If you are having difficulty getting a readable file listing from a server or experience problems with unexpected disconnects, our tech support team may ask you to change one of more of the advanced server settings.

Advanced server settings are esoteric and intended for use only to avoid specific problems with known non-standard server behaviors. It is highly recommended you not change them unless advised by our support team.

To access the advanced server settings:

  1. Choose Transmit > Settings…
  2. Click Advanced
  3. Click Advanced Server Settings…

Changes made to the Default item affect all sessions, unless overridden by a server-specific setting. Click + and enter a server’s address to set server-specific settings.

Available settings

Server Type
Transmit uses a default set of behaviors which work with most servers, and will attempt to auto-detect the type of server to enable higher-level functionality. Choose a specific server type to force behaviors specific to a certain type of FTP server software, or if Transmit is guessing incorrectly.
List Spacing
This setting affects how Transmit parses directory listings. Specifically, it tells Transmit how many spaces to expect between the day and time fields.
Text Encoding
If Transmit is unable to correctly guess the text encoding being used by your server, select one from the popup to force its use.
Limit Server to
Transmit will not make more than the specified number of connections to the server.
Connect Timeout
Specifies how long Transmit should wait for a response to a connection request before giving up.
Busy Retry
Some servers only allow a limited number of users to be connected at once. Transmit can “redial” these servers until it gets connected by adjusting this delay interval.
Preserve modification dates
Transmit will attempt to carry over the modification dates of files when transferred. This is not fully supported by all protocols or all servers.
Tickle server during long transfers
If enabled, Transmit will send a do-nothing “PWD” command every 60 seconds on the control connection of an FTP session. This prevents arbitrary disconnects from occurring in the middle of transfers in some server configurations.
Use FEAT command
If enabled, Transmit will send the FEAT command to determine specific capabilities of your FTP server. Not all FTP servers support this command.
Use MLST command
The MLST and MLSD commands provide more accurate information about file dates than other similar commands, but are not supported by all FTP servers.
Use CCC command
For SSL-encrypted FTP connections only, this command tells the server to revert back to unencrypted communication on the control connection after authentication is complete.
Use PRET command
Sends the PRET command to the FTP server before a transfer to enable Distributed Passive mode.
Use TLS v1.2 encryption
Enables TLS v1.2 encryption for the specified FTP server. (This setting is enabled by default in Transmit 5.)

This article was last updated on October 27, 2022