No one outside of my LAN can see my hosted stuff

[skcll]

I warn you. I am a complete and utter newb. If I don't make sense, or I misunderstand something, please bear with me.

I used Xampp to install apache, mySQL, and PHP. To test these I installed a webforum. I access it by typing in either http://localhost/forums/index.php or http://my local IP address/forums/index.php. Both work. From the other computer in our house, I can view this forum only through http://my local IP address/forums/index.php .

by local IP address I mean 192.168.***.*** I had to call Belkin (my router manufacturer) to get directions on how to get a static address.


I have a cable connection. Therefore I have a dynamic external IP address (or so I believe). What can I do to get computers from the internet to view my forum?

Please, to tell you the truth, I really know very little about apache, mySQL, and PHP (or even the internet in general). So please bear with me. I searched other topics and none of it made any sense to me.

Oh and I'm behind a router.

[skcll]

I figured it out (or rather a friend helped me, ie walked me through it). I had to set up a Virtual server. I did through my router's html program.

[ilustrate]

I figured it out (or rather a friend helped me, ie walked me through it). I had to set up a Virtual server. I did through my router's html program.

I'm very interested in replicating what you describled. My setup is XAMPP on Windows XP sp2 installed on my backup drive. I've also installed a forum and would like to host it to the web myself. Can you give me more info so that I can do the same? I currently have a cable modem setup with no router. Just the single computer.

[alucard01]

Hope it helps:

1. go to your router setting, see if you have already set a port forwarding issue, like forwarding all port 80 traffic to your local ip address. However, some ISP may block port 80(means people cannot access your website through port 80). I dunno how is your country, but it is the case in Hong Kong.

2. Config your network card to accept port XX traffic. XX is the port number, in case port 80 is blocked.

3. In your apache httpd.conf, read the <virtualHost> example and establish one for yourself. For example:

<virtualhost *:[your port num]>
...<config>...
</virtualHost>

I am not really good at config apache, so please search in Google on how to config httpd.conf. By the way, if you have no-ip or dyndns.org services, remember to put your server name or server alias in httpd.conf.

4. If everything ok, your user can access your website through the following URL:

http://<webaddress, not IP>:<port number>

Again, hope it helps