Problems accessing Web Server on local network

[Peter R. Fletcher]

I have tried (twice) asking this question in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web, but got no useful responses.
Can anyone here help?

I have IIS 5.1 running on an XP Pro system which is networked with a
number of other systems running XP home. All have SP2 and all other
current updates. I use the XP Pro system to develop, publish and test
Frontpage websites and ASP.NET code before uploading them to external
sites. Everything works fine on that system - i.e. I can publish and
browse to http://localhost/whatever and view and test my sites and
code without problems. For various reasons, I would like to give the
other networked systems browse access to at least some of the stuff
published locally to the XP Pro system, but I cannot seem to find
settings in Directory Security for the default Web Site on that system
that work to permit this. The systems are all in the same workgroup
and are already using File and Printer Sharing without problems.
Everything is behind a NAT internet router, so I do not need security
against attack - totally open access for the local network would be
ideal. I would prefer the "remote" users not to have to log in to get
access, but could tolerate this if it is unavoidable.

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Ronx]

Set Win XP Pro firewall to allow access to port 80.
Then access the web using http://IpAddress/webname where IpAddress is the
IP Address for the XP Pro machine.
You should set network properties to use a fixed IP address outside the
range assigned by the DHCP server (router?), rather than DHCP.

Alternatively, access the web using http://machinename/webname/

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

Thanks for responding! That's certainly how it should work! That is
also how it does work when I am accessing the webs from the host
machine - I can address them _locally_ either as
http://localhost/webname or http://machinename/webname (or, indeed, as
http://IpAddress/webname). From other systems on the network I _can_
browse the (default IIS 5.1) root home page on my XP Pro system by
machine name or IP address (so it's not a DNS or firewall problem),
but trying to access any of the webs brings up a login box, and no
sensible user names or passwords are accepted.

It may conceivably be relevant that I have the webs set up in virtual
directories which are physically located on my data drive, rather than
physically under C:\Inetpub\wwwroot, but, as I have noted, they are
accessible without difficulty from their host machine.

Set Win XP Pro firewall to allow access to port 80.
Then access the web using http://IpAddress/webname where IpAddress is the
IP Address for the XP Pro machine.
You should set network properties to use a fixed IP address outside the
range assigned by the DHCP server (router?), rather than DHCP.

Alternatively, access the web using http://machinename/webname/

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

I don't believe remote authoring under Windows XP Pro IIS 5.1 is supported.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

I don't believe remote authoring under Windows XP Pro IIS 5.1 is supported.

It isn't, and I'm not trying to! I just want to be able to _browse_
the published sites from the other systems.

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Please don't delete the original post content when replying.

Are all machines on the same network of IP addresses?
Have you created a "hosts" file with each machine's IP address assigned, can copied the "hosts" file
to each machine, for Windows 2000 / XP / 2003 the file needs to be in the:

C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc folder

Then you would need to reboot all, then you would access the web either via the IP address of the
machine or http://machinename (machinename is the name associated with the machine, and listed in
the "hosts" file.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

My Newsreader (Forte Agent) sometimes seems to delete all except the
most recent message in a thread when replying. I don't always correct
this manually.

If you read my response to Ronx earlier in the thread, you will see
that I can browse to the XP system's (default IIS 5.1) root web, but
get a user name and password prompt when I try to browse to any of the
FP Subwebs on it. It's not that I can't locate the web server, or even
the webs, it's that XP is "protecting" them from being browsed.

Please don't delete the original post content when replying.

Are all machines on the same network of IP addresses?
Have you created a "hosts" file with each machine's IP address assigned, can copied the "hosts" file
to each machine, for Windows 2000 / XP / 2003 the file needs to be in the:

C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc folder

Then you would need to reboot all, then you would access the web either via the IP address of the
machine or http://machinename (machinename is the name associated with the machine, and listed in
the "hosts" file.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

I don't have access to messages once I have read them.

How are you access the machine, via it IP Address or UNC path?

Have you disabled all firewalls, especially if you have installed Windows XP SP2?

Have you under IIS MMC anom access?

Have you open each web/subweb in FP and right click on each folder and check it's properties?
--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Ronx]

Remote Authoring under WinXP Pro SP2 IIS5.1 is supported.

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

I have interpolated my responses.

I don't have access to messages once I have read them.

I would find it very difficult to deal with Newsgroups that way!

How are you access the machine, via it IP Address or UNC path?

Same results either way

Have you disabled all firewalls, especially if you have installed Windows XP SP2?

Yes, for testing purposes, and I can in any event and with my normal
configuration (XP SP2 Firewall in place but "tweaked") access the web
_root_ on my "server" from anywhere in my network, so I know I don't
have a firewall or DNS problem. I also at one point in my explorations
managed to arrive at one server configuration in which I could access
the webs from remote systems (in their normal configuration) but _not_
from the local system - I had to fix that by uninstalling and
reinstalling IIS 5.1! As noted below, I am sure that my problem is is
some way related to file or web security settings, but the
installation defaults are not working for me and I can't find a step
by step guide to setting things up correctly.

Have you under IIS MMC anom access?

Yes, but I don't understand all the options and settings on the
relevant page, and I continue to suspect that this is where my problem
may be. In FP 2002 Extensions Properties the subwebs are inheriting
everything security-related from the root, which, as noted, I can
reach from everywhere.

Have you open each web/subweb in FP and right click on each folder and check it's properties?

I can only do this from the "server" system - as you noted earlier,
IIS 5.1 for XP Pro des not support remote authoring. From the "server"
system I see nothing obviously wrong or remarkable if I open the webs
directly.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

Is that (IIS 5.1 remote authoring support) new in SP2 - I would have
sworn that it used not to be?

Remote Authoring under WinXP Pro SP2 IIS5.1 is supported.

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

See inline below

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

I have interpolated my responses.


I would find it very difficult to deal with Newsgroups that way!

Not a problem as long as the original content is retained or if I remember the original post, if not
then I just skip it unless I can figure out what the issue was or might be.

Same results either way

There should be a difference, since via IP would be server-based using the extensions, and UNC would
disk-based, which means you are not using the FP extensions.

Yes, for testing purposes, and I can in any event and with my normal
configuration (XP SP2 Firewall in place but "tweaked") access the web
_root_ on my "server" from anywhere in my network, so I know I don't
have a firewall or DNS problem. I also at one point in my explorations
managed to arrive at one server configuration in which I could access
the webs from remote systems (in their normal configuration) but _not_
from the local system - I had to fix that by uninstalling and
reinstalling IIS 5.1! As noted below, I am sure that my problem is is
some way related to file or web security settings, but the
installation defaults are not working for me and I can't find a step
by step guide to setting things up correctly.

I have no problem with the default install of SP2 firewall access my Windows 2003 Std Edition server
and all web sites.

Yes, but I don't understand all the options and settings on the
relevant page, and I continue to suspect that this is where my problem
may be. In FP 2002 Extensions Properties the subwebs are inheriting
everything security-related from the root, which, as noted, I can
reach from everywhere.


I can only do this from the "server" system - as you noted earlier,
IIS 5.1 for XP Pro des not support remote authoring. From the "server"
system I see nothing obviously wrong or remarkable if I open the webs
directly.

Are all of the subwebs/sites under the default IIS5.1 default web (root web)?

 

[Ronx]

I have never had a problem accessing a website on IIS5.1 running on any
version of Windows XP Pro (no SP, SP1 or SP2) from another PC with FrontPage
(2000, 2002 or 2003).

I have never tried using virtual directories, so cannot comment about
accessing those with FrontPage, but IIS5.1 does set up virtual directories
of its own (such as IIShelp), and I can access those with a browser from any
machine on the LAN. http://192.168.1.200/IIShelp

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Virtual directories are not supported.

If the FP extensions are not installed, then FP can not see the directory.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

Yes they are, at least locally, but, having created the Virtual
Directory in the IIS Management console, you have to exit and reenter
the console before the option to install the extensions appears. Once
you have done that, you can publish to the subweb as you could to the
root.

Virtual directories are not supported.

If the FP extensions are not installed, then FP can not see the directory.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

There should be a difference, since via IP would be server-based using the extensions, and UNC would
disk-based, which means you are not using the FP extensions.

Sorry, I misunderstood the question as asking me whether I was using
the raw IP address (http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn/subweb) or the machine name
(http://machinename/subweb) I am going via IP, using the extensions.

Are all of the subwebs/sites under the default IIS5.1 default web (root web)?

Yes, logically (they appear under Defaut Web in the IIS Management
Console view) but not physically (as Virtual directories, they are not
located below wwwroot in the file structure which contains it on the
disk.



Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

The FP extensions really do not support working with virtual directories, all content must be
contained in a root web, where you can then create subwebs/subsites.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

You may well be right about this being the problem, but I really don't
want to have my webs on my boot drive, which is where Inetpub\wwwroot
is placed by default, and changing the location of the default web
site after installing IIS 5.1 (which should be possible) also doesn't
work properly. Copying the contents of the Inetpub\wwwroot directory
to another drive and changing the location of the default web in its
properties to the copy seems to work but you can't create subwebs in
the moved root web, presumably because the FP extensions have some
"hard coding" tying them tto the default web location.

It's also a bit strange, if virtual FP webs "aren't supported" that
they work fine from the local system, where I have been using them for
web development since I moved to XP a couple of years ago - I only
ran into problems when I wanted to browse them from other systems in
the network.

The FP extensions really do not support working with virtual directories, all content must be
contained in a root web, where you can then create subwebs/subsites.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Stefan B Rusynko]

See http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;261002
Also look at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;202632&Product=fp2kse

--




"Peter R. Fletcher" <pfletch(at)fletchers(hyphen)uk.com> wrote in message | You may well be right about this being the problem, but I really don't
| want to have my webs on my boot drive, which is where Inetpub\wwwroot
| is placed by default, and changing the location of the default web
| site after installing IIS 5.1 (which should be possible) also doesn't
| work properly. Copying the contents of the Inetpub\wwwroot directory
| to another drive and changing the location of the default web in its
| properties to the copy seems to work but you can't create subwebs in
| the moved root web, presumably because the FP extensions have some
| "hard coding" tying them tto the default web location.
|
| It's also a bit strange, if virtual FP webs "aren't supported" that
| they work fine from the local system, where I have been using them for
| web development since I moved to XP a couple of years ago - I only
| ran into problems when I wanted to browse them from other systems in
| the network.
|
| On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 17:42:07 -0500, "Thomas A. Rowe" <[email protected]>
| wrote:
|
| >The FP extensions really do not support working with virtual directories, all content must be
| >contained in a root web, where you can then create subwebs/subsites.
| >
| >--
| >==============================================
| >Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| >WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
| >
| >FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| >==============================================
| >To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| >http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| >
| >"Peter R. Fletcher" <pfletch(at)fletchers(hyphen)uk.com> wrote in message
| >| >> Yes they are, at least locally, but, having created the Virtual
| >> Directory in the IIS Management console, you have to exit and reenter
| >> the console before the option to install the extensions appears. Once
| >> you have done that, you can publish to the subweb as you could to the
| >> root.
| >>
| >> On Tue, 7 Dec 2004 19:47:44 -0500, "Thomas A. Rowe" <[email protected]>
| >> wrote:
| >>
| >>>Virtual directories are not supported.
| >>>
| >>>If the FP extensions are not installed, then FP can not see the directory.
| >>>
| >>>--
| >>>==============================================
| >>>Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| >>>WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
| >>>
| >>>FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| >>>==============================================
| >>>To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| >>>http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| >>>
| >>>>I have never had a problem accessing a website on IIS5.1 running on any version of Windows XP Pro
| >>>>(no SP, SP1 or SP2) from another PC with FrontPage (2000, 2002 or 2003).
| >>>>
| >>>> I have never tried using virtual directories, so cannot comment about accessing those with
| >>>> FrontPage, but IIS5.1 does set up virtual directories of its own (such as IIShelp), and I can
| >>>> access those with a browser from any machine on the LAN. http://192.168.1.200/IIShelp
| >>>>
| >>>> --
| >>>> Ron Symonds (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| >>>> Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.
| >>
| >>
| >> Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
| >> Peter R. Fletcher
| >
|
|
| Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
| Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

Thanks! Unfortunately, the first article describes _exactly_ how I
(tried to) move my root directory. The move appeared to work but I
could not create FP subwebs in the moved default site - from memory, I
got either a file access error or a file not found error reported on a
file somewhere a few levels down in what looked like the Frontpage
Server binary hierarchy. Sorry not to be more specific - it was one of
a large number of apparently logical things that I tried which failed.

I don't think the second article is relevant - it seems to be about
having only subwebs in a system but (unless I am missing something)
assumes that they are _physically_ located under what would have been
the root web if you hadn't "cleaned it out".

See http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;261002
Also look at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;202632&Product=fp2kse

--




"Peter R. Fletcher" <pfletch(at)fletchers(hyphen)uk.com> wrote in message | You may well be right about this being the problem, but I really don't
| want to have my webs on my boot drive, which is where Inetpub\wwwroot
| is placed by default, and changing the location of the default web
| site after installing IIS 5.1 (which should be possible) also doesn't
| work properly. Copying the contents of the Inetpub\wwwroot directory
| to another drive and changing the location of the default web in its
| properties to the copy seems to work but you can't create subwebs in
| the moved root web, presumably because the FP extensions have some
| "hard coding" tying them tto the default web location.
|
| It's also a bit strange, if virtual FP webs "aren't supported" that
| they work fine from the local system, where I have been using them for
| web development since I moved to XP a couple of years ago - I only
| ran into problems when I wanted to browse them from other systems in
| the network.
|
| On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 17:42:07 -0500, "Thomas A. Rowe" <[email protected]>
| wrote:
|
| >The FP extensions really do not support working with virtual directories, all content must be
| >contained in a root web, where you can then create subwebs/subsites.
| >
| >--
| >==============================================
| >Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| >WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
| >
| >FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| >==============================================
| >To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| >http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| >
| >"Peter R. Fletcher" <pfletch(at)fletchers(hyphen)uk.com> wrote in message
| >| >> Yes they are, at least locally, but, having created the Virtual
| >> Directory in the IIS Management console, you have to exit and reenter
| >> the console before the option to install the extensions appears. Once
| >> you have done that, you can publish to the subweb as you could to the
| >> root.
| >>
| >> On Tue, 7 Dec 2004 19:47:44 -0500, "Thomas A. Rowe" <[email protected]>
| >> wrote:
| >>
| >>>Virtual directories are not supported.
| >>>
| >>>If the FP extensions are not installed, then FP can not see the directory.
| >>>
| >>>--
| >>>==============================================
| >>>Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| >>>WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
| >>>
| >>>FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| >>>==============================================
| >>>To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| >>>http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| >>>
| >>>>I have never had a problem accessing a website on IIS5.1 running on any version of Windows XP Pro
| >>>>(no SP, SP1 or SP2) from another PC with FrontPage (2000, 2002 or 2003).
| >>>>
| >>>> I have never tried using virtual directories, so cannot comment about accessing those with
| >>>> FrontPage, but IIS5.1 does set up virtual directories of its own (such as IIShelp), and I can
| >>>> access those with a browser from any machine on the LAN. http://192.168.1.200/IIShelp
| >>>>
| >>>> --
| >>>> Ron Symonds (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| >>>> Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.
| >>
| >>
| >> Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
| >> Peter R. Fletcher
| >
|
|
| Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
| Peter R. Fletcher

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher