Setting up a router for a Web Server and web access?

[whybother]

I have a web server, and my wifi router is directing port 80 from both internal and external to the server. That basically means that when I try to connect to the wifi and get external web access, I can't.

How do I set up the router or the server so that my websites are showing for external and internal users, but also allow external web access to other site from within the office?

-: Outside -> mydomain.com -> My fixed IP -> Router -> web server. Customers can access my website.

-: Inside -> mydomain -> Router -> web server. Staff can access my website

-: Inside -> google.com -> Router -> web server ---??? ...... Staff can't access external websites.

Because the router is directing port 80 to the web server, I have no access to external websites.

Anyone got any ideas?

[RichCor]

Please give the Make and Model of your router.

I assume your server is behind a NAT firewall and you've set up "Virtual Server" or "Port Redirection" service to allow incoming requests on certain ports be redirected to static LAN IP address.

It's possible that you'll need to have the server listen on additional ports (eg: 1080 or 8080) as well as 80, and have internal users access the server on the alternative ports.

[whybother]

It is a "Billion Wireless-N ADSL Router" with 4 ports provided by True. I have set up port redirection for various ports, particularly port 80, to the static address for the server.

Overall, I probably don't really need internal users to access the server on port 80. It might be nice, but not absolutely necessary.

Mostly, I need external users to access the web server (see my websites), and internal users to access the internet (see other websites). Because I am redirecting port 80 to the server, internal users can't access the internet.

Other ports that I am not redirecting work fine (ie Skype).

[Crossy]

It shouldn't do that Unless you've tried to be clever and set up custom NAT it should just work looking out to the net.

Are you using the router as your DNS? It could be a bug in the router firmware, try using 208.67.222.222 (OpenDNS) as the primary DNS on a PC and see if it works then.

[RichCor]

The router normally reserves port 80 for web-config. Unless you can set that to another number, any attempts to forward port 80 will create issues.

Is your router a Billion 5200W

[Crossy]

Good point Rich, I had to completely disable web-config and use Telnet before I could make a web server work from outside.

To our OP, I suspect your simple router may be getting confused by your trying to use the domain name to access your website from inside, reset to default and add one service at a time, testing each time.

Don't forget, to test external access to your website you'll need to use an independent connection (3G perhaps).

[RichCor]

Additionally, for testing purposes, I'd recommend not using port 80, but if can temporarily set the web server to use another port other than 80 (eg: 1080 or 8080), set up port forwarding to the this port, then test accessibility. You'll need to specify the url:port combination in a web browser while testing (ie: 192.168.1.119:1080).

If this setup works, then see if the router can either have web-config disabled or set to use another port, then try port forwarding on 80.

Note: some consumer modems will still fail, as port 80 routines are hard-coded in the firmware, even after specifying a new port.

[whybother]

I don't know what model of Billion router it is, as it isn't shown on the device. It looks like either a Bipac 5200W or 7300W.

I am using the NAT Virtual Server to redirect the ports. When I remove the redirect for port 80, I can access the internet (external websites) when connected to the wifi router, but I can't access the websites on the webserver from the wifi router or from outside.

That tells me that the port redirect is directing any web browser (port 80) traffic, internal and external, to the web server. If the port redirect is removed, internal port 80 traffic goes out to the internet, and external port 80 traffic coming in on the fixed IP address to the router doesn't know where to go.

I had a similar issue with the mail server on my server because it couldn't send mail out to the internet through True mail servers. Mail is set up for users to send mail on port 25 (ie Outlook to mail server), so the mail server can't also use port 25 to send the mail out through True. Changing the mail server to send mail out to True on port 587 fixed that problem.

I don't think using a different port instead of port 80 would work though.

[RichCor]

if a 7300w, can you change the default web-manage port in: Config -->Advanced -->Device Management (maybe set it from 80 to 81)

if you can edit the default web-config port, then try port forwarding 80 again.

Note: if you set the default web-config port to 80, you'll need to specify it in your web browser url call to access web config GUI ie, 192.168.1.1:81

You may be right about the router, since you had issues with it incorrectly redirecting both port 25 WAN and LAN traffic that you may have the same issue with port 80.

Replacing the router with a more upscale version (better firewall and port 80 forwarding support) might be one option.

Adding a second ADSL line, with a router capable of correctly handling port 80 forwarding) is another.

[whybother]

Given the router doesn't have that option (Config -->Advanced -->Device Management), I don't think it's a 7300W.

I have access to a second ADSL line, but I want to use this connection if I can, partly as a back up but mostly because it's a much better connection.

I think I'll look into getting a better router.