Topic: SME behind router - not working

[BlueSky1]

When I changed my dsl ISP, I had to get connected through a DSL router. After installing the router between my modem and SME, I can't see my web server from outside the network,  no webmail, no email, nothing. Everything seems to be blocked. I tried everything with the router configuration, but nothing seem to be working. Any advice please.

The router is Linksys Etherfast® Cable/DSL Router.

Thanks,

[k_graham]

When I changed my dsl ISP, I had to get connected through a DSL router. After installing the router between my modem and SME, I can't see my web server from outside the network,  no webmail, no email, nothing. Everything seems to be blocked. I tried everything with the router configuration, but nothing seem to be working. Any advice please.

The router is Linksys Etherfast® Cable/DSL Router.

Thanks,

Did you try the 800 number to Linksys - If that fails another Router. Some new routers have security features complex enough to confuse anyone.

I am guessing you are hooked up as local server with only 1 network card?

Ken

[Anonymous]

Oftentimes upgrading routers firmware can serve a multitude of problems.

Beyond that, how is the router set up? IF it is set up as a NAT router you will need to forward ports (such as 80 for HTTP, 25 for SMTP etc.) to the internal IP of the SME server.

You would probably be better off to put a second card in the SME, plug the router (in non NAT mode) into the external NIC, and the network into the other NIC.

Not that SME shouldn't work behind a NAT router, just that it would be simpler not to...

[gzartman]

When I changed my dsl ISP, I had to get connected through a DSL router. After installing the router between my modem and SME, I can't see my web server from outside the network,  no webmail, no email, nothing. Everything seems to be blocked. I tried everything with the router configuration, but nothing seem to be working. Any advice please.
The router is Linksys Etherfast® Cable/DSL Router.
Thanks,

I had a similar problem with my home SME box.  I use Qwest DSL and they provice an Actiontec DSL modem/router.  It's a real piece of junk, but that it does work.  The trick is getting the routing setup correctly and shutting off many of the bells and whistles on the DSL router, especially any firewall security.  Don't shut-off the NAT option, unless you really know what you are doing as you will then need to configure static routing; which can be confusing.  

On my setup, I configured the DSL router's internal nic interface with a subnet containing 2 IPs: one for the dsl router and one for my SME box.  I then port forwarded all ports from the DSL router to the SME box.  This may or may not be required, depending on how well your DSL router does NAT (most that I've run into are poor to terrible).   Also, shut off the DSL router's DHCP server.

If doing the above doesn't work, try upgrading the firmware as others have suggested.  If this doesn't help, then you'll need to look at static routing.  

Good luck.

Greg Zartman

[MarkR]

I had the same problem, i resolved mine by configuring an external/Primary DNS in the SME setup/config, it needs to be set to a dns outside of your network.
worth a try anyway

[BlueSky]

Oftentimes upgrading routers firmware can serve a multitude of problems.

Beyond that, how is the router set up? IF it is set up as a NAT router you will need to forward ports (such as 80 for HTTP, 25 for SMTP etc.) to the internal IP of the SME server.

You would probably be better off to put a second card in the SME, plug the router (in non NAT mode) into the external NIC, and the network into the other NIC.

Not that SME shouldn't work behind a NAT router, just that it would be simpler not to...

This is exactly what I have done. I upgraded the firmware, NAT is disabled, and I have a second card in the SME, the first one connected to the internal network with a local IP and the second to the router with the public IP (static). I still can't have it to work.

The good news is that I had all the services now working except for the webmail. Web server is working, email (smtp, pop, imap), everything is working just fine except for the webmail from outside the network. From the local network webmail is connecting without any problems.

So, what could be the problem.

Thank you guys in advance for your help. It is much appreciated.

[boringgit]

You haven't forwarded the HTTP or HTTPS ports have you?

Is Webmail access enabled in the SME manager?

[BlueSky]

I'm forwarding all ports from the router to the SME server by enabling the DMZ Host. The documentation of the router states that:

"The DMZ Host setting can allow one local PC to be exposed to the Internet. When enabling this setting, the Router firewall protection of the local DMZ host will be disabled."

Which means that all trafic should go directly to the SME box including http and https. In addition, the webmail access is enabled and accessable from the local network.

[boringgit]

I hate DMZs they just confuse me. What you are saying makes sense, but clearly it is not that simple

Why are you using the router in the first place?

My experience is that a cable/dsl router will have an RJ45 interface (i.e. it will not have an ADSL modem built in, you have to have one externally). If this is the case, why not plug the SME server directly into the ADSL modem?

[BlueSky]

I'm using the router because I want to make use of the additional six static IP addresses given to us by our ISP. When I connect through the modem, all I can get is one dynamic IP. That's why I got the router.

I provide the username and password for the DSL connection in the router itself, it connects to the Internet using the modem, and allows me to specify the configuration of the SME with a static IP instead of PPPoP.

What is really confusing is that when I connect directly through the modem, all the services will work, including the webmail. When I connect through the router, all services will work, except the webmail, although I have disabled the firewall of the router and forwarded all trafic to the SME box as I mentioned above.

[cc_skavenger]

Not to change the direction of this thread, but to clarify DMZ.
DMZ does forward all ports to a specific ip, but it is only ports 1 - 1024.  All other ports above 1024 have to be forwarded manually.

just a little info

[BlueSky]

Do you have a suggestion about which specific port we should be forwarding? Is it 1080 ??

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I use a similar setup. I use Verizon DSL thru a Linksys firewall/router to a SME 6.0 Server to my internal network.

Linksys
Set the outside IP on Linksys to whatever your ISP says to use
Set its internal IP to 192.168.0.1
Set DNS to your ISPs advised DNS
Set Gateway to ISPs advised gateway
Port forward 80, 25, and 443 to 192.168.1.1

SME Server
Set your external SME 6.0 IP to 192.168.0.2/255.255.255.0
Set SME gateway to 192.168.0.2
Set SME internal IP to 192.168.1.1

Internal Network
Set workstations to 192.168.1.x and gateway to 192.168.1.1
DNS to 192.168.1.1

Run a shields up port scan at http://www.grc.com to confirm your ports are visible. That should be all you need.

[Anonymous]

I use a similar setup. I use Verizon DSL thru a Linksys firewall/router to a SME 6.0 Server to my internal network.

Linksys
Set the outside IP on Linksys to whatever your ISP says to use
Set its internal IP to 192.168.0.1
Set DNS to your ISPs advised DNS
Set Gateway to ISPs advised gateway
Port forward 80, 25, and 443 to 192.168.1.1

SME Server
Set your external SME 6.0 IP to 192.168.0.2/255.255.255.0
Set SME gateway to 192.168.0.2
Set SME internal IP to 192.168.1.1

Internal Network
Set workstations to 192.168.1.x and gateway to 192.168.1.1
DNS to 192.168.1.1

Run a shields up port scan at http://www.grc.com to confirm your ports are visible. That should be all you need.

Oops, typo in first section

I said
Port forward 80, 25, and 443 to 192.168.1.1

I should have said
Port forward 80, 25, and 443 to 192.168.0.2

Sorry

[Anonymous]

I use a similar setup. I use Verizon DSL thru a Linksys firewall/router to a SME 6.0 Server to my internal network.

Linksys
Set the outside IP on Linksys to whatever your ISP says to use
Set its internal IP to 192.168.0.1
Set DNS to your ISPs advised DNS
Set Gateway to ISPs advised gateway
Port forward 80, 25, and 443 to 192.168.1.1

SME Server
Set your external SME 6.0 IP to 192.168.0.2/255.255.255.0
Set SME gateway to 192.168.0.2
Set SME internal IP to 192.168.1.1

Internal Network
Set workstations to 192.168.1.x and gateway to 192.168.1.1
DNS to 192.168.1.1

Run a shields up port scan at http://www.grc.com to confirm your ports are visible. That should be all you need.

Oops, typo in first section

I said
Port forward 80, 25, and 443 to 192.168.1.1

I should have said
Port forward 80, 25, and 443 to 192.168.0.2

Sorry

Man, I must have been really tired when I typed this up originally.

Second section should be
Set SME gateway to 192.168.0.1 not 192.168.0.2