Port Forwarding Advice Please

First question - where (what application) are you typing in this external IP address - if it's your browser you'll need to prefix it with ftp:// or the browser will attempt to connect using the http protocol which will find the web management page. Second question - where (what network) are you connecting from - if it's from outside the LAN, be aware that ftp can be a pain in the behind to get working across the internet, and the connection issues vary depending on how you're connecting (regular ftp or passive ftp), what ports are being used (standard or non standard) and can also be caused by the router at the client side. My advice is to start with a very simple, regular ftp with standard ports, get it functional across the LAN, verify functionality across the internet, and then enhance the security one step at a time, until it is at the desired level.

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you

i have tried ftp://ip address from home last night and it didnt connect atall. and when i tried http://ipaddress it didnt come up with anything.

@Berryman1981:

Is your SRX5308 behind another firewall router?

Have you already check if you have set the Inbound firewall rules properly to allow FTP access on one of your PCs at your office from outside your network?

You may want to post a screenshot of your configuration.