[K12OSN] Have static IP - now how to setup intranet access?

[Petre Scheie]

Debbie Schiel wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
> 
> Our school has purchased a static IP address from our broadband provider -
> because I was informed that this is what is required if you want to host your
> own website, and also if you want to be able to access your intranet from the
> web, outside the school grounds.
Your provider isn't quite accurate: a static IP is NOT necessary to host 
your own website.  To be fair, using a dynamic address takes a bit more 
setup work, but it's not hard.  What you need is something like 
ddclient, which runs on your webserver periodically checks what public 
address your ISP has assigned to you, connects to your DNS server 
(either your own or a provider) and updates the record for your domain 
with the address.  If you want to be REALLY cheap about it, you don't 
even have to pay for a domain name; you can register up to five free 
ones at www.dyndns.org (although you have to use sub-domains of their 
domains; e.g., I registered petre.homedns.org via them, and they own 
homedns.org).  ddclient then checks the address that my ISP has assigned 
to me (point your browser at checkip.dyndns.org to see what public 
address you appear to come from).  Even for top-level domains you 
register (I have a few), you can use some free DNS services (Zone Edit 
comes to mind), and then you have the ddclient update ZE's record 
periodically.

Having said that, there are some advantages to having a static address, 
and if it's only a few dollars per month it may be worth it.

> 
> Our intranet is up and running locally off the K12ltsp server on
> http://10.0.0.1/ and our website is up and running but hosted in another state
> down south (Australia).
> 
> Could someone please direct me (bearing in mind I'm an 8 month old newbie to
> Linux) to a site or archived post with instructions on how to attach our static
> IP address to our k12 server. As you can see I don't even know the correct
> terminology for what I want to do.
> 
> What I do know is how to assign a new IP address to our existing domain name.
> But when I type in this new IP into my browser, how do I get it to go to our
> local k12/apache server (http://10.0.0.1/) in Biloela? (The main reason for
> wanting this, besides being able to host our own website, is that teachers want
> to be able to access our intranet from home)

This is controlled by your firewall/router.  Look for a 'port 
forwarding' section in the configuration.  What you want is for requests 
the router receives from the Internet sent to port 80 (or better, 443) 
to be forwarded to the address of your intranet server.

If your intranet contains any sensitive/private information, anything 
where people need an ID and password to access, you really should use 
https, certificates and port 443.  Port 80 is all clear text and not 
secure.  If it's all public info and you don't care who can get to it, 
then you don't have to worry.  But if you're talking about student 
records, you need to go the secure route.

One other suggestion: run your web server on a different box than your 
LTSP server.  That way you can expose the webserver to the world without 
exposing the terminal server, which is not as tightly locked down by 
definition.

Petre
> 
> Can anyone point me in the right direction?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Debbie
> 
> --
> http://www.redeemer.qld.edu.au
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
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