cannot set up web server behind iPAQ CP-2W router

[coolmint]

Hi.

I have VerizonDSL and a computer behind COMPAQ iPAQ CP-2W router. I want to set up this computer to be a web server. So I put it in DMZ but it doesn't work. In fact after I had my ports scanned, I had port 21 opened but my port 80 is still showing stealth despite running IIS5. I tried with FTP server but still no luck. it cannot connect to the server. I did search help on the internet. They say the router is the culprit because for their routers (other brands, not iPAQ) they just do port 80 forwarding or put the server in DMZ and it runs fine. I use the latest firmware for my router.

Any clue please?

[Ron Kinner]

After code red hit a lot of ISPs started blocking port 80 so you couldn't run a web server any more. Don't know about Verizon but you could ask them.

Looking at the manual for your router you have several options to play with. Packet Filtering could keep it from working if enabled and filtering port 80. Virtual Server might work if you tell it to forward port 80. DMZ is another option.

To check to see if your IIS is really working as a web server open a command line window and do:

netstat -an

and look for

TCP 0.0.0.0:80 0.0.0.0 LISTENING

Ron

[coolmint]

Thanks. Verizon really blocks port 80 as you said. So I change the server port to something esle and set the port forwarding to this port in the router. It works now and I don't need DMZ.

Now I have another question. In Virtual Server setting in the router has Global Port and Local Port. I set both ports to the same port in the server (8080), and it works. My question is what is the use of Global port? Can I change to somthing else?

[Ron Kinner]

Global is what the outside world uses to get to you. Local is what you are really listening on. This feature lets you keep listening on your local server on port 80 and let outsiders reach you on a different port. This is called Port Address Translation (PAT) and is a subset of Network Address Translation (NAT). Since you have already changed the port you listen on you probably want to leave it the way it is now.

Ron