Topic: How is SME Server's host name known by the LAN?

[LANMonkey]

I am running SME Server on a small LAN and I found that on my Windows machines I can reach SME Server by the host name.  For example "http://SMEHostName" brings up the primary site for SME Server where SMEHostName is the name that I have given the computer.

How do my Windows machines come to know the host name of my SME Server?  My Fedora Linux machine does not resolve the name at all.  The LAN is based around a Smoothwall Express Linux router that is open to UPnP.  Does it play a role?

[Boris]

In short, name configured in "workgroup" menu of server-manager is samba (netbios) name of the computer. It can be changed to be different from DNS host name given during installation.
Windows computers resolve names to IP by different means. They can use WINS (if configured), lmhosts, hosts or direct broadcast. In your case since all the computers are on the same subnet and possibly in the same windows workgroup, samba server on SME server participates in browse-master election process and announce its netbios name to all surrounding computers. Windows computers understand this and can resolve netbios name to IP of the SME server.
Reading more about windows networking will help you to understand deeper name resolution and windows networking basics.

[LANMonkey]

Thanks, I guess that covers it unless anybody else has anything else to add.

[CharlieBrady]

My Fedora Linux machine does not resolve the name at all.  The LAN is based around a Smoothwall Express Linux router that is open to UPnP.  Does it play a role?

The linux machine will resolve via DNS and is probably obtaining DHCP and DNS information from the Smoothwall router. Unless you tell the Smoothwall router about the SME server's name and address it won't be resolvable via DNS.

[LANMonkey]

I've just tried something with some similar puzzling results.  I have used a dynamic domain service, www.dyndns.com service, to create a few dynamically updated domain names.  I noticed by chance that in the server-manager, under "Configuration" there is the option to add domain names.  I tried adding the dynamic domain names to the list there and specified that content would be directed to a few of my iBays.  I was amazed to find that these iBays could be reached directly with the added domain names without using the iBay directory from the internet.

Where out there on the internet are these names resolved?  I have to use port forwarding to get past my router to the various computers on my LAN.  Try these names to see what I mean,

http://integratech.dnsalias.com:90/

http://kleartech.dyndns.org:90/

The content in both cases is from content on different iBays on the same host specified somewhere in SME.  Try both addresses without the port added, or add either the ports :80 or :95 to see some different content on other machines in my LAN. (I'll try to leave the other three computers on, otherwise 0600-1600 PST.) Use any other port setting besides :90 and the two names resolve the same way.  Post if you get different results.

How is it a setting done in server-manager->Configuration->Domains find its way to the internet?  If this is possible, it seems to me that there should be a way to direct these different names to different computers on my LAN without using port forwarding.

Can anyone explain this?  Meanwhile I am amazed again at the utility of this excellent little server.

[LANMonkey]

I should add again that SME is not my router, I use SmoothWall Express as my router.  Port forwarding is done there.

www.smoothwall.org

[janet]

LANMonkey

sme is not a little server, it is a powerful replacement for Windows servers, webservers, mail servers etc.

I was amazed to find that these iBays could be reached directly with the added domain names without using the iBay directory from the internet. Where out there on the internet are these names resolved?

That is standard functionality, ie hosting of multiple domains on the one web server.

Domain names can be configured to resolve locally, which provides local access from your network, but not from external users.

You need to add external DNS records to point those domains at your sme server external IP, or in your case, your routers external IP.

sme server & your network will be easier to use/configure if you do away with an external router/firewall and configure your sme in server gateway mode.

I think you need to read ALL the manuals, have you done that yet,
http://wiki.contribs.org/Main_Page

in particular see this section
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Appendix

[CharlieBrady]

If this is possible, it seems to me that there should be a way to direct these different names to different computers on my LAN without using port forwarding.

Yes, that's possible, but not (currently) via the server manager. You need to use ProxyPass settings to configure that. Search here for details.

[cactus]

Yes, that's possible, but not (currently) via the server manager. You need to use ProxyPass settings to configure that. Search here for details.

Or, go directly here for details : http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:FAQ#Proxy_Pass

[LANMonkey]

That is standard functionality, ie hosting of multiple domains on the one web server.

Domain names can be configured to resolve locally, which provides local access from your network, but not from external users.

You need to add external DNS records to point those domains at your sme server external IP, or in your case, your routers external IP.

Yes, I understand how a web server can host multiple domains.  I also neglected to point out that the domains I added were configured to "resolve locally".  I tried the "internet DNS servers" option and could not reach the sites even on my LAN.

You say that external users cannot resolve the names as configured?  Did you try the links I posted?  Here they are again,

http://integratech.dnsalias.com:90

http://kleartech.dyndns.org:90

They should yield two different content management test sites on the same server.  I recall testing them outside my LAN and I got the two different sites.  I'll check again to make sure this afternoon.  Somebody please report to me what they are getting out there.

Yes, that's possible, but not (currently) via the server manager. You need to use ProxyPass settings to configure that. Search here for details.

