Messages

1

HFS ~ HTTP File Server / Re: External IP Not Working

« on: December 31, 2006, 02:14:22 AM »

You CAN use your external IP to access your HFS, although this appears to only work on some routers. I used to use
flynsarmy.homeftp.net to access my site, but now i just hit my routers admin panel instead. It's kind of weird, I hit
my routers admin panel, but everyone else gets my site.

It's probably because your router is basically a HTTP server for access to the Admin panel.  By default this is on port 80.

Also by default, routers are generally set up to permit access to the Admin panel from LAN only, this can usually be changed to permit access from LAN and/or WAN also.

If you tried to access HFS, (assuming it was set to the default port of 80 - which BTW, is the very first thing I change), using the external IP from your machine, you would most likely get your router Admin panel.  It happens to me.

If you set your router Admin to allow access from WAN, you'd find anyone who tried to access HFS would end up at your routers Admin panel instead.

As a matter of security, it's always a good idea to change your router's default Admin WWW port - mine's up in the 7000-9999 range - it means anyone with local access to the machine is unlikely to access it since they'd need to input http://192.168.0.x:yyyy instead of just http://192.168.0.x.

Cheers.

2

HFS ~ HTTP File Server / Re: External IP Not Working

« on: December 31, 2006, 01:59:39 AM »

Another thing to consider is that some routers can automatically loopback the external IP internally.  Other routers by default don't, and require a setting/command.  (This only affects LAN traffic, not WAN.)

i.e. If it's enabled in the router then you can use the local, (192.168.0.x), IP or the external, (e.g. 203.234.567.89), IP - both will work.

e.g. My Zyxel doesn't by default, (a specific command is needed via telnet to loopback the external IP), so if I tried to access HFS on my computer by using the external IP it would fail.  After telling the Zyxel to loopback, it will work.

Perhaps you have the same problem.

Also, I have just spent an hour trying to access HFS via the external IP on my machine, (it worked using LAN IP and when firewall was exited), and found it wasn't the router or the software firewall, (Comodo), settings for HFS - it was the firewall settings for Firefox!
 
AARRGGHH!!