FTP and Private Network

[Newbie]

I've setup an FTP server using Fillezilla Server. The problem is that the computer running the server has an internal ip of 192.168.1.100. How do I access the server from the internet? I have no problem accessing it on the same private network, it's just when I'm on a different one I still want to be able to access it.

[benryves]

Assuming that the machine is connected to the internet via a router, you can set up port forwarding on the router to route incoming (external) connections to machines on the local network.

How you do this depends on the router. On my cheap Belkin job, it's on the Virtual Servers tab...

The IP address you would then use to connect to the network from outside depends on your ISP; most will use dynamic IPs (and can charge extra for static ones). You can quickly check using web based tools if need be.

[Newbie]

I have DMZ enabled on one computer (the one with the FTP server) that allows all ports to be forwarded on that one IP and one IP alone. So what would I type in a browser to go to that specific computer? I know on an internal network it would be ftp://192.168.1.100 or whatever IP, but how does it work from a different network?

Edit: Oh see you answered that in an edit. I'll check to see if it works.

Edit: Can you give me an example? I typed in ftp://<myipaddressfromlinkyouprovided> in firefox but I got a "Connection Interrupted: the connection to the server was reset while the page was loading." message.

[benryves]

First, I log into my router. (This bit depends on your hardware). I go to the Virtual Servers tab, and set 192.168.2.2 (ie, me), protocol TCP, port 80 to be publicly visible on port 80. (That's HTTP).

I then go to Windows Firewall and add an exception rule for port 80, making sure that it's publicly available to any computer. Make sure you do this for any firewall hardware/software you might have installed.

I then check my public IP using the site previously mentioned, punch it into my web browser's address field and can see the default IIS7 page. I also checked this using a PHP web proxy to fully verify that it's visible externally.

As you're using the DMZ instead of individual port-forwarding (I assume you trust your local firewall: see the previous point) I briefly tested using the DMZ feature on my router, which also worked.

[Newbie]

My router just died and I no longer have access to anything. I'm on some open wireless network right now posting this. It just happened to die at a very inconvenient time.

[alexrudd]

I haven't had to work with the dynamic IP problem in a long time, but when you get a chance poke through your router settings. There may be an option to keep an external DYNDNS service (such as dyndns.org) updated at the router level.