401 Unauthorized error on the Broadcom FTP site (ftp.broadcom.com)

Products

• Support Portal
• Support Portal & Access Issues

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to download product binaries or patches from the Broadcom FTP site (ftp.broadcom.com), the site repeatedly prompts for credentials even after entering valid Support Portal login details. 

Error: 401 Unauthorized 

Environment

• Broadcom Support Portal
• Broadcom FTP site (ftp.broadcom.com)
• Product downloads (e.g., binaries, software patches)

Cause

The Broadcom FTP site authentication mechanism does not support certain special characters in passwords. Specifically, the following characters cause authentication failure:

• Backslash (\)
• Backtick (`)

Resolution

To resolve this issue, update the Support Portal password to exclude the unsupported characters:

1. Navigate to the Broadcom Support Portal login page.
2. Enter your registered email address, click Next, and select Forgot Password.
3. Follow the instructions outlined in article Resetting your password on the Broadcom Support Portal.
4. Choose a new password that does not contain backslashes (\) or backticks (`).
5. Clear the browser cache and attempt the download again.

Additional Information

For general information on how to download products, refer to 

• Download Broadcom products, patches and software
• Downloading FTP files on the Broadcom support portal using FileZilla and WinSCP
• If any further assistance is required, contact Broadcom Support.