Click here to login

"You guys are not only quick to respond, but you are awesome in your thoroughness. It's working now"

Bill S.

Own an Iomega Storcenter or Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive?

Remotely connect to your Iomega Storage device from anywhere! See our support tutorials on using your integrated TZO DDNS in your Iomega Storcenter Network Storage Device.

Host Your Own Webserver Using Linksys Routers and TZO

Introduction

Select and Install a web server of your choice on the PC you wish to use as a Server. You first need to Install and Configure the server or host computer with the web server software. The Web server is your choice, depending on the capabilities you need. Examples of Web Servers are Microsoft IIS (Comes with Windows XP Pro, Vista and Windows 7), Apache, the TZO Web Server, or another webserver.

Choosing the TZO web server is a quick and simple way to run a no frills web server. The TZO web server can also act as a simple HTTP File server, so you can fetch files when you are off-site or traveling. The TZO webserver can also be a Photo sharing server - sharing photos has never been easier!

Requirements

To follow this tutorial, you'll need a web server installed and you'll also need to have a Linksys router and your PC Set a Static LAN IP address on the Web Server. In this example we set the server to a Static IP address of 192.168.1.200. This is assuming that your Linksys router is setup as the default LAN IP of 192.168.1.1, if not, adjust accordingly.

  1. 1Test the Server Internally

    You are now ready to test and make sure that the web server is running properly and answering HTTP requests. The first test will be a LAN test. Use a Web Browser on the same LAN , and go to http://127.0.0.1 as shown in the screenshot below.

    Once you enter this URL you should then be connected with the web server and see the default web page or depending on the level of configuration and changes you made to the web server, you will see your custom web pages.

    If you are having trouble with this step or not connection, something went wrong. Make sure you do not have any software firewalls such as Symantec Internet security or the Windows Firewall running. Check the host system is on the network, and that you have the Web server enabled and listening on the server as described in step 1.

  2. 2Log into your router

    Now that you have ensured the Web Server is up and running on the local LAN , and you can see the Web page(s), you now want to open the ports in the router. This will enable remote HTTP (web) to be accessed over the Internet. This means you can now run your own web server using your own domain name. Most servers can also host multiple sites all on the same port!

    Log into the router by going to http://192.168.1.1 and using your username and password to log into the router as shown in the screenshot below:

    (The Linksys default username and password is blank/admin as shown below)

  3. 3Forwarding ports in the Linksys router

    Once you log into the router, Find and Click the APPLICATIONS and GAMING link in the top menu as shown circled in the screenshot below. Your router may look slightly different, but most Linksys routers now have all port forwarding within the Applications and gaming menu.

  4. 4Forwarding ports in newer and older Linksys routers

    Once you get into the APPLICATIONS and GAMING menu in the router, you will see a list of ports, and IP's as shown in the screenshots below. Keep in mind that your router will look similar to one of the two screenshots. Newer routers will look like the first screenshot, and older models appear similar to the second screenshot.

    Newer Linksys Routers - If your Applications and Gaming screen looks similar to the one below, WEB is already pre-defined in the drop down list of ports. You should set yours to look like the screenshot below. Select WEB from the dropdown list of applications, then select TCP, Set the LAN IP to 192.168.1.200 and Enable should be checked on. You should also add port 81 if your ISP blocks port 80, you won't have to add another port, you just change the port on the server.

    In the Applications and Gaming menu, add in the "WEB81" name within the Application field exactly as shown in the screenshot shown below. Then add in the Start port of 81, End port is 81, TCP or Both for protocol (either will work) and make sure the IP address is set to the Static LAN IP of the web server we set earlier. In this case, we used 192.168.1.200. Now make sure the port range is enabled. Scroll down and click SAVE SETTINGS to save these settings. You are now done with the port forwarding. Double check your settings before moving to the next step.

  5. 5Forwarding ports in an older Linksys Router

    If your Applications and Gaming screen looks similar to the one below, you should set yours to look like the screenshot below. Add in the "WEB" name within the Application field exactly as shown below. Then add in the Start port of 80, End port is 80, TCP or Both for protocol (either will work) and make sure the IP address is set to the Static LAN IP of the web server we set earlier. In this case, we used 192.168.1.200. Now make sure the port range is enabled. You should also add port 81 if your ISP blocks port 80, you won't have to add another port, you just change the port on the server.

