I'm looking for suggestions on guides or walkthroughs that will help me setup my mac mini lion server in order to be able to access it via the internet. The big issues to resolve are that I have a dynamic IP and my ISP blocks many ports including the ubiquitous port 80. I've managed to get the server to work on the local network but am unable to access it from outside. Also, I'm one of those folks that believed the "Server for Everyone" line.. no real server admin experience in my past. Thanks for any suggestions.
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Guide for setting up access over the internet to my lion server at home
- Thread starter Yodalogger
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The server for everyone name is a fact. NAT, port forwarding and port translations have nothing to do with the Mac Server.
The very first thing you need to do is create an account with DYNDNS.org.
Then tell us what kind of router you have connected to your broadband modem.
Do you know for a fact that your ISP blocks port 80 inbound? They obviously can't block it outbound or else you wouldn't get internet period.
The very first thing you need to do is create an account with DYNDNS.org.
Then tell us what kind of router you have connected to your broadband modem.
Do you know for a fact that your ISP blocks port 80 inbound? They obviously can't block it outbound or else you wouldn't get internet period.
You probably don't really don't want to do this.
But first, tell us just what you want to accomplish:
Run a public website? You don't want to do this. Your ISP almost certainly doesn't allow this, and results will be poor for users even if they do. You want to find an appropriate web host.
Run a private website? Something for a group of friends, employees, or for testing? Reasonable.
Access your server remotely for file transfer, remote administration, etc.? Use ssh or a vpn.
Something else?
What you really don't want to do is plop your server on the Internet with open ports for all services. Fortunately, your router will probably stop you from doing that without first doing some fiddling with the router.
But first, tell us just what you want to accomplish:
Run a public website? You don't want to do this. Your ISP almost certainly doesn't allow this, and results will be poor for users even if they do. You want to find an appropriate web host.
Run a private website? Something for a group of friends, employees, or for testing? Reasonable.
Access your server remotely for file transfer, remote administration, etc.? Use ssh or a vpn.
Something else?
What you really don't want to do is plop your server on the Internet with open ports for all services. Fortunately, your router will probably stop you from doing that without first doing some fiddling with the router.
Dynamic IP adress means that the IP adress can change anytime. Generally, I find that my computer stays with the adress a few days. This will allow testing, but is not future safe --> look up the DynDns services (there are a few different, google is your friend).
If your server is behind a router, modem, firewall or similar ( I will use the word router to keep it short ) , it is very probably that there has been an adress translation going from the internet into your local network --> you need to look up the details of this on your router.
It is very probably that the router blocks requests coming from the internet side of things --> again check the details in the router.
It is very probable that your internet carrier blocks requests --> search for some way round this. It might include changing the http port from 80 to something different.
// gunnar
If your server is behind a router, modem, firewall or similar ( I will use the word router to keep it short ) , it is very probably that there has been an adress translation going from the internet into your local network --> you need to look up the details of this on your router.
It is very probably that the router blocks requests coming from the internet side of things --> again check the details in the router.
It is very probable that your internet carrier blocks requests --> search for some way round this. It might include changing the http port from 80 to something different.
// gunnar
I use 'Easy VPN' and forward ports for pptp on my router. Also dyndns to deal with my dynamic IP.