Issues with VSFTPD / FTP on Linux Ubuntu server - Steps for Troubleshooting?

I am dealing with an issue I am unclear on how to resolve and have been pulling my hair out for some time. I have been trying to configure an FTP user using the following (we use this same documentation on all servers)

Install FTP Server

• apt-get install vsftpd Enable local_enable and write_enable to YES


• and anonymous user to NO in /etc/vsftpd.conf restart - service vsftpd


• restart - to allow changes to take place

Add WordPress User for FTP access in WP Admin

Create a fake shell for the user add "usr/sbin/nologin" to the bottom of the /etc/shells file

Add a FTP user account

• useradd username -d /var/www/ -s /usr/sbin/nologin


• passwd username

add these lines to the bottom of /etc/vsftpd.conf
- userlist_file=/etc/vsftpd.userlist
- userlist_enable=YES
- userlist_deny=NO

Add username to the list at top of /etc/vsftpd.userlist

• restart vsftpd "service vsftpd restart"


• make sure firewall is open for ftp "ufw allow ftp" allow



• modify the /var/www directory for username "chown -R
  /var/www

I have also went through everything listed on this post and no luck. I am getting connection refused.

Sorry for the poor text formatting above. I think you get the idea. This is something we do over and over and for some reason it is not cooperating here.

Setup is Ubuntu 12.04LTS and VSFTPD v2.3.5