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Brentmossberger
105 pts.
Q:
Apache Web Server Config
Apache, Web Server, Apache Web Server, Windows XP
I've been trying to install Apache on my windows XP Home box upstairs in order to create a local webserver in my house for mostly personal use and everything seems fine except that when i try to see the web page from my laptop through an internet connection (my laptop through my cable modem back in through the modem to my webserver) I get nothing from my browser. I can ping my outside interface (on the cable modem) and i can ping the domain name (which is attached to the outside interface using dynamic DNS) but I can't connect to the server from outside. I have a static ip address on the pc upstairs and I am forwarding traffic to that address on port 80 through the cable modem/router. I also have McAffee installed on my pc but the firewall is disabled as is the windows firewall on the server pc. Any ideas?
I'm thinking I might be pinging the outside interface without actually going out to the internet so I'm off to a coffee shop to try to establish an actual internet connection to my home pc. 

Thanks so much!
Brent

Software/Hardware used:
Windows XP Home on the server, either Linux RedHat 12 or Windows Vista on the laptop
ASKED: Nov 25 2009  8:04 PM GMT
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Labnuke99
27605 pts.
A:
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Sounds like you need to do some packet captures at both the client and the server end. See if the traffic is even going across the router. You can test the connection and capture a good traffic sample set by opening a command window and telnet to port 80 at both the IP address and DNS name of the webserver host. If you capture traffic that does not show the 3-way handshake (SYN, SYN/ACK, ACK) but shows an SYN, ACK/RST pattern, you know that somehow port 80 is not being properly forwarded to the internal system. You really should firewall the internal host if you are permitting any external access to the system. Your system WILL be scanned and break-in attempted. If the system is compromised, it can then be used to attack other systems on your network even with the traffic coming in ONLY over port 80. It would be best to put a web host in some type of DMZ or ensure that it is a bastion-host running only web services and no other services.

You could also help us give better advice if you give more details about the router or firewall used at the edge of your home network. Someone could give you good advice about port forwarding or security settings.

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Last Answered: Nov 25 2009  9:12 PM GMT by Labnuke99   27605 pts.
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