put local-file.torrent watch/

# Exit
sftp> exit

Connect on Mobile #


  MOBILE SFTP APPS
  ══════════════════════════════════════

  iOS:
  ├── FE File Explorer      Free, reliable
  ├── Termius               SSH + SFTP
  └── Secure ShellFish      Modern UI

  Android:
  ├── Solid Explorer        Built-in SFTP
  ├── Cx File Explorer      Free, clean
  └── Termius               SSH + SFTP

  Connection: same credentials, port 22, SFTP protocol

How SFTP Chroot Works on Your Seedbox #

Your SFTP access is chrooted — this means you can only see your own home directory. You cannot access other users’ files or system directories.


  SFTP CHROOT (Security Boundary)
  ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  What you see via SFTP:          What's actually on server:

  / (root)                        /home/your_user/  ◀── chroot
  ├── downloads/                  ├── downloads/
  │   ├── movies/                 │   ├── movies/
  │   └── tv-shows/               │   └── tv-shows/
  ├── watch/                      ├── watch/
  └── private/                    └── private/

  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │  You CANNOT navigate above /home/your_user/      │
  │  Other users' files are invisible to you ✓       │
  │  System files are invisible to you ✓             │
  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Troubleshooting #

Connection Refused / Timeout #

  • Make sure you’re using port 22 (not 21)
  • Verify the hostname is correct: YOUR-SERVER.myseedbox.site
  • Some networks block port 22 — try from a different network

“Permission Denied” on Login #

  • Double-check your username and password (case-sensitive)
  • If you recently changed your password, try the new one
  • Make sure you selected SFTP protocol, not FTP

“Received unexpected end of file” or “Broken Pipe” #

  • This usually means the chroot directory permissions were temporarily incorrect
  • Wait a few minutes — the seedbox auto-fixes this hourly
  • If it persists, contact support

Slow Transfer Speeds #

  • SFTP uses a single encrypted connection — inherently slower than multi-connection FTP
  • For maximum speed with SFTP, increase the buffer size in your client (FileZilla: Edit → Settings → Transfers → Buffer size)
  • For bulk transfers where speed is critical, use FTP with FileZilla

Tips #

  • Use SSH keys for passwordless login — see our SSH Key Authentication guide
  • Automate with rsync — rsync -avz -e ssh user@server:downloads/ ~/local-downloads/ syncs your seedbox to your PC
  • SFTP for public Wi-Fi — Always use SFTP over FTP when on untrusted networks
  • Mount as drive — Use SSHFS to mount your seedbox as a local folder via SFTP

Related Guides #

Updated on April 12, 2026

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