Is a domain name required for accessing a personal "web site"?

I have personal web pages served by Apache on RedHat 9. I'm able to
see these pages on other PCs in my home using the server's IP address
of 12.xx.xx.xx. All of the PCs including the server are simply
connected via a hub. The hub is connected to a DSL modem. Currently
there is no firewall, as I'm trying to solve the problem below first.

I would like to be able to access my web pages using a standard web
browser (from work, from friend's homes, etc) simply by typing in the
http://12.xx.xx.xx address WITHOUT having to have a domain name (
without having to use noip.com, either). The IP address is dynamic,
but I have an SMS script that keeps me up to date as to what it is.
The several help and howtos that I've read through on
VPN/tunneling/masquerading all refer to DNS and using a registered
domain name. Is there a way to access a home Apache server via a web
browser that is external to the LAN using an IP address, not a
registered domain name?

Any help or HOWTO re-direction would be greatly appreciated.

Use the public IP address... use a NAT router as a firewall behind the DSL,
and set it to direct web traffic (port 80) to your web server... See
http://www.linksys.com for details on a NAT router... Linksys is owned by
Cisco... there is also Netgear and DLink NAT routers.

You will have to keep using your script, should your ISP's DHCP change your
public dynamic IP address.

If you can get your ISP to give you a static IP, then you can ask your ISP
to set the NAT router and its IP as a machine in their DNS... it depends on
how large your ISP as a corporation is... the smaller the better etc.

As example if your NAT router name is myrouter, and your ISP is ISP.COM then
they can set their DNS to be myrouter.isp.com with your public IP
address.... so http:/myrouter.isp.com/ would connect through their dns
lookup to your nat router and no dot name is required.

"Mark Harton" <mharton@pageservices.com> wrote in message
news:95477059.0406281502.70a5b204@posting.google.c om...
> I have personal web pages served by Apache on RedHat 9. I'm able to
> see these pages on other PCs in my home using the server's IP address
> of 12.xx.xx.xx. All of the PCs including the server are simply
> connected via a hub. The hub is connected to a DSL modem. Currently
> there is no firewall, as I'm trying to solve the problem below first.
>
> I would like to be able to access my web pages using a standard web
> browser (from work, from friend's homes, etc) simply by typing in the
> http://12.xx.xx.xx address WITHOUT having to have a domain name (
> without having to use noip.com, either). The IP address is dynamic,
> but I have an SMS script that keeps me up to date as to what it is.
> The several help and howtos that I've read through on
> VPN/tunneling/masquerading all refer to DNS and using a registered
> domain name. Is there a way to access a home Apache server via a web
> browser that is external to the LAN using an IP address, not a
> registered domain name?
>
> Any help or HOWTO re-direction would be greatly appreciated.

mharton@pageservices.com (Mark Harton) writes:

]I have personal web pages served by Apache on RedHat 9. I'm able to
]see these pages on other PCs in my home using the server's IP address
]of 12.xx.xx.xx. All of the PCs including the server are simply

Unless you have permission to use those IP addresses DO NOT DO IT. Use
10.x.x.x instead which is a range of number specially set aside for exactly
such private lans. DO NOT USE other people's IP addresses. It will cause
severe trouble to you in the future.

]connected via a hub. The hub is connected to a DSL modem. Currently
]there is no firewall, as I'm trying to solve the problem below first.

And these machines are also connected to the outside?


]I would like to be able to access my web pages using a standard web
]browser (from work, from friend's homes, etc) simply by typing in the
]http://12.xx.xx.xx address WITHOUT having to have a domain name (

AAAARGH Again unless you have explicit permission from whoever owns those
addresses, do not use them. You need to set up your DSL address as the
server address-- and make sure they are static addresses-- which will cost
more from your ISP. It is almost impossible to contact dynamic IPs from
outside.


]without having to use noip.com, either). The IP address is dynamic,
]but I have an SMS script that keeps me up to date as to what it is.
]The several help and howtos that I've read through on
]VPN/tunneling/masquerading all refer to DNS and using a registered
]domain name. Is there a way to access a home Apache server via a web
]browser that is external to the LAN using an IP address, not a
]registered domain name?

If it is a valid IP address, then just use it in the web browser.
111.222.333.222/name/of/web/page.html


]Any help or HOWTO re-direction would be greatly appreciated.

What redirection?

First things first.
As Bill has pointed out in his post, it is imperitive that you change your
IP address range. 12.x.x.x is in the public range - consider the problem
you have when you try to access somewebserver.com that has a public
('routable') ipaddress 12.0.0.3 but you have a pc on your lan with this
same IP address.

The ranges
10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 - 72.31.255.255
and
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255

are all reserved IP ranges that are 'non routable'. Any router that
recieves a packet addressed to said addresses simply drops it. i.e. they
are not used on the public internet.


Next, on to your problem.
So long as you have a way of knowing your public ip address assigned to your
connection then this is possible. You will need to configure
port-forwarding on your modem to forward all incoming port 80 traffic to the
internal address of your webserver. Strictly speaking it isn't possible to
connect a modem directly into your LAN unless it has some sort of gateway
and NAT functionality. What exact model are you using? Check the
documentation to see if this can be done.

Once done, you'd simply have to point a webrowser to the public ip address.

Let me know about that model number though.
(Reply to group)

Cheers
Dan

"Mark Harton" <mharton@pageservices.com> wrote in message
news:95477059.0406281502.70a5b204@posting.google.c om...
> I have personal web pages served by Apache on RedHat 9. I'm able to
> see these pages on other PCs in my home using the server's IP address
> of 12.xx.xx.xx. All of the PCs including the server are simply
> connected via a hub. The hub is connected to a DSL modem. Currently
> there is no firewall, as I'm trying to solve the problem below first.
>
> I would like to be able to access my web pages using a standard web
> browser (from work, from friend's homes, etc) simply by typing in the
> http://12.xx.xx.xx address WITHOUT having to have a domain name (
> without having to use noip.com, either). The IP address is dynamic,
> but I have an SMS script that keeps me up to date as to what it is.
> The several help and howtos that I've read through on
> VPN/tunneling/masquerading all refer to DNS and using a registered
> domain name. Is there a way to access a home Apache server via a web
> browser that is external to the LAN using an IP address, not a
> registered domain name?
>
> Any help or HOWTO re-direction would be greatly appreciated.