How Do I Surf To My Server?

[Jeffrey Goldberg]

On Feb 19, 2007, at 12:57 PM, Drew Jenkins wrote:

> From: Jeffrey Goldberg <jeffrey at goldmark.org>
>
>> Can you tell us more about your home set-up?  Presumably you have
>> some sort of router doing NAT and DHCP?  Tell us about it.
>
> I had, but perhaps in a different thread, so forgive me for not  
> putting it here before. I have DHCP, a satellite dish to which both  
> computers are linked.

Drew,

I did see that earlier message, but it's not the information I'm  
seeking.  You say that both computers are linked to a satellite dish,  
but I'm asking for information about what is between your computers  
and the dish.  You should have ethernet cables running from each  
computer to some sort of box.  Can you describe that box for us?  For  
the moment (or for the rest of this message, I will refer to it as   
Box R).

Also another point of confusion is that we may be talking about two  
different DHCP servers.  One of them is at your ISPs offices and  
assigns an IP address (and other stuff) to your home (actually to Box  
R).  It will assign a public IP address like 67.46.93.3 as a non- 
arbitrary example.

The other one (the one that I'm interested in) is on your premises  
and assigns IP addresses to the two machines.  It is what I think Box  
R is.  It will assign addresses like 192.168.1.100 and  
192.168.1.101.  This Box R is what is giving your server an IP  
address.  And that address may change.

You need to give your server a fixed IP address, say 192.168.1.6.   
This  can be done using the sysinstall GUI for network set up.  But  
here is the hitch.   You don't want it to have the same IP address as  
something that Box R might assign.  This is why I want you to look at  
the DHCP configuration on Box R.  Maybe Box R gives out IP addresses  
(DHCP pool) in the range 192.168.1.100-199, or maybe some other  
range.  The IP address that you pick for your server should be on   
the local net, but not in the DHCP pool.

I need more information about box R to be able to tell you how to log  
on to it.
On your local network it probably (but not necessarily) has the IP  
address 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 all depending on its default  
settings.  Try pointing a web browser (from one of your two machines)  
to either of those addresses and see if you get anything.  When you  
get the right address you should be prompted for a username and  
password.  We'll need to know more about the Box R to know what the  
password is, but a good first guess is always Username: admin,  
Password: admin.  (of course once you do get into Box R change the  
password to something else).

Please keep in mind that all of this is just diagnostic.  This  
information is not guaranteed to lead me to a solution.  But it will  
help in understanding your network.

> If ifconfig isn't the way to do that, could you specify how?  
> sysinstall is a GUI, so it'll just ask me a question, or I'll have  
> to look on a chart to find what I need, right? Easy, right?

ifconfig (or the GUI sysinstall) will be the way to set the IP  
address of your server.  Nothing that I've said contradicts any of  
the other advice you've received here.  But to pick the right IP  
address it is good to know what Box R's DHCP range is.  Also,  later  
on, it may be that some configuring of Box R will be needed for what  
you are trying to do.

So the advice that you are getting is multi-pronged.  So far most of  
the advice you've had has been in the form of "do X and report back  
here so that we know more about your network".

Cheers,

-j


-- 
Jeffrey Goldberg                        http://www.goldmark.org/jeff/