solitary machine that thinks it's network

[Guest]

It was suggested to me I broach my problem to this venerable group. I'm
only 12 years old, so bear with me if my question may be silly, please.


[1] Requirement

I need to get SharePoint Portal Server and SQL Server to talk to one another
over TCP/IP.


[2] Constraint

I only have one piece of iron -- Windows Server 2003 on it -- with no
cables, routers, switches and such to connect to. The machine is equipped
with a networking card, though.


[3] Background

For a half a day or so, I "fooled" the machine to believe it's networked by
simply modifying the "host" file. The name of the machine is "foo". I
edited the "host" file as follow:

127.0.0.1 foo
127.0.0.2 localhost

The system worked. I built the portal and a top-level website. Then things
broke.

When I ping foo, I get "Ping request could not find host foo. Please check
the name and try again."

When I ping 127.0.0.1, I get "Pinging foo [127.0.0.1] with 32 bytes ...


[4] Question

Is it possible to "network" a machine to itself without any additional
hardware? And how?

Thank you for your time and advice.

 

[Phillip Windell]

Is it possible to "network" a machine to itself without any additional
hardware? And how?

If it has any kind of network adapter (even a firewire card), then yes it is
a network,..a network of one.

Forget the NIC that is already in the machine, save it for something in the
future, leave all its IP settings to "automatic" and blank for WINS & DNS.
Tell it you want to "Add and Adapter" and choose the Microsoft Loopback
Adapter. Once that is created, assign it an IP# from one of the RFC Private
address blocks. Only the IP# and Mask are required. Leave the DNS & WINS
setting blank unless those items are also running on the same box, in which
case you could use either 127.0.0.1 or use the IP# you chose for the
Loopback Adapter. The Default Gateway would definitely be blank.

Here are the RFC IP# ranges that you can use. Just pick one IP# from them.
Maybe 192.168.1.1 would be a good one. The Mask would be 255.255.255.0.

Class "A" 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
Class "B" 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
Class "C" 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255

Put your Host file back the way it was before you altered it. There is no
need for it. When you reference the machines for the sake of SQL or the SPP
Server you would just use the machine's name. The IP# would also work, but
the name is recommended.

If you ever do actually use the regular NIC for anything, remember to remove
the Loopback Adapter, ...or at least make sure the two adapters aren't in
the same subnet,...but I'd recommend removing it,..it can cause problems.

 

[Guest]

Phillip,

Thank you for your pointer.

 

[Guest]

Phillip,

[1]
In "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties", I set
IP address: 192.168.1.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Everything else is blank.

Things seem to be OK but I'd like to "improve" them. I don't want to use
the "Default Web Site" for an SPS portal.

[2]
I created "PortalOne" virtual server, i.e. website in IIS.

I want to refer to the virtual server by a host header name, let's say, "p1".

(a) I'm able to build a portal, using SPS facility, if I define the virtual
server as follows:

IP address: All unassigned
TCP port: other than 80; if I use 80, IIS stops the "PortalOne" virtual
server.

In this scenario, I can access the portal in "localhost mode":
http://MyMachineName:PortNumber/default.aspx

(b) I'm able to build a portal if I assign a host header name to the
"PortalOne" virtual server:
http://p1

But then my modem starts dialing outside.



I hope I explained my situation clearly.

Do you have any suggestions as to how to have a host header name and "stay"
on my machine?

 

[Phillip Windell]

Things seem to be OK but I'd like to "improve" them. I don't want to use
the "Default Web Site" for an SPS portal.

Assign two IP#s to the same NIC. Like maybe 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.2

Then bind the Portal Site to this number, leave the Default WebSite on "all
unassigned". Access the Site via this Number,...you won't be able to use the
Machine name, unless you create a "fake" machine name (one word, no dots,
linke maybe "Portal") in the LMHOST file that is associated with the
192.168.1.2 address.

 

[Guest]

Phillip,

Thank you for your note.

I'm not sure I reproduce what you suggest.

This is what I've done:

1. From the "Local Area Connection Properties" page

Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) > Properties > Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Properties > Advanced > Advanced TCP/IP Settings > IP addresses > Add

Now I have in "IP Settings" under "IP addresses"
192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
192.168.1.2 255.255.255.0

2. "Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager" page

Under "Web Sites", "PortalOne" virtual server properties

IP address: 192.168.1.2
TCP port: 80
Host Header value: p1

3. "lmhosts" file

192.168.1.1 MyMachineName #pre
192.168.1.2 p1 #pre


SharePoint Server builds a portal and proffers:

Home page: http://p1/

Clicking the address, I activate my modem.


What am I doing wrong?

 

[Phillip Windell]

All looked fine up to here.

3. "lmhosts" file

192.168.1.1 MyMachineName #pre
192.168.1.2 p1 #pre

SharePoint Server builds a portal and proffers:

Home page: http://p1/

Clicking the address, I activate my modem.

In the browser's Connection settings set it to "Never dial a connection".

Try pinging the name "P1" from a command prompt. It should return
"192.168.1.2". If it does not try ditching the second "#pre" in the LMHOST

192.168.1.1 MyMachineName #pre
192.168.1.2 p1

If it still doesn't resolve to 192.168.1.2, then I don't know what to tell
you other than just use the IP# for the site and forget about using a name.