Topic: Simple Port 80 forwarding: did search, tried some things, please give me a hand?

[midnightferret]

Hi, sorry for the lengthy post.

I've used SME 7.3 as my server for a while, but I've never asked it to do anything apart from its built-in functions before. All I want is to pass any incoming http requests (from the internet) to a machine on my internal LAN but outside my dhcp ip range. (for example, dhcp range = 192.168.100-189, forwarded machine ip = static: 192.168.1.203).

I have tried solutions both from http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:FAQ#Proxy_Pass and http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=19306.0.

After the second solution, browsing to 192.168.1.1 stopped giving me the "under construction" default web page for the address of my server on port 80, but it does not show the index page of the machine to which port 80 is forwarded (ie. 192.168.1.20). Also, when I browse to 192.168.1.1:8080, I do get the default webpage, but when I try to access the server-manager (ie. 192.168.1.1:8080/server-manager) the browser returns an error "192.168.2.2 has sent an incorrect or unexpected message. Error code -12263." (Https SSL error).

I must me missing a step or not understanding something. Can someone please point me in the right direction, or better yet, give me explicit instructions? This must be a simple operation but I cannot figure it out. Thanks so much for any help.

-christine

[CharlieBrady]

I've used SME 7.3 as my server for a while, but I've never asked it to do anything apart from its built-in functions before. All I want is to pass any incoming http requests (from the internet) to a machine on my internal LAN ...

Use the port forwarding panel.

[midnightferret]

thank you, but I *have* forwarded port 80 to the machine. I am sorry I forgot to mention that.

[CharlieBrady]

thank you, but I *have* forwarded port 80 to the machine. I am sorry I forgot to mention that.

Yeah, but you've done other stuff as well. Undo that other stuff.

[midnightferret]

OK, I undid the modifications to httpd.conf, which gave me my server-manager back. Here's another question to betray my ignorance: how do I undo the solution found here: http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:FAQ#Proxy_Pass?

Incidentally, the domain that was supposedly created in that solution never showed up in my domain control panel under server-manager.

So far, when I try to access the webserver from the external IP, it no longer  shows the default sme "under construction" page, but times out. However, I probably need to undo the Proxypass solution?

Thanks again for your help.

[janet]

midnightferret

Incidentally, the domain that was supposedly created in that solution never showed up in my domain control panel under server-manager.

Perhaps you entered the commands incorrectly.
Show us by cutting and pasting the actual commands you entered (from Putty).


To get the usage syntax for the db command, at the command prompt type
db

This command should totally delete that entry and reconfigure your server

db domains delete proxypassdomain.com
signal-event post-upgrade
reboot

[CharlieBrady]

db domains delete proxypassdomain.com
signal-event
reboot

I believe you mean:

db domains delete proxypassdomain.com
signal-event post-upgrade
signal-event reboot

although this should also work (without the reboot):

db domains settype proxypassdomain.com domain-deleted
signal-event domain-delete proxypassdomain.com
db domains delete proxypassdomain.com

[janet]

Charlie

Oops a typo, yes I did mean that, corrected now.

Thanks for the other command pointers

[CharlieBrady]

So far, when I try to access the webserver from the external IP, it no longer  shows the default sme "under construction" page, but times out.

If you mean "I try to access the webserver from the Internet" then it means your port forwarding is not functioning. Either your internal webserver is not functioning on the LAN, or it isn't configured correctly with its default gateway set to the internal IP of the SME server.

If you are trying to access the webserver's external IP address from your local network, then you shouldn't expect that to work. Port forwarding can only work for incoming traffic from the Internet. You cannot port forward from one host on the LAN to another.

[midnightferret]

I have set everything back to the way it was originally. Now the only "special" setting I have is port 80 forwarded to the web server machine, as you instructed.

The web server is serving pages inside the LAN, but times out when I try to see it from the internet. Therefore, as you say, the port forwarding must not be functioning.

The machine the web server is on has its default gateway set to the internal IP address of the SME server. Would I also need to configure something in Apache that sets the default gateway?

Thanks again for everyone's help.

[janet]

midnightferret

The web server is serving pages inside the LAN, but times out when I try to see it from the internet.

All I want is to pass any incoming http requests (from the internet) to a machine on my internal LAN but outside my dhcp ip range. (for example, dhcp range = 192.168.100-189, forwarded machine ip = static: 192.168.1.203).

Is that machine on 192.168.1.203 actually physically accessible from your sme server ?
ie on the command line of sme server can you successfully ping that IP
ping 192.168.1.203

[midnightferret]

Mary, yes, it pings the machine just fine.

[janet]

midnightferret

How are you physically accessing the domain ?

ie are you using an external internet service/connection (ie external to your LAN), because as Charlie says, port forwarding only works from the external interface to an internal IP.

What URL are you using ?
With port 80 forwarded then all http requests for the main domain on your sme server will be forwarded, so you need to access using
http://www.yourdomain.com

[CharlieBrady]

Would I also need to configure something in Apache that sets the default gateway?

No.

[MSmith]

At this point I would try another router, perhaps an appliance such as a consumer-grade Linksys or D-Link, to see if the problem is with  SME's port forwarding or the target's Apache or TCP/IP setup.