how can someone see my webserver if I have a wireless router ?

[wbsurfver]

Here is my question. I have a laptop and I run a ruby/rails based web
brick server which serves up html pages. I have emailed people a way to
access this webserver through a URL that looks sort of like:

http://201.120.126.203:1000/

I could be at a public library on a wireless connection, and as long as
my web server is running, people can get to my website. I figured out
the url through ipconfig. However, now I have a wireless router in my
condo, so my laptop is wireless through the router. The url I used
before doesn't work, and of course ipconfig shows a generic intranet or
whatever ip address for my local area network. Is there anyway I can
still have someone get to my website on my laptop ?

I suppose I could unplug the router and plug the laptop in if I want to
show someone something particular, but the cable modem seems to take a
while to reset and doing it like that of course is kind of a pain
anyway.

 

[Andrew Stewart]

Hello,

Here is my question. I have a laptop and I run a ruby/rails based web
brick server which serves up html pages. I have emailed people a
way to
access this webserver through a URL that looks sort of like:

http://201.120.126.203:1000/

I could be at a public library on a wireless connection, and as
long as
my web server is running, people can get to my website. I figured out
the url through ipconfig. However, now I have a wireless router in my
condo, so my laptop is wireless through the router. The url I used
before doesn't work, and of course ipconfig shows a generic
intranet or
whatever ip address for my local area network. Is there anyway I can
still have someone get to my website on my laptop ?

I suppose I could unplug the router and plug the laptop in if I
want to
show someone something particular, but the cable modem seems to take a
while to reset and doing it like that of course is kind of a pain
anyway.

Yes, it can be done so don't give up

You need to know your external IP address -- depending on your ISP it
may always be the same or it may change each time you connect. This
site[1] will tell you what it is at any given time. That'll make up
the URL you can give people.

You need to configure your router to accept requests from the outside
world to port 80 and forward them to port 1000 on your laptop's local
IP address. This is called 'port forwarding'.

You need to make sure your router's administration web interface (if
it has one) is not running on port 80 -- this has caught me out in
the past. If it is, move it to a different port.

Finally, you need to open up port 1000 on your laptop's own firewall,
if it has one. It sounds like you don't need to do this because
you've had it working in the library.

Regards,
Andy Stewart

[1] http://www.canyouseeme.org/

 

[Robert Klemme]

Hello,

Here is my question. I have a laptop and I run a ruby/rails based web
brick server which serves up html pages. I have emailed people a way to
access this webserver through a URL that looks sort of like:

http://201.120.126.203:1000/

I could be at a public library on a wireless connection, and as long as
my web server is running, people can get to my website. I figured out
the url through ipconfig. However, now I have a wireless router in my
condo, so my laptop is wireless through the router. The url I used
before doesn't work, and of course ipconfig shows a generic intranet or
whatever ip address for my local area network. Is there anyway I can
still have someone get to my website on my laptop ?

I suppose I could unplug the router and plug the laptop in if I want to
show someone something particular, but the cable modem seems to take a
while to reset and doing it like that of course is kind of a pain
anyway.

Yes, it can be done so don't give up

You need to know your external IP address -- depending on your ISP it
may always be the same or it may change each time you connect. This
site[1] will tell you what it is at any given time. That'll make up the
URL you can give people.

Dynamic DNS is much better - you need a domain though.

You need to configure your router to accept requests from the outside
world to port 80 and forward them to port 1000 on your laptop's local IP
address. This is called 'port forwarding'.

Frankly I would not do that. I'd rather use any arbitrary other port -
for security reasons. Port 80 is the first one an attacker will try.

You need to make sure your router's administration web interface (if it
has one) is not running on port 80 -- this has caught me out in the
past. If it is, move it to a different port.

Well, no need for that if a different port is used. Also, since the
router can distinguish where the request comes from (LAN or WAN) and you
do not want someone from the outside to access your router's admin
interface it might actually work to have both on port 80. This depends
on the router though.

Finally, you need to open up port 1000 on your laptop's own firewall, if
it has one. It sounds like you don't need to do this because you've had
it working in the library.

robert