wireless network accessing applications

[jctown]

I have a wireless network with a desktop and a laptop sharing an
internet connection.
I have a web application (ruby) running on my laptop

http://localhost:3000/xxx/function

I want to know if it is possible to make my application accessible to
the outside world. The way I look at it, as long as someone has the
correct IP address they should be able to get to my network, but I'm
not sure how to direct them to point their browser to my laptop....

any ideas?

 

[Duane Arnold]

I have a wireless network with a desktop and a laptop sharing an
internet connection.
I have a web application (ruby) running on my laptop

http://localhost:3000/xxx/function

I want to know if it is possible to make my application accessible to
the outside world. The way I look at it, as long as someone has the
correct IP address they should be able to get to my network, but I'm
not sure how to direct them to point their browser to my laptop....

any ideas?

It would be http://WAN IP:3000/xxx/function I would guess. The WAN
IP/Internet IP would be the IP that has been assigned by the ISP to your
network.

Then there is the case of you using a router, FW appliance or host based
FW where you have got to open the port or forward the port.

http://www.homenethelp.com/web/explain/port-forwarding-dmz.asp

You should keep the machine out of the DMZ.

Duane

 

[Panda]

Yes, you need to have:

1. Broadband router with NAT ( Network Address Translation) support.
2. Static (fixed) IP address which you can buy from your ISP.

You have to put that static IP address in your Router and map it to
your Laptop local IP address using proper port number
( it might be port 8080 for HTTP service).

Good luck!

Naim
http://www.networkingland.com

 

[Dave]

Yes, you need to have:

1. Broadband router with NAT ( Network Address Translation) support.
2. Static (fixed) IP address which you can buy from your ISP.

You have to put that static IP address in your Router and map it to
your Laptop local IP address using proper port number
( it might be port 8080 for HTTP service).

Not to contradict what is written above, but if you dont want to pay for
and dont already have a static ip you could also consider using a dynamic
dns service like dyndns.org. I think most routers have support for dyndns
(at least the last two that I have had did) and you can set the router up
to automatically send your new ip to their service and you will get a
static address and best of all, for free.