Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: FTP: connect: No route to host error

Error connecting to FTP host due to network issue.

Quick Answer: Check the IP address and subnet mask of both VMs to ensure they are correctly configured for the virtual network.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🛑 Root Causes of the Error
  2. 🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps
  3. 🎯 Final Words

The 'No route to host' error when connecting via FTP between two Fedora VMs in VMware can be frustrating, especially if you're trying to transfer files or access resources. This error occurs when the FTP client cannot establish a connection with the server due to an issue with the network routing.

This issue is particularly challenging because it involves understanding the complex interactions between the operating system, network configuration, and virtualization software.

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • The primary reason for this error is that the FTP client is trying to connect to a VM host IP address instead of the actual VM IP address. This can happen when the VM's MAC address is not being properly routed or if there are issues with the network configuration in VMware.
  • Another possible cause could be an issue with the NAT (Network Address Translation) settings in VMware, which may prevent the VMs from receiving traffic on certain ports.

🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps

Enabling ICMP ECHO Request and ICMP Redirect

  1. Step 1: Open a terminal on the FTP client machine and run the command `sudo ip route add -net 192.168.20.0/24 dev eth0` to enable ICMP routing for the specified network range.
  2. Step 2: Run the command `sudo sysctl -w net.inet.ip.fwd=1` to enable IP forwarding, which is necessary for ICMP routing to work.
  3. Step 3: Restart the FTP client machine and try connecting again using the ftp command.

Configuring NAT settings in VMware

  1. Step 1: Open the VMware console and navigate to the VM's properties. Click on 'Advanced' and then select the 'Network' tab.
  2. Step 2: In the 'NAT' section, ensure that the 'VMware NAT' option is selected instead of 'Bridged'. This will allow the VMs to receive traffic on certain ports.
  3. Step 3: Save the changes and restart the VM. Try connecting again using the ftp command.

🎯 Final Words

To resolve the 'No route to host' error when connecting via FTP between two Fedora VMs in VMware, you can try enabling ICMP ECHO Request and ICMP Redirect or configuring NAT settings in VMware. If neither method works, it may be necessary to investigate further into the network configuration and routing issues.

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