Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ECS] Web access Don Stephens Thu, 29 Jun 2000 16:41:40 -0700

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lots to think about....Thanks guys.

Don

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ingo Pakleppa" <ipakleppa@home.com>
To: <ecs-list@netbloc.com>; <ecs-list@netbloc.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 3:42 PM
Subject: RE: [ECS] Web access


> And while you are at it, also make sure that your ISP doesn't specifically
> prohibit running any type of server applications - that would be a
> particular problem for cable-modem users because their service agreements
> generally prohibit it. And they seem to get pretty strict about it.
>
> Ingo
>
> At 03:33 PM 6/29/00 -0700, Martin Terry wrote:
>
> >It's probably related to how your ISP defines "hosting". If they
acknowledge
> >you can run a web or ftp site in the service agreements (which would
require
> >a static IP) then you should be OK.
> >
> >If they don't make any such guarantees, or they specifically prohibit
> >hosting, then all bets are off. If you plan to operate ECS via the web
> >interface in this fashion, you should talk to your ISP about your service
as
> >if you are a running web server using a non standard port. This is really
> >all ECS is doing. You could run on port 80 just as easily (assuming Mark
> >makes this user definable) - the only drawback is that you couldn't run a
> >standard web server on the same machine, which few people are likely to
do.
> >
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: donstephens@101freeway.com [mailto:donstephens@101freeway.com]
> >Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 2:37 PM
> >To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
> >Subject: Re: [ECS] Web access
> >
> >
> >Thanks Martin:
> >
> >I assume if I pay for a static IP address, I do away with the NAT at the
> >ISP? Then I will have to deal with the router at my house....which I have
> >some control over. Is this correct?
> >
> >Thanks:
> >Don
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Martin Terry" <Martin.Terry@mail.tribnet.com>
> >To: <ecs-list@netbloc.com>
> >Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 2:29 PM
> >Subject: RE: [ECS] Web access
> >
> >
> > > I'm not Dario, but since this is my profession I'll take a stab at a
brief
> > > explaination. :)
> > >
> > > First off, depending on how NAT is setup, you may not be able to
connect
> >at
> > > all. On the routers we manage, NAT can be inbound (meaning someone is
> >asking
> > > to connect inward, for example a web server), outbound (meaning I'm
> > > initiating a connection outward, for example a web browser), or
> > > bi-directional (meaning both of the above are true).
> > >
> > > The advantages of outbound connections is that you can map multiple
> >outbound
> > > connections to a single address, in our company as an example all 800
> > > employees can be surfing the web and from the Internet's perspective
they
> > > all appear to be coming from a single address. You couldn't tell them
from
> > > 800 web windows on a single machine.
> > >
> > > The disadvantage is that you can't initiate an inbound connection -
for
> > > example an employee cannot host a web site on his personal computer
and
> > > allow people on the internet to connect - the router simple rejects
these
> > > requests.
> > >
> > > So if your ISP doesn't allow you to host a web server, and has setup
> > > outbound NAT only, you are out of luck.
> > >
> > > If you have a bi-directional NAT mapping, basically it is simple a 1
to 1
> > > address translation. Anything that "appears" to come from one address
is
> > > changed to another.
> > >
> > > How can you tell where to connect to ECS?
> > >
> > > This is a tough question, because the event and batch files I've seen
with
> > > ECS rely on the workstation finding out it's own address and then
mailing
> > > that address to the user. For NAT (Network Address Translation) this
won't
> > > work, because the IP address of the workstation isn't the same as what
it
> > > appears to be to the end user, on the other side of the router. It's
not
> > > taking the conversion into account (it can't). Here's an example:
> > >
> > > Workstation ( IP 192.168.1.1 ) Internal network address often used
with
> >NAT.
> > > with web server (ECS for example)
> > >        |
> > >        |
> > >        | Network 192.168.1.x
> > >        |
> > >        |
> > > Router (IP 192.168.1.2) with NAT entry for workstation 192.168.1.3 <->
> > > 207.46.131.30
> > >        |   (IP 207.46.131.1)
> > >        |
> > >        | Network 207.46.131.x
> > >        |
> > >        |
> > >  Internet "cloud"
> > >        |
> > >        |
> > >        |
> > > End user with browser (IP 192.18.97.195)
> > >
> > > to contact ECS the browser would have to enter
http://207.46.131.30:3000
> >in
> > > order to make the connection. This request eventually translates to a
> > > request to the router, which is masquerading as 207.46.131.30, and
usually
> >a
> > > bunch of other addresses. The router has a table that says "if you get
a
> > > request for 207.46.131.30, change it to 192.168.1.1". It then passes
the
> > > data on, and it appears to come from the address 192.168.1.3.
> > >
> > > NAT can be a real problem (read not work) when the machines
communicating
> > > pass their IP addresses in the data stream. NAT cannot see this and
modify
> > > it appropriately, therefore several protocols will not work via NAT.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Don [mailto:donstephens@101freeway.net]
> > > Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 9:19 AM
> > > To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
> > > Subject: Re: [ECS] Web access
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi Dario:
> > >
> > > Since you seem to know something about how this works, I'll ask you. I
> >have
> > > a router on my local lan that uses NAT for addressing, and I have a
> >dynamic
> > > address at my ISP, although I have a DSL line and it has never
changed.
> >I'm
> > > want to access ECS from a remote computer. How do I come up with an
URL
> >for
> > > ECS?
> