I have an Apache server set up on my computer so that I can test my scripts without uploading them. The computer connects to the Internet through a wireless router. I can access my server fine by going to "localhost" (of course), but when I try to access it on any computer in the network by going to my modem's IP, my router's setup page shows up. However, this problem does not exist when I do it from a computer outside the network. I have tried forwarding Inbound port 80 to this computer, but it still doesn't work. I want to see the server's page using other computers behind the same router, so simply using localhost isn't an option for me.

So does anyone know why this problem exists?

A few questions to start with.

1. Is there a firewall on the computer that is running Apache?
2. Can you access the server by using the LOCAL IP address of the computer running Apache. Like 192.168.1.100
3. Do you have a DMZ option on your router?
4. What OS are you running Apache on?

It sounds like it is probably a firewall issue to me but if you have a DMZ setting that you can point to the computer running the server, then you'll know for sure. This will basically open ALL inbound and outbound ports to that computer and all requests will go to that computer as a result.

If you still cannot access the server, then it is a setting on that machine. WinXP SP2 has an advanced firewall package with it that has to be configured to allow your server to be seen by other computers. Any other software firewall will need to have an exception for port 80 as well.

vujsa

1. I've disabled the Windows Firewall on the computer because it's really annoying at times.
2. Oh, right, I forgot about doing that. OK, now I've solved the problem about accessing the server on the local network.
3. DMZ... Isn't that the option that puts the computer outside of the router? The warning on the settings page looked pretty scary to me, so I left the setting at default.
4. I'm running miniApache on Windows.

Since you're an expert here, vujsa, let's try to solve the problem about why we can't access the server by its public IP. Even though the local IP works, I still want to know what my problem is.

P.S. I just tried the DMZ settings and pointed it to this computer. It didn't work.

This post has been edited by szupie: Aug 29 2006, 12:40 PM

Well, I'm not sure why you can't see your page from your LAN using your WAN IP address, because I can see it ok.

Perhapes your router assumes that if you are trying to access the WAN IP address from the LAN that you want to update the router settings.

You should put an index file in your root to prevent the contents being shown!

So what is "Hypercubical Animations"!


Well, I'll have to guess that this is resolved now.

vujsa

Here's a guide that I've had since early 2005 about running your own web server. It's located here: http://members.lycos.co.uk/brisray/web/server2.htm

The guy who wrote it had the same exact problem you appear to be having as well.

[N]F

EDIT: Page 2 has what you're looking for, link above modified to take you to page 2

This post has been edited by nightfox: Aug 29 2006, 10:54 PM

Oh, thanks, nightfox! I could never have gotten to that page with Google... I guess that's what Astahost is for!
In case the site goes down in the future, all you have to do is edit the hosts file, which is located at c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts for Windows (or System Folder for Mac). Add "YourLocalIPAddress YourDomainName" without quotes. I've tried doing "MyLocalIPAddress MyPublicIPAddress", but I guess the second part couldn't be an IP address.
Here's the reason for my problem:


Yeah, I can see it fine when I try to see it using a computer outside my network, I just couldn't do that within the network. That was the weird thing.

Yeah, I know that, but I'm lazy and I wanted to access the pages using the hyperlinks. It's an equivalent exchange for the danger I've put myself into. Check out my new index page now. It's now officially the coolest home page on the whole Internet (on Guinness World Records). Yes, it's a fake link.

This post has been edited by szupie: Aug 30 2006, 10:48 PM

Yeah, I found that site when I was trying to setup my own web server. I remember it took a while to find and it was so information filled that I printed out every part because it is such a great guide. Though I've never really setup a web server on Windows 2000 (I jumped right into a Linux server), I kept the guide for some reason. Best 28 page print job ever! Even if more than half of it is out of date, it's still a trusty guide! I've read it over and over.

[N]F