Help - Set-up for Remote Access

[Bush65]

I want to set up my home pc so I can access it from a remote pc to test some PostgreSQL databases and MediaWiki.

Edit: The PostgreSQL databases and MediaWiki are on my home pc.

The home pc has Mandriva Linux, Apache, PostgreSQL, PHP etc running.

A Netcomm NB1300 single port ADSL modem router is connected to an ethernet port and my internet provider.

I understand that I need to configure port forwarding in the modem to port 80 for Apache HTTP.

The Netcomm configuration procedure for port forwarding has boxes for entering:

Public Port - I should enter 80 here, correct?
Private Port - I should enter 80 here as well, correct?
Host IP Address - the private network address for the particular server (there are 2 options in front of this box, TCP (default) or UDP)I am unsure about the Host IP Address. What do I use here?

Do I configure something in Apache to use, or do I use the ethernet address where the modem is connect, or something else?

I'm assuming then, for remote access, I use that address in a browser on the remote pc to access the apache server. I assume I don't use the address of the Netcomm modem as it is the same as all others of this model, so is not unique. Are these assumptions correct?

Besides changing the admin password for the modem configuration, what other precautions should I take for security?

Thanks in advance for any helpful advise.

[Gigitt]

[Sorry for a long explanation - but others might find useful to understand what is going on]

Basically you need to do 2 things...
1) Set up a Dynamic DNS - so you can get to the site easily from the Internet.
2) Set up the router with Port Forwarding to the local server.

Dynamic DNS
---------------
1) To access your Home Network you need a Real IP address. Your router gets a Real IP address every time it connects. But you may not know what that IP is so it is best to do what is called Dynamic DNS.
Some Routers have Dynamic DNS Client built in so it can register the IP for you Domain name automatically.
Create a FREE Dynamic DNS account here: DynDNS: DNS Hosting, Email Delivery and Other Services (http://www.dyndns.com/)
You can then create domain names that you can remember...
eg: bush65.homeip.net

Now you need to set up a DynDNS Client.
You can use your Router if there is one built in.
Or you can download the Free Client and install it to run on a computer on the local network. Enter your DynDNS details and it does the rest.

Now you will always be able to connect to your home network by using your domain name from anywhere in the world :)

Port Forwarding
------------------
2) You need to set up Port Forwarding (or Application Sharing) in your Router Setup for ALL the services you want connect to from the Internet.
You should set the local Machine to use STATIc or MANUAL IP address. Normally Local Computer are set to get thir IP address Automaticaly from the Router. You should Change it to a Manual IP.
First look at you router setup to see what DHCP address pool it is using. It will be a small group of IP's that it issues when a local computer needs one. It generally looks like 192.168.1.'1' to '50' or something like this.
You Should set your Local Computer running the Servers to an IP outside this range... eg 192.168.1.100 (you can use upto 254 if the IP is not used already by another device/computer)

Normally you have to enter the Port# and the Local IP address of the Local Machine it is running on, and also the IP Protocol Type (IP, UTP, ANY/BOTH):

Port#'s [Protocol]:
Web Http: 80 [IP]
Web https: 443 [IP] (Secure Web)
FTP: 21 [IP]
RDP: 3389 [ANY/BOTH] (MS Remote Desktop)

If it asks for a range of Port #'s you can do 80-80
Some services use more than one port and you can enter them like Web: 80,443.
Just look at the help manual as each router is different.
If you do not know Protoal Type for the service, then select 'IP'.
If you test the connection and it does not work, then set it to 'ANY' or 'BOTH' and it will use IP and UTP. Some services only need UTP.

NOTE:
As you are opening up your firewall... You only want to open up what you need to - So Be Careful! Make sure you have good Virus Protection on you computers. If you computers run a firewall... You will also need to ALLOW acceess to these PORTS (or Applications) for Web, RDP etc.

Ok...
So in your case the 'Public port' and 'Private port' are the same = 80.
Using differnet Port Numbers here is only for advanced users!!!!.
Host IP is the IP address of the local machine and select Protocol as mentioned above.

To answer your question about which IP to use to access the computer... well, depends on your frame of reference.
Locally you will use the IP 192.168.1.100
But if you are out in the Internet trying to get in - use the DynDNS Name you set up... so much easier!

So in the Browser you will use http://192.168.1.100/ locally and http://bush65.homeip.net/ from the internet.

In RDP Application you just enter 192.168.1.100 or bush65.homeip.net

Gigitt
:twobeers:

[awabbit6]

Couldn't have said it better!:thumbsup:

[Bush65]

Thanks Gigitt, I'll give that a go.:twobeers: