connecting to a server, internal vs external IP

Ultimate Newbie · 10-20-2008, 02:28 AM

I'm about to get a DSL internet connection with a static IP. I have a network of 4 computers, one of which is running a Tomcat and MS SQL server (and which I want to connect to from the outside). The way I understand it, the router/DSL modem "has" the static IP (global IP) and assigns each of my 4 workstations a local (internal) IP (something like 192.168.x.x). So if I want to connect to my Tomcat server from the outside, how can I, if it's identified on the network with the internal IP? In other words, when I type in (from the outside) the static IP I was given, I reach the router, but then how does the router know which terminal is acting as the server I want to connect to?

Thanks for any advice.

I'm running Win XP SP3 by the way.

easthope31 · 10-20-2008, 09:00 AM

Easy way is to enable Remote Desktop on the XP computer or Windows Server. and then configure your firewall with a static nat rule.

For example

Allow from your External home IP on port 3389 to internal IP address of the node (IP) you are connecting to.

This is the easy and most secure way to control a PC or a server remotely.