How to view domain on own local network

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 02:25 PM

Hi to all on the forum,

I am running my own webserver and up untill now checked my sites on a second broadband connection. Due to an accident i can now only afford the one connection.

My question is, how can i view my sites using domain name or static ip (not local)
I am running windows server 2003

I saw a post mentioning host files but did not quite understand if that is what was deeded, I am assuming that i need to loopback somehow.

My router has no loopback

Hope somone can help......Many thanks

**Learning Newbie** · 03-11-2008, 03:06 PM

What's a loopback? Sorry, I'm about the weakest person here in terms of networking knowledge.

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 03:43 PM

loopback, i believe one of its functions is to enable you to view your own domain or ip, on your own network instead of using local ip address.

I new to this subject aswell but i think that the more expensive routers have this feature built into them.

Most routers do not have this feature as i think it can be a security risk.

I have seen a few posts that give a work around to not having this type of router but i am not understanding it properly.

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 03:57 PM

Here is exactly what i am trying to do.

I have a small network (3 pc's) (2 webservers hosting my wesites)

I want to be able to view all the websites i have on one of the pcs using there domain names (not localhost) ie www.mysite.com

Is there a way to do this without replacing my router.

**Moxxnixx** · 03-11-2008, 04:32 PM

You have 2 options (3 if you include buying a new router).

Edit your hosts file on each machine and add the following line...

Code:

127.0.0.1   www.mysite.com   #put the actual site name there

Save the file and browse to www.mysite.com.

Or, you can view your site by using a proxy. www.proxify.com is a good one.

Sometimes, a router's manufacturer will release firmware to fix loopback issues.
Check with them.

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 04:55 PM

Ok tried that,

127.0.0.1 www.my-real-name.com
reebooted just encase but does not work, what does 127.0.0.1 stand for.

It still comes up with my routers login page

The pc i am trying to view my sites on has set ip of 192.168.1.20

I am looking now for new firmware for router but i think its up to date

I have tried proxys but i am setting up php scripts on a site, so i am linking directly to servers ip

**Moxxnixx** · 03-11-2008, 05:05 PM

127.0.0.1 is the same as localhost.

I have to ask...Did you edit the correct hosts file?
Some systems also have a hosts.sam file, but this file is only a sample.
The file to edit is the one with no extension.

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 05:14 PM

I edited the host file (no exetention)
when i type in 127.0.0.1 i get message: you are not connected to internet, the website is enoutering problems, there may be a typing error

i also have 4 other host files: protocl, networks, services and lmhosts.sam

hope this helps

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 05:15 PM

my router is up to date

**Moxxnixx** · 03-11-2008, 05:18 PM

What is the make, model, and version of your router?
Maybe I can dig up some info.

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 05:21 PM

ADDON ARM8100

Thanks for taking the time.......i am playing with other host files encase the router software set them up

**Learning Newbie** · 03-11-2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaney

Ok tried that,

127.0.0.1 www.my-real-name.com
reebooted just encase but does not work, what does 127.0.0.1 stand for.

It still comes up with my routers login page

The pc i am trying to view my sites on has set ip of 192.168.1.20

The server is probably 192.168.1.0 or 192.168.1.1 - try using that in your host file instead? Just a guess.

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 06:29 PM

Yep it is 192.168.1.1 i have tried that and reebooted....grrrr not working.

What gets me is that there must be thousands of home servers out there, how the hell do they manage their sites. A good site will have all links, graphics etc pointing at www.domain/link , if you veiw that localy the links will not show.

If you find out anything please let me know...I will leave this page up.

I am still googling for info so have not given up

I have setup 3 servers all running iis, php,mysql,loads of different php scripts without any problems.......now somthing that should be realy simple stumps me....lol....there must be work around.

Once again many thaks for the help

**Moxxnixx** · 03-11-2008, 08:13 PM

Sorry, besides buying another router that supports loopback, editing the
hosts file is the only workaround I know about.

I also run a home server and haven't had any problems like you're experiencing.
My Linksys router has loopback support, but I once used a Belkin router that
didn't. The hosts file solution worked fine for me then. Maybe you can find a
cheap Linksys on ebay or something.

If I may ask, why are you running a server on 2 separate machines?

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 08:55 PM

sorry for the delay, i am trying out a differant router.

As for your question, i host all my websites on one server port 80 and mysql, weather station and webcam on other 8080.

What did you have to do on your router for loop back?

**shaney** · 03-11-2008, 08:57 PM

And how do you edit host file as i have tried without any sucess

**Moxxnixx** · 03-11-2008, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaney

What did you have to do on your router for loop back?

Nothing, it's automatic if the router supports it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaney

And how do you edit host file as i have tried without any sucess

I just went to C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\ and used a text editor to open the hosts file.
Then, I added the line mentioned above in my first post. Saved the file and closed it. That's all.

**shaney** · 03-12-2008, 12:44 AM

Well i have been up most of the night, have tried out 3 different routers...all not working with loopback....I am going to play around with host files for an hour....then to bed.

Just thinking, but which host file needs to be changed, the pc viewing my server or the server its self...?

will leave this up in hope of a responce....its 4.44 am here....zzzzz

**L a r r y** · 03-28-2008, 06:01 PM

Last week when this thread was brought to me in an email summary of board activity, I had not yet gotten my home network computers to communicate with each other.

Summary of my network: Two computers, router and DSL modem.
Modem is 192.168.1.1 and router is 192.168.2.1, and the router has assigned 192.168.2.3 to my computer with a web server and 192.168.2.2 to my second computer.

Both computers have windows xp, but for nonessential reasons to this post I cannot run the home network wizard and transfer setup data from one to the other.

My Apache Web server on the 2.3 was set to listen on 127.0.0.1:8080, and I used this server to develop online content.

Of course, each computer looks inside itself for the resources found at http://127.0.0.1/, and cannot see a web site hosted on another computer.

I edited my httpd.conf config file to have the Apache listen instead on 192.168.2.3:80, the home IP for the server's computer, and Port 80, so I don't have to add :8080 to my address.

Having done this, I can now see the web site on both computers at http://192.168.2.3/. And I have not touched the Hosts file.

I edited both computers' Hosts files to point the fictional domain http://s.s/ to the 2.3 IP with the second entry:

Code:

127.0.0.1  localhost
192.168.2.3    s.s

With that change to hosts, I can call up my site from either computer using the s.s domain name.

I can share files from the server to the other computer, and if I set a server up over there, I can also share back again..

Does any of this perhaps shed light on the question at hand?

Larry