SSL certificate warning in FTP/email apps: use your server hostname (GARMTECH)

If you see an SSL/TLS warning like “certificate does not match the hostname” when connecting via FTP or configuring email, it usually means you entered the wrong server name.

Why this happens

On most hosting platforms, SSL certificates for shared services are issued for the server hostname (the actual server name), not for every customer domain. If you connect to:

• ftp.yourdomain.com or mail.yourdomain.com (or the domain itself)

…the certificate presented by the server may be for something like server123.garmtech.net, and your app will warn about the mismatch.

The fix: use the server hostname from your service

1. Log in to My.GARMTECH.
2. Open your hosting/email service details.
3. Find the Server hostname (server name).
4. Use that hostname in your FTP client and email app settings.

Correct settings for FTP‑SSL (FTPS)

• Host: your server hostname
• Protocol: FTP
• Encryption: “Require explicit FTP over TLS” (FTP‑SSL / FTPS)
• Port: 21 (default for explicit FTPS)

Note: On GARMTECH hosting, website uploads are supported via FTP‑SSL (FTPS). SFTP is not available on shared hosting.

Correct settings for email (IMAP/POP3/SMTP)

• Incoming (IMAP): server hostname, SSL/TLS, port 993
• Incoming (POP3): server hostname, SSL/TLS, port 995
• Outgoing (SMTP): server hostname, SSL/TLS, port 465, authentication enabled

What if you want to use mail.yourdomain.com without warnings?

For the certificate to match, that hostname must have a certificate issued for it. This typically requires a mail service that supports certificates for custom hostnames. On shared hosting, the supported method is to use the provided server hostname.