Virtual server setup...

[wickedcid]

Well good day all and i think i may have found the right place to solve my problem i've been having as i have been reading and seems to be a lot of knowlegable pc guys, I am not a great computer guy so bear with me (satellite) i can help you lol... Anyhow i am using a loaner router Di-704p as my new dlink 625 died and is being sent back. Now i am trying to set up a virtual server setup and have been trying and reading for almost a week so i need help. I have what is a server software app that i am running on my main pc(winxp) and trying to get the client app to access it via the net but they keep getting server not found error 10060. I think i set the incoming ports to open properly and i actually can get the client software myself working on the downstairs pc that is hard wired to the router and is working fine.I will not post to much info as i will wait for a reply to specific info you may need. My ip starts with 192.168 so i heard that is a issue ? And is there a config i must do with windows to allow people outside the router access to the app? As i stated my hard wired pc downstairs communicates fine. Thanks in advance for any help you may pass along.


Cid

[kinbard]

Hi and welcome,
What virtual server software are you using? VMware? Microsoft?

[wickedcid]

Well Thanks for the welcome and appreciate the help, now that is how green i am as i did not know there was any required but started to think so and even downloaded winscp and putty but i am lost with that program...lol I tried to configure windows into vpn but that did not work. I assumed that the client software which needs ip,tcp and user name and password was all that was needed. so i guess the answer to that question is none . Cid

[kinbard]

Sorry, I'm a bit lost here. Are you trying to set up a home network, and not a virtual network? You spoke about winscp and putty, which are programs that let you remotely connect to a pc, and vpn, which establishes a remote connection. Are you trying to connect remotely to a network? What server app are you running on xp? Sorry for the confusion, but I am trying to figure out what you are having a problem with.

[wickedcid]

Sorry i am a bit all over the place with this,i will try and explain. Basically i am trying to setup my pc as a server and allow access to a application i am running on my pc (like newcs type program) to allow family and friends using a client software (csc) to access my app that is running. I just cannot configure my network to allow them access in from the net so that is why i was trying to config the router in vs mode to allow the traffic, i did test the setup and it is working fine as i stated from upstairs to the downstairs but i guess that was easier to configure as i am behind all firewalls router's etc i guess. Really sorry for the difficult and confusing first posts...lol I will get better i promise,he he.

Cid P.S. I do appreciate the help

[kinbard]

No problem. I am not familiar with CSC, so someone else will need to pipe in here. I don't know if there is some configurations in that that need set. Is this also the server application you have running on xp?

[wickedcid]

Yes there is a server application that runs on my pc and i am trying to allow the clients software to access it, thats why i was trying to configure my router/pc to allow them access in and out and it appeared that virtual server was the way to direct traffiic in.Now with that said the client software cannot see my app running on my pc as either the router or my isp is blocking it as i shut off my firewall and it still did not help. Is there a reason why i can configure my pc downstairs to talk to pc upstairs but no one can get in via the net with the same settings like tcp and ip ??? Does my pc that is hard wired going through the router have the same challenges as someone that is coming in via the net??? Still trying to teach myself about how data travels,sending and receiving via ports, ip's over the internet. Thanks

cid

[kinbard]

The reason it works on your pc is because it is on the network. Your family is outside of your network. My feeling is it has more to do with the server/client program configurations. Sorry I can't help you, but I am not familar with that program. Hopefully someone who is will catch wind of this thread soon.

[asgley]

Right i dont really know what your trying to do but i think i may be able to help anyway...
if im way off base just let me know

You have a program running on your machine, for the purposes of this we will make this program a web server (http - port 80)
traffic has to move from the source to the server and back again.

Traffic Path
Source,
Router,
NET,
Router,
FW,
Destination.

the destination here is your PC.
now from your first post i can assume your using the ip 192.168.*.* this is classed as a local ip range and will not be routed over the net, here are some others.
192.168.*.*
172.16-31.*.*
10.*.*.*
127.*.*.* <-- being specific to localhost, in most cases

so the first challenge we face is if you give your frinds your 192.168 IP they will never be able to find you unless they are on your LAN.

we need to find out your external IP for this use something as simple as http://www.whatismyip.com

this is the IP that your friends and family will use to conenct to your PC

Next we need to break down a few more barriers, now remember everything you let into your network decreases your security.
on the routerwe need to forward a port in this case port 80 (http) this will be forwarded to your internal ip address (192.168.*.*)
now so far we have got the traffic all the way across the net to your router and to your PC, now we have 2 last steps.

we need to open the port on your personal firewall (if you dont have one of these please get one, even just the windows one is better than nothing)
so depending on the particular firewall, you will want to add a rule something like this.
obviously every time i refer to 192.168.*.* i am refering to your pc's internal IP. (btw if your internal ip changes you will need to change the setup, this is also true for your external ip)

TCP, Inbound, Source Any, Destination 192.168.*.*, Destination Port 80, Allow.

-I INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -d 192.168.*.* -j ACCEPT

now we have got past the firewall we just have to conenct to the HTTP server, make sure it is configured correctly and it started and listening on the port then give it a go and as a friend to connect from a remote location.

for dynamic external ip's there are cool little programs like the ones avaliable from www.no-ip.com which will give you a personal dns name but allow it to track your real ip (makes it easier to rememebr too)

ps, Virtual Server....? if you saw this on your router then it may be something you ahve to configure to allow port forwarding, but meh either way i dont see why you would need a "real virtual server" <-- man im funny

hope this helps

Asg

[wickedcid]

Awesome Asg you confirmed and explained in basic terms (just what i need) what is going on, i will give this a go and already have a better understanding of what is happening. I really want to learn more about the pc and it's abilities as i find it very interesting. I did not grow up in the pc era but and trying to self teach myself along with google and great sites like this one and its knowledgable members like yourself. I will let you know how i make out as i cannot wait to get at this tomorrow. Thanks cid

[wickedcid]

I just wanted to do a follow up for the people that were helping me and possible people in the future whom may read this. I still did not get this working but think i figured out the problem.( not sure if there is a way around this). I live out in the country and my isp is supplied off the radio tower to my House. It is a square flat looking antenna with the motorola modem all in one outside. This is called (wisp) and is a awesome setup and works great. My ip could not be pinged by friends so we figured it was the provider and i needed to get a static ip addy (pay extra) from them. I spoke with the tech dude that is going to hook it up and he says i am hiding behind there router so i would require the static ip. I will let you know in a few weeks as they are changing a system something or other and need to wait til it is done.

Cid PS In the mean time i am going to do some reading on the site....Thanks

[Jason09]

By "their router", do you mean a device that they supplied you? If so, what is the make and model of it?

[wickedcid]

Nah i have my own router but when troubleshooting i had friend try and ping my ip (what is my ip.com ) and he could not. I figured because my internet is of like cell towers and such(wisp) i need a static, when i called them they told me it could not be pinged because i was behind there router and with static ip that i will pay extra for i won't be, guess they direct traffic right through....
Cid