Setting Up Router For Webserver

derek_lee_alby · #1 21st March 2005, 10:42 PM

Hey guys...if you've read any of my other posts you'll know I'm somewhat of a newbie...I have a machine running FC2 setup behind a linksys router...I need to know how to set up my router so that I can connect to my linux box through other computers. do I HAVE to have a domain to start off or can I just use my IP for now??? I kinda hate to spend money on a domain till I get this thing working...thx for your help guys...

Derek Lee

awdac · #2 21st March 2005, 10:44 PM

You need to set up port forwarding on your router--see its instructions for that.

You may use just your IP, or you can go to some place like dyndns.org and get a free domain there to use while you're testing it out.

Edit: And perhaps I should say that the only port you need to forward for http is 80 (at least with a default configuration). Is that what you meant when you said connect to it from other computers (set up a webserver), or did you need other features (ssh, etc.)?

Zigzagcom · #3 21st March 2005, 10:58 PM

I have called these permanent links in my bookmark folder:

www.portforward.com
http://www.brennan.id.au/
www.dslwebserver.com/

derek_lee_alby · #4 21st March 2005, 11:15 PM

one more question...how do I find the username and password to get into my router so that I can open port 80???

derek lee

DaveW · #5 22nd March 2005, 12:45 AM

awdac is correct. Linksys will use blank for username and admin for a password. It is highly recommended you change these settings as soon as you can. If you are forgetful write info down somewhere where you will remember to find it. Just my 2 cents. Found my neighbor's wireless connection and systems wide open and could had set everything anyway I wanted because he was still using default D-Link router info. All of his computers were wide open, literally, however, I was nice though and fixed everything up securely for him. Come to find out, he had it set up like that for the past 6 months.

derek_lee_alby · #6 22nd March 2005, 02:15 AM

another question guys...I went through most of the steps on portforward.com on how to setup a static IP but it doesn't give steps for a linux system...it's all windows...any tips??? am I missing something here???

Derek Lee

awdac · #7 21st March 2005, 11:30 PM

If you didn't change them, the linksys website should tell you somewhere in the documentation what the default is.

awdac · #8 22nd March 2005, 02:24 AM

Do you mean how do you make your DHCP router always assign your Linux server the same IP? For that you must consult the Linksys docs again (or find someone who has one to tell you). If you mean how do you assign a static IP to your Linux box manually, you issue 'ifconfig eth0 (or whatever your interface is) 192.168.1.3 (or whatever internal IP you are using)' and then to make that permanent you add that to your /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 file. I think there it is IPADDR=XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX. And then take out the BOOTPROTO=DHCP line (or comment it out, really). That will make it assign that to your interface when you bring it up, either on boot or manually with 'ifup eth0'.

derek_lee_alby · #9 22nd March 2005, 04:03 AM

they way I have interpreted these tutorials is that my linux box must have a static IP address? Is this correct??? if so then how do I make sure my linux box has a static IP??? thx guys...In the tutorials, it goes through how to assign a static IP to a windows machine...but nothing for linux...

Derek Lee

awdac · #10 22nd March 2005, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek_lee_alby

they way I have interpreted these tutorials is that my linux box must have a static IP address? Is this correct??? if so then how do I make sure my linux box has a static IP??? thx guys...In the tutorials, it goes through how to assign a static IP to a windows machine...but nothing for linux...

I just gave you two ways. Perhaps what you're missing here is that your Linux box will have an internal IP that you will forward your router ports to, probably something that begins with 192.168.XXX.XXX. That is *not* the address you use from outside your network or on the Internet. That IP may be set by the methods I gave you in the previous post. The outside IP is the one that your ISP gives you. That is best static, but it usually isn't. You may get around that by checking to see when your ISP changes it and update accordingly, you may be able to ask them to make it static (which they will often do for a fee), or you may use a service like dyndns.org (which I would recommend in your case). Read the docs over at dyndns.org. Your Linux box will not even need to know what your outside IP is necessarily.

Zigzagcom · #11 22nd March 2005, 05:29 AM

You may want to recall what you specified during the install of your OS.
Also go to the website of your routers manufacturer and download the manual.
It will be in .pdf format most likely. Otherwise, you should be able to access help,
once you access the routers config pages. Most SOHO gateways allow you to disable
DHCP. or you can specify an IP address for your Linux box outside of the range of DHCP addresses.

If you want to use the GUI that comes with FC3, click on Applications>SystemTools>NetworkTools.
This will open the "NetworkDeviceControl" dialogue box. Highlight the device you want to configure and click on "Configure"...(most often this will be eth0).
The "Network Configuration" dialogue box will appear...there are several items of importance that you need to configure; the static ip address you have chosen for your computer, the subnet mask, the gateway address, and the DNS server IP address of your ISP. If you have signed up for a domain via dyndns.org (or similar service), you can also assign a fully qualified domain name to your computer. Lets do this step by step...

1. With the "Devices Tab" active and your device (NIC) highlighted, click on the "Edit" icon...
This will bring up the "Ethernet Device" box. Check "Activate device when computer starts"
Select the "Statically set IP adress" radio button...this effectively disables DHCP and you will now be able to enter manual IP address settings, for example IP address:192.168.1.100 /Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 /Default Gateway address: 192.168.1.1...make sure that you select an Ip address that corresponds to the network on the router. You also may want to enable "Allow all users to enable and disable the device". Click on OK.

2. You will return to the "Network Configuration" dialogue box...highlight the DNS tab...
Here you can specify the hostname for your computer and the DNS servers.
Lets say you created a domain called "derek.dyndns.org" and want to name your computer "alby". So you would enter "alby.derek.dyndns.org" (without the quotes) in the hostname field. The tricky part is what your primary and secondary DNS servers are. More often than not, you can use the Ip addresses that were given to you by your ISP. Some folks set up DNS services on their computer or even on the router/gateway, but that is more infomation I am willing to deal with right now. Once you have the correct info entered, return to the "Devices" tab. Click on "File" and save the configuration. Last but not least, make sure that the ethernet device is activated and check the status in the window.

3. www.dyndns.org is one of several organizations or .coms where you can sign up for a free domain name. The way it works, is that you are piggybacking on their domain, by creating a name (if it is available), and appending it to dyndns.org, as in derek.dyndns.org...DNS, (domain name service), maps easily remembered names to IP addresses. If your WAN IP address is 4.41.42.43 (just an example), I should be able to connect to that address via derek.dyndns.org....but your ISP is most likely assigning you a dynamic WAN IP address, which can change on a moments notice.

In that case, you need a mechanism to update the WAN IP address on your router with the DNS cache of dyndns.org. For that, you have to download and install a "client", that monitors the WAN IP address of the router from your computer, let's say every 5 minutes or so. If the IP address has changed, the client will take note of that and send an update to the DNS servers at dyndns.org. Dyndns.org has list of such clients.

If you have managed to follow me, have configured your router to portforward to your computer, and a few Hail Mary's, people from all over the world should be able to find services on your computer, such as httpd, ftpd, sshd, etc. and connect to them.
Please read up on security and firewalling a bit (or a lot, preferably), before you open up services to the world.

derek_lee_alby · #12 22nd March 2005, 05:53 AM

thank you VERY much for your information...I think that worked...I am rebooting right now as we speak...one more question...do I need any special programs or anything to upload websites from Microsoft FrontPage???

edit: also, I need to make sure...I want to open port 80 correct??? so on a linksys router I would type 80 in the start and 80 in the end and check mark the enable box...right??? I think I'm startin to get the hang of this thing...thx guys

Zigzagcom · #13 22nd March 2005, 06:11 AM

This I don't know myself, other than that FP will generate pages with the .htm suffix, but Apache should have it in a directive of httpd.conf by default. You can try using WinSCP (free) if you have sshd enabled. On a local secure network, Samba, ftp will work. I don't know if you can publish directly from FP, give it a shot.

P.S. Yes, you would have to assign the range, and 80-80 would be a range. Base port is 80.
Make sure the IP address of the server is mapped to that port as well.

derek_lee_alby · #14 23rd March 2005, 07:10 PM

thx guys for all your help...I've got everything up and running...my only problem is that I can't publish from Microsoft FrontPage 2002 because I don't have the Server Extentions...I have them and am trying to install them but I am having trouble...if anybody has ever done this please let me know cuz I need some help with that...thanks again for all your help...

Derek Lee