    In the Applications and Gaming menu, add in the "WEB81" name within the Application field as shown in the screenshot below. Then add in the Start port of 81, End port is 81, TCP or Both for protocol either will work) and make sure the IP address is set to the Static LAN IP of the web server we set earlier. In this case, we used 192.168.1.200. Now make sure the port range is enabled. Scroll down and click SAVE SETTINGS to save these settings. You are now done with the port forwarding. Double check your settings before moving to the next step.

  6. 6Signing up and Enabling TZO DDNS

    Signing up and Enabling the TZO.COM Dynamic DNS in your Linksys router

    Keep in mind that if you selected to use the TZO Web Server in step 1, and have it installed and running, you can SKIP THIS STEP. This means you are using the Dynamic DNS software client and do not need to signup or enable the DDNS in the router.

    Make sure you already have a TZO account, or if not, you are at least signed up with a trial account **If you do not have a TZO Key and Domain Name selected, sign up for a free Linksys branded trial domain at Cisco Linksys page at TZO and select SIGN UP FOR A FREE TRIAL. You will then see the screenshot shown below.

    Enter your choice for a domain name (and enter the email address you wish to use. Click the CREATE MY FREE TRIAL DOMAIN NAME button and TZO will then immediately send your TZO Domain Name and TZO key to the email address you used.

  7. 7Getting your TZO Key in your email

    Once you signup, you should now CHECK YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS NOW TO GET YOUR TZO KEY.

    Once you have the TZO Key, Domain name and Email address used written down or available from your email, log into your router by going to http://192.168.1.1 and using your username and password to log into the router. (default username is blank and password is admin)

    Once you are logged into the router, click the DDNS link in the lower left of the menu as shown circled in the screenshot below.

  8. 8Entering your Domain Name Selection in the DDNS section of the Linksys Router

    You will now see a screenshot similar to the one below. This is the DDNS section of the router. You should enable the TZO Dynamic DNS service, and then input the Domain Name, TZO Key/Password and Email Address/Username into the router DDNS setup. Click Save Settings at the bottom of the page. You now have setup the TZO DDNS properly.

  9. 9Running TZO DDNS in your router

    This domain name is good for 30 days for your use and testing. After 30 days the TZO Dynamic DNS service will expire. You can purchase the TZO Dynamic DNS and other services for this domain name at Cisco Linksys page at TZObefore it expires. When ordering, use the domain name and the same email address you used when signing up.

    The TZO Dynamic DNS is now monitoring your IP address of your broadband connection. If your IP address changes your TZO Dynamic DNS running in your router will then update the TZO DDNS servers. You can now go to the last step and start using your TZO Domain name to view your web server over the Internet!

?Troubleshooting

  • Having trouble with this step? Not Connecting?
    Make sure you connected properly using the Local LAN testing. Have someone at the remote location check that the web server is power up and that you have the web server running and listening on the host system as described in step 1. You should also check that you are using the proper domain name, and check that the ports are opened properly in the router. If all else fails, There are a few things you should check immediately before testing again:

    A) Is port 80 blocked by your ISP? Call them and ask.

    B) Does your ISP provide you with a cable modem or DSL modem with Built-in firewall? If so, this DSL or Cable modem firewall should be disabled or put in Bridge mode. Having a firewall in front of your Linksys router will cause problems with ports, and your server will not work. Your ISP can help you do this.

    C) Do you have any Software firewall enabled such as Windows Firewall, Symantec Internet Security, or some other software application that could be blocking port 80, 81, etc? If so, disable it and try again.

    By default web servers use port 80. This is done behind the scenes in the browser. If your ISP blocks port 80, or if you are forced to run your web server on an alternate port, you must put a :portnumber (that's a colon and port number) after the URL as shown in the screenshot below. In this example, the ISP blocks port 80, so we set the Web Server to port 81, restarted the server and we then made sure we have port 81 forwarded to the IP address of the server. If you cannot use 81, and wish to use another port, set the server to that port, restart the server, and then forward the port selected to the IP address of the server.

    To check if certain ports are blocked, you can use PortDetective.com to check your ports remotely to see what's blocked and what's not. Make sure that when you test, you test on the Web Server itself. Install Port Detective on the server, Shut down your web server, then run the tests on port 80 and any other custom port of your choice. If your server is Linux based, and you can't run Port Detective, you can use any Windows PC to run it, but you need to make sure you point port 80 and other ports you plan to check to the Windows PC running port detective. Once you find a port that is open, you can then forward that port to the LAN IP of your server.

  • No troubleshooting FAQ apply to this Tutorial.

iMore Information

Related Solutions

  • No Solutions content associated with this Tutorial.

Related FAQs

  • No FAQs apply to this Tutorial.

Related Tutorials

  • No Tutorials are related to this content.