HFS Not Working

[briesmith]

I really need help with this and would pay a moderate! fee if necessary to get a solution.

I am running HFS 2.3e Build #293 on a Windows Server 2008 R2 platform. I had a static IP address and HFS worked fine.

I switched suppliers to BT who don't supply static IPs so I bought a noip subscription and configured HFS to work with that. Running in expert mode when the application makes a request to either download or upload files to/from HFS, the request is seen but HFS doesn't do anything and the requesting browser session eventually times out.

I've tried Chrome and IE.

[bmartino1]

Sounds like you need to setup some basic networking to get things running! (sounds like a port problem)
-----------------

I will need to double check 3 things to make it use able over the web:
(I also recommend the no-ip dynamic dns updater: http://www.noip.com/download?page=win

So first lets look at windows:
1. Windows side: ( i will assume you are using windows 7 ) at least i will post info link to windows 7...(most likely usable for all windows side os...)

You might need to set the "hfs server machine" to a static ip address (this way when you open ports or use web traffic it has a "definite path" I use 192.168.1.254 (as it is the last ip dhcp will hand out, and the router will point your hfs server port to that ip!)
For help on that lets see you network configuration:
windows command prompt:
cmd > "ipconfig /all"(<=command) has all the network info you need:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-tcp-ip-settings#1TC=windows-7

ip address is the machine address
subnet depends on your network most likely "255.255.255.0"
gateway is your router's ip adress most likely "192.168.1.1"

you will need to allow hfs thorugh your firewall
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/542-windows-firewall-add-remove-exception.html

2. Router/(intranet) network side
you router will need the port you chose in hfs (say you set the port to 8080 go to you router- in a web browser typ in the ip address of your gateway)

enable "port forward" to your machine and the router to the same port ie port (starting port) 8080 to port (ending port) 8080
http://www.wikihow.com/Set-Up-Port-Forwarding-on-a-Router

*note some router don't allow you to use your "public" ip address to view inside, so while your at home your webpage is accessible via the ip address you set to the machine earlier

(if your router supports it you can have it memorize you "hfs" machine "network address (known as a mac address) and assign it a specific ip address so it will always be "192.168.1.x" x being the number you set i chose 254 as it is the last number dhcp will use...

3. Internet/Modem side
go to http://www.ipchicken.com/
This is your public ip address so when you are not at home you will go to this ip address (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) what is shown at the website above one of many website that can tell you your public ip address...

This is the IP that no-ip needs to have for HFS to work!

You should now have hfs view able form the outside world via:
http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8080
(xxx your public ip address)

extra notes with other DNS providers:
------------------------------
Since modems can be dynamic ip address you can opt to get a "dns name so instead of typing xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx you type a predefined word such as mywebsite.(free public domain).org

DNS free domains names:
either by adding it into the router or have it client side, or even pre-setup in a dns online website..

I'm having good luck with http://freedns.afraid.org/ using mooo.com as my public domain...(website presetup)
--------------------------

hfs also has an updater (unknown if it is working..) for no ip
see picture

[bmartino1]

it sounds like you are using the no-ip address form your home, and  your router doesn't understand how to send that back

i recommend you set the no-ip domain name you chose to the static ip of the hfs server machine...

here is how to edit the host file:
http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/windows-7-hosts-file/

(this is also a temp fix for dns name addressing do to router nat issue)

[LeoNeeson]

It may sound silly, but it can be as simple as opening a port on your router (you may search on Google "Port Forwarding", along with your router model).

What router are you using? (model, brand, etc). What connection type do you have?, ADSL, Cable, Fiber Optic, etc.

[briesmith]

Thanks everyone for replying but I think I've forgotten to explain something.

I am using HFS to provide  a means where football league administrators can upload documents (to an HFS maintained uploads folder) which football club officers can download (from an HFS maintained downloads folder).
They are mainly forms used in the administration of the league so any HFS configuration has to assume that the uploaders (the league officers) will be using any sort of browser on any sort of device and the downloaders (the club officials) will be doing the same.
So anything that has to happen in terms of settings has to happen only on the Windows Server 2008 R2 machine to HFS settings and the pages within the website at leaguemanager.biz that offer the uploading/downloading links.
I can't be making changes to users' machines or asking them to.

[bmartino1]

ok, please review the network setup to make sure you are at least live, for simplicity, use port 80

-----------Lets review----------------------

*** this is your no-ip domain name:
le**********er.biz

I am running HFS 2.3e Build #293

Windows Server 2008 R2 platform.

You had a static IP address and HFS worked fine.
***(static Public IP or statice ip to the windows machine???)

Switch internet suppliers to  "BT" who use dynamic ip addressing ...
You have a dns name form a no-ip.com subscription and configured HFS to work with that.
***(how did you configure it?)

Running in expert mode(hfs advance features mode)

***Issue you are reporting: When the application makes a request to either download or upload files to/from HFS, the request is seen but HFS doesn't do anything and the requesting browser session eventually times out.

What is the adress you go to to test this, are you on the HFS machine when doing this?

***Furthermore you need to setup security:

Main gola for Your Private HFS Server:
I am using HFS to provide  a means where football league administrators can upload documents...

***(are they going to have separate users or share a user account?)

For now i will give examples of a "groups" you can use and add 1 user to the gorup or multiple users to the group for the above q/a...
Group will be called: FCO
"FCO"(football club officers)

and CO
"CO" club officials

***Now we need to setup the account perlivages for access:

Access restriction:
"FCO" group needs upload and download access to a specific folder as defined here:
(to an HFS maintained uploads folder) which football club officers can download (from an HFS maintained downloads folder).

***This is okay, so unknown clients will be conecting to HFS for file acess as defiend here: (please note, that not all device work with HFS, there have been problems with users uing phones and game stations) i've not had any problem with any web browser...

"CO" group need access and download rights as defined here
They are mainly forms used in the administration of the league so any HFS configuration has to assume that the uploaders (the league officers) will be using any sort of browser on any sort of device and the downloaders (the club officials) will be doing the same.

***This is okay,(unless the FCO are on the same network as the hfs server sue to possible router limitations) any/all changes will be on the windows server 2008 r2 (hfs server) machine

So anything that has to happen in terms of settings has to happen only on the Windows Server 2008 R2 machine to HFS settings and the pages within the website...
I can't be making changes to users' machines or asking them to.

***If they are in the same house as the server, then they need to go to the ip address of the machine not the no-ip name!
--------------------------------------------------------

( since you are on a windows server machine, it is not needed, but i think you would have better luck using windows ISS) <- Not needed, but possible...

[bmartino1]

i see by going to your no-ip domain name that it takes me to the windows server default iss 7... meaning you have iss7 already installed...

by default, since i reach the page, you port 80 is being processed through your router correctly... But ISS will prevent you form using port 80(default web traffic port), unless you change it...

IDK what port you are using for HFS, port 8080 would be the net viable random guess choice...

Since you have windows iis preset up/installed, you can setup a folder to be shared in the default windows iss folder directory:
%SystemDrive%\inetpub\wwwroot

Form there you can
Add a folder and add user/group security to that folder for web viewing...

enable ftp to that folder to upload files, have user use ftp(port 21) to upload ...
or install php and make a php upload page to that folder...

proff that your port forwarding is ok, picture of iss screen form your site, not on you local network...
see picture

for possibel php upad file take a look at this forum:
http://www.rejetto.com/forum/router-port-problems/is-there-any-way-to-protect-repeated-login-attempts/msg1059817/#msg1059817

[briesmith]

I'm using port 6881.

I don't want to re-engineer another solution using FTP and PHP. And I can't ask my users to use any specialist knowledge to upload and download because they don't have any nor can I ask them to make changes to their systems just to accommodate me.

The weird thing is that the whole HFS upload/download process works fine when I attach my Windows 7 laptop to the router via wifi. So it's got something to do with how the router is processing requests from other sources.

[bmartino1]

well, hfs is working so, i don't quite see your issue...

I will attach a setup of the iis page combined with HFS... you will need to uses/reconfigure hfs and resetup the dns noip wizard on it...

just copy these files in your location.. see next post...

I've setup the file path in the windows default iss path:
 "C:\inetpub"

I've added, user (group) account control,you need to set a password to the admin and user accounts, the FCO group, you can make and add users to that group for file upload access!...

[bmartino1]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9u5dgydfOEuNXlCbDM3UzhFRkk/view?usp=sharing

about 5 Mb...

hfs latest build,

Presetup with rarw live 3.01 tpl
Presetup with folders and files at physical path: C:\inetpub
Presetup folder file paths
Presetup groups and default added users:
admin (no pasword set yet)
user (no password set yet)

Presetup groups:
FCO:
user and admin are in this group, the necessary places have FCO access, and use in the FCO group has upload access...

ISS start page added info and links to hfs to easy access to upload and obtain information... (BASIC HTML / CSS)

if yo can't get it form here,  then Sorry, your out of luck...

I will not make any other "custum changes..."

AS said earlier.. you only need to do things on the HFS Server machine...

[LeoNeeson]

briesmith (and specially bmartino1): IMHO, before configuring access groups, and the HFS interface (templates), the priority here is getting external access correctly, so we must solve this problem first. Your installed HFS server, seems to be working fine (on port 6881). As you said earlier, you have a NoIP Plus subscription, and since your HFS is working fine on port 6881, "the most easy way to solve your problem" (this is my motto), is setup a "Port 80 Redirect".

What is a "Port 80 Redirect"? According to NoIP support:

This service is designed to send your hostname to our redirect server. Our redirect server then points your hostname to the IP address and port you provided. This service is most commonly used for users running a web server that is being blocked on port 80 and do not want to enter in the port number after their host. This change can take five minutes (300 seconds) to be live.

Source: http://www.noip.com/support/knowledgebase/dns-host-types/

So, what's next?:
You must configure your No-IP Hostname. So, go to your No-IP Account, and then "Manage Hosts", and select your domain. In the "Host Type" section, select the option "Port 80 Redirect", and then on "Port", write "6881". Save changes, and bingo! ...in a few minutes you must be up and working!



If you still have trouble configuring a "Port 80 Redirect", and have a "No-IP subscription", you can have free technical support from No-IP, giving them a phone call.

...or you can read any of these help pages:

Code: [Select]

http://www.noip.com/support/knowledgebase/my-isp-blocks-port-80-what-can-i-do/
http://www.noip.com/blog/2014/07/31/6-easy-steps-remote-access-device/
Well, I'm out of ideas. I hope this helps.
Good luck...

[LeoNeeson]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9u5dgydfOEuNXlCbDM3UzhFRkk/view?usp=sharing

It may be a false positive, but VirusTotal.com says your file package may have a virus. It's weird, since official HFS builds are not marked as virus by VirusTotal, unless you've uploaded a custom build of HFS. Anyway, I'm not saying your file is infected, it's just a warning to be careful, just in case.

https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/ae7e0f7a95f2634a8af29ef41007c4e5eaa769b1956e5f22e6f92e2ec8d97f81/analysis/

[bmartino1]

ok, thank you for the virus info, as the scan i show it is clean..., just a regular download of hfs and some clicks here and there..., i belive it to be an issue on google drive, as this isn't the first time i've uploaded "clean" files and it wouldn't preview... then says it infect when i go to them to redownlaod...

i've downloaded it before posting as a test, and reported it to google drive(as this is a preview error/ unknown issue...), but with my machine where it came form, i dual boot: a windwos scan and a linux scan, i still come up with no virus....
so, i will take a closer look into it...

Thank you for this information, i will look into your scan results and take a closer look, probaly reupload the files after a clean fix if any, to be on the safe side!

see pre pic for previous linux side test results:

-------------
i did my scans again, i still show noting, using you website, i use s it to scan the fiels indivdualy..., hfs alone gives thsi results:
https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/9e5e753aa5754d55159c6ee49a773035e16cb1d8ccb1dcf136f6691093debe8d/analysis/

the site say the inal downlaod site has problesm, which is a flase postive... and teh a fresh downlaod of hafas casue two isue...:
https://www.virustotal.com/en/url/ccabfaa0051cd86ef8bb69adbcf586991060cef8f37eb14fb19bb66d26e1b3bb/analysis/

I would have to say at this point that the scan is a fals positve, i'm reconstruing the downlaod anyways and will repost anotehr download link...
-------------

It might be because i switched it from the hfs default template and used live rarw template...

[bmartino1]

okay, i reconstreudted teh downlaod, no live tempalte, the test scan shws teh stand scan issue with hfs... so these files are Double sure clean!...
here is teh new downlsoad link...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz6cn4oVj5R1aGlFdTJ6NVFicFk/view?usp=sharing

https://www.virustotal.com/en/url/2d208378b29dc948ff55362fb10979b0565172868107c901c42409e99f7a409f/analysis/1432913614/

(yeah google, now you work) :p

[rejetto]

i just tried to download from your HFS and all went well. I guess you worked it out.