installing server for local testing ... safe from internet???

[dsdsdsdsd]

hello;

 

I am planning to install apache on a win xp laptop for development purposes, ie testing webapps with php/mysql backeneds on my local machine;

 

however I am concerned about security -- I do not want the server to be accessible by the outside world via internet and I don't think that I want the server to, itself, be able to access the outside world; in other words, no in or out access;

 

QUESTION: once a webserver is installed, is it on the web??

 

any thoughts;

 

thanks

dsdsdsdsd

 

[trq]

QUESTION: once a web server is installed, is it on the web??

 

Not usually. There is quite a bit of configuration that needs to be done in your router and also the firewall before a web server becomes publicly accessible.

[dsdsdsdsd]

thorpe, thanks for responding;

 

I am curious why you mentioned router; when you say router, do you mean something similar to a home network router such as linksys, OR is there some inherent part of the server known as a 'router'; in theory there is no need for a home networking kind of router;

 

and similarly for the firewall ... do you refer to a common firewall like zonealarm OR is there an inherent firewall in the server???

 

 

thanks for your time;

 

dsdsdsdsd

[peranha]

Yes, by router, he means like a linksys router, or similar.  The real question is do you have a router hooked up, or is the PC connected directly to a internet connection from your internet provider.  If this is the reason, if someone finds your IP address they can connect to the server.  If there is another piece of equipment between the two, then you will have to change setting to get in, which can only be done from the internal network (you have to change these.).

[dsdsdsdsd]

peranha, thanks;

 

I suppose that since this will be a laptop, it will always be connected to the internet via a wireless connection, most often via a linksys network router, but also on occasions at the coffee shop or something similar ( btw, macs use cellular technology on their 'airport' -- does windows have something similar );

 

 

 

will the server attemp to 'get out' , ie pro-actively connect out to the internet OR does the server simply wait passively to be queried for requests such as for a webpage.htm??

 

do I configure the server or the router ... or both??

 

 

 

thanks, much to learn;

 

dsdsdsdsd

[aximbigfan]

If you computer is behind the router, people can't normally phone it to it. The router has to be configured to allow access.

AFIAK the server waits for someone to access the page. It doesn't try to push it out.

 

Chris

[peranha]

If you computer is behind the router, people can't normally phone it to it. The router has to be configured to allow access.

AFIAK the server waits for someone to access the page. It doesn't try to push it out.

 

Chris

 

Yes, the server will not push out the website.  If you are at a coffee shop, then they will have the router set up to not forward to a port other than their own server if they have one set up, so that should not be an issue.  As far as the wireless connection, as long as you are behind some type of equipment, noone can get access to your PC unless you program the Router, firewall, or other equipment to forward incoming requests to that specific ip address.

 

 

[wildteen88]

You don't necessarily need to be connected to a router in order to deny access to your server installed on your computer. You can just deny external connections to port 80 (default port in which Apache runs on) within your firewall or change the port Apache listens to, to another port such as 8080 or some other random unused port of your choice. However if you change the port Apaches listens to you'll need to define it in your url, eg instead of using http://localhost/ to access Apache you'll need to use http://localhost:8080/ instead.

 

Apache can also be setup to accept connections to certain ip address. By default Apache will accept connections from all ip addresses.

[dsdsdsdsd]

thanks everyone;

 

anyone know of an apache/ports/firewall/router for dummies tutorial, especially if it has diagrams, like a wireframe;

 

 

thanks,

dsdsdsdsd

[trq]

Its a simple concept. Web servers listen on port 80 by default, you simply need to forward any requests for port 80 to the machine running the webserver.