[transkinetic]

So installed Apache and PHP on my XP partition. I've tested some scripts and it serves everything up just fine. I'd like to be able to access it remotely (and have others access it) but I'm not sure how. I'm on DSL behind an ACTIONTEC router. Security is nice but it's second in priority to making everything work. ie I'll set this up even if it opens my computer to all [bleep]. My windows partition lays dormant most of the time anyhow.

I really don't know the first thing about how I'm supposed to direct another computer to this one. Can I just type my routers WAN address? How would that differentiate this computer from all the others on the network?

Whatever tips anyone has on just general networking would be great.

Edit:
Arg! Total noob stuff;

could anyone suggest a breif tutorial/overview/howto of basic networking principles? I mean, what the deuce is a netmask for?

Edited by transkinetic, 06 May 2005 - 03:22 PM.

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a netmask differentiates the parts of an ip address. in an IP such as 192.168.1.1 with a netmask of 255.255.255.0 the first 3 sets are the network id and the last is the host id so basically anything on 192.168.1.anything is part of the same network. this is used to differentiate hosts on networks. so with that subnetmask 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.2.1 are not only different machines but are on different networks and unless you have some routing going on neither of them knows the other exists.

[dsenette]

a netmask differentiates the parts of an ip address. in an IP such as 192.168.1.1 with a netmask of 255.255.255.0 the first 3 sets are the network id and the last is the host id so basically anything on 192.168.1.anything is part of the same network. this is used to differentiate hosts on networks. so with that subnetmask 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.2.1 are not only different machines but are on different networks and unless you have some routing going on neither of them knows the other exists.

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

I just set this up myself in my home. Here's what you do. Go to your router's config page (192.168.1.1 or something similar) and open TCP Port 80 to the local IP of the Web Server. Now when you type in your public IP from a remote location the router knows that incoming Port 80 (HTTP) requests go to the local ip of the web server (which you specified in the config). Now if you have a software firewall on it then you need to open that port in there also.

-=jonnyrotten=-