SFTP connection timeout

How long the file browser waits for a host to connect and sign in before it gives up. Without a limit, a host that silently drops packets could leave an SFTP tab spinning for minutes until your operating system gave up.

Change it

1. Open Settings → Terminal.
2. Under SFTP, set SFTP connection timeout in seconds.

The default is 30 seconds. Any value from 5 to 300 is allowed, and values outside that range are clamped to it.

The setting applies to this computer only, and it's read on every new SFTP connection, so it takes effect the next time you open an SFTP tab.

What it covers

The timeout bounds the whole connection: reaching the host over TCP, the SSH handshake and signing in. If any of it takes longer, the tab shows the connection failure instead of waiting indefinitely.

When to change it

• Raise it for slow hosts, high-latency links, VPNs, satellite connections, or long jump chains where every hop adds a handshake.
• Lower it if you'd rather find out quickly that a host is down. Host reachability also shows that before you connect.

Good to know

This setting affects the SFTP file browser only. Terminals show their own step-by-step connection progress; see Reconnect & ended sessions.