It is not entirely clear from the linked documentation, does ProxyPass require SME to be situated as a gateway server?

cactus, thank you for that link.

I still assume that the domain names as I have set resolve differently outside my LAN.  Unless contradicted, I'd still like know how this works.  Shouldn't DNS be playing a role?  It looks like SME's DNS has assumed some authority out there on the internet.

[cactus]

You say that external users cannot resolve the names as configured?  Did you try the links I posted?  Here they are again,

http://integratech.dnsalias.com:90

http://kleartech.dyndns.org:90

They should yield two different content management test sites on the same server.  I recall testing them outside my LAN and I got the two different sites.  I'll check again to make sure this afternoon.  Somebody please report to me what they are getting out there.

That is something you can do yourself, for instance by using this: http://www.megaproxy.com/freesurf/

Edit: Although the portnumber thingy seems not accepted in this case. I am indeed able to resolve your addresses.

[m]

It is not entirely clear from the linked documentation, does ProxyPass require SME to be situated as a gateway server?

No. ProxyPass is done by Apache and must be configured on the server the gateway forwards the http(s) port to.

[LANMonkey]

Let me see if I got this down.

What I want is to change access to the two iBays so that instead of reaching them this way,

http://integratech.dnsalias.com:90

http://kleartech.dyndns.org:90

I can reach them this way,

http://integratech.dnsalias.com

http://kleartech.dyndns.org

As it stands now, if you try to reach those two addresses without the specified ports, then you reach my Windows Home Server, which got me started with a place on the internet,  http://symbiota.homeserver.com.  I continue to have my SmoothWall forward basic :80 requests to that server so that

http://integratech.dnsalias.com

http://kleartech.dyndns.org

http://symbiota.homeserver.com

all resolve to the same server.

ProxyPass will allow me to access three different websites in my LAN with those three different names.  Correct?

It is still amazing to me that the two port directed sites are resolved differently, outside the LAN, to two different websites.  My dynamic DNS service provides as many different aliases as I ask for for my one changeable ISP provided IP address.  But now, due to some process on the SME server inside the LAN where this IP address has no meaning, not only are the port redirected addresses resolved differently, but I can eliminate the port redirection altogether and use them as regular addresses.

If I had more than one IP address provided from my ISP for my one connection, I could easily see how I could redirect different domain names to the different sites on my LAN.  But that is something being managed outside the LAN.  Now SME provides a setting inside the LAN that effects access from outside the LAN.

Again, how is this possible?

[janet]

LANMonkey

...the domains I added were configured to "resolve locally".

That's why you can resolve them locally, as the sme server is providing DNS information locally.

Both these URLs resolve OK, but that's not what you want.
http://integratech.dnsalias.com:90
http://kleartech.dyndns.org:90

As it stands now, if you try to reach those two addresses without the specified ports, then you reach my Windows Home Server, which got me started with a place on the internet,  http://symbiota.homeserver.com.  I continue to have my SmoothWall forward basic :80 requests to that server so that
http://integratech.dnsalias.com
http://kleartech.dyndns.org
http://symbiota.homeserver.com
all resolve to the same server.

Your seperate firewall is adding additional complication to your network, although it's acceptable to use it. Unless you have a specific need for that particular firewall functionality wise, then it will be easier to reconfigure sme & your network ie modem/router, and let sme be the firewall ie in server gateway mode. It's not absolutely necessary though.

Do it with your present arrangement as follows.
At present all port 80 requests get forwarded to your Windows server due to the way you have configured your firewall.

To achieve what you want, you need to forward all port 80 requests to your sme server, and then configure sme to host those first two domains in ibays, and use proxy pass to redirect http://symbiota.homeserver.com to your Windows server.

Let sme be  the "master" web server.

[LANMonkey]

....

To achieve what you want, you need to forward all port 80 requests to your sme server, and then configure sme to host those first two domains in ibays, and use proxy pass to redirect http://symbiota.homeserver.com to your Windows server.

Let sme be  the "master" web server.

Yes, I tried this and it worked like a charm.  All of Windows Home Server functions check out except the router configuration under Settings -> Remote Access, "Verifying that your router is accepting Web site connections" shows a warning flag.  But that's a trivial issue and I'm satisfied I've got things where I want them respecting WHS.

It occured to me that the WHS IIS might do the same job.  IIS will take headers for virtual websites when you run multiple websites on IIS.  From there you might just redirect to SME's websites, although you wouldn't be able to take advantage of SME's ability to forward content to the iBays.  Unfortunately WHS's IIS is running HTTPS in order to manage its remote access feature and it is a feature of IIS that it cannot use headers (this.is.aheader.com) when running secure, HTTPS sites.

But you can use multiple IP addresses when running an HTTPS server on IIS.  (They say the performance is a little slow, no matter for me.).  And now I can use ProxyPass to direct dynamic domain names to multiple websites on WHS with these IP addresses.  (You must also configure your network connections so that your machine also has the additional IP addresses available.)