Apache Server Basics Question

[Ardinent]

Hey guys,

 

Very basic question I assume... My apache server is running, can access my HTML/php files in my set up folder via localhost, i.e. //localhost/test.html.

 

If I go to my Sharing tab tab in my System Preferences and de-activate 'Web Server', then go to my terminal and run 'sudo apachectl start' my localhost works again and the System Preferences is updated with the ip address given by my ISP and says 'Your personal website, in the Sites folder in your home folder, is available at' (then adds ~user to the ip address, and 'Your computer's website is available at this address:' and then list the IP address.

 

If I create a html in my set up documents folder that works for the localhost address (/Library/Webserver/Documents/) or in my sites folder (/users/user/Sites/) it doesn't show up in my browser when I run that IP address given in my System Preferences

 

So....

 

I can access my localhost address but not the one that should be available online.... right?

[Ardinent]

Hey guys,

 

So I've since learnt about DynDNS and subscribed to their service. I've got the DynDNS updater application as well. When I try to access //localhost/index.html it works perfectly, but when I do a Port Scan on 80 (or 8000 when I change Listen to 8000 in my /etc/apache2/httpd.conf) / or try to access my URL as provided by DynDNS, I get a connection time out. The troubleshooter on DynDNS' website give four possible reasons.

 

1) Port forwarding on router - (I connect with a 3g Modem)

2) Modem Bridge - (I've googled to find out whether my modem needs to be bridged but I've not found any information regarding that yet - I have a HUAWEI K3520)

3) Misconfigured firewall - Currently inactive to try solve this problem

4) Blocked from ISP - I think this to be the most likely situation, but I've contacted my ISP so many times regarding other issues and the customer service consultants are entirely useless. They have absolutely no understanding of the service their company provides.

 

So I would like to know if anyone has some information on modem bridging or maybe whether or not my current modem needs to be bridged and how to go about doing that?

 

Thanks guys

 

[trq]

Your outside ip address or domain name will not be available from inside, simply add an entry to your OS's hosts file. On Linux it is within /etc/hosts, Windows, I think its within C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc or similar (you'll need to search for it, I'm not a windows user).

[Ardinent]

Hi Thorpe,

 

thanks for the reply. This is because of some loopback effect hey? I tried logging in and Port Scanning from two other PC's/IP Addresses as well. I'm a Mac user, will try the hosts thing anyway, but will that make it available to other users that is online?

 

Thank you

 

[Ardinent]

Oh, and how should I enter the domain name?

 

##

# Host Database

#

# localhost is used to configure the loopback interface

# when the system is booting.  Do not change this entry.

##

127.0.0.1            localhost

255.255.255.255 broadcasthost

::1                        localhost

fe80::1%lo0          localhost

 

 

This is what's in there at the moment. Should I add

 

127.0.0.1        dyndns.url.here

 

?

 

[trq]

Adding an entry to your hosts file has no effect on whether or not your server can be seen from the WAN, it simply allows you to use the same domain name (as you would on the WAN) internally. Yes the example you have looks fine, it could be anything you like and you can add more than 1.