ssh shuts down eventually

[Ostrolphant]

If I just boot up my (Fedora 12) computer I can access it through terminal ssh/ftp reliably from my OS X machine. But after some undetermined amount of time (usually 'over night') if I try to ssh in or get ftp access I can't. it just times out and ping says "no route to host"/"host is down" if I reboot it solves the problem instantly. I set up iptables to have port the FTP ports open, I think it's right (I mean it works until I got to sleep or go away for a few hours )

(here's my iptables ...if it is relevant..who knows)

Table: nat
Chain PREROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         

Chain POSTROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         

Table: filter
Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         
1    ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state NEW multiport ports 20:21 
2    ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state RELATED,ESTABLISHED 
3    ACCEPT     icmp --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           
4    ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           
5    ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state NEW tcp dpt:22 
6    REJECT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           reject-with icmp-host-prohibited 
7    ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:21 

Chain FORWARD (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         
1    REJECT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           reject-with icmp-host-prohibited 

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination

What gives?

[Lazydog]

If I just boot up my (Fedora 12) computer I can access it through terminal ssh/ftp reliably from my OS X machine. But after some undetermined amount of time (usually 'over night') if I try to ssh in or get ftp access I can't. it just times out and ping says "no route to host"/"host is down" if I reboot it solves the problem instantly.

Sounds like you are losing your Network connection on the Fedora box. Have you checked anything before you reboot? Logs? Interfaces? Tried to ping anything from the Fedora box?

I set up iptables to have port the FTP ports open, I think it's right (I mean it works until I got to sleep or go away for a few hours )

(here's my iptables ...if it is relevant..who knows)

Table: nat
Chain PREROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         

Chain POSTROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         

Table: filter
Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         
1    ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state NEW multiport ports 20:21 
2    ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state RELATED,ESTABLISHED 
3    ACCEPT     icmp --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           
4    ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           
5    ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state NEW tcp dpt:22 
6    REJECT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           reject-with icmp-host-prohibited 
7    ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:21 

Chain FORWARD (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         
1    REJECT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           reject-with icmp-host-prohibited 

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination

What gives?

I am surprised that port 21 is able to connect at all since it is after the REJECT rule.
Don't you know that POLICIES should be set to DROP?
Post your /etc/sysconfig/iptables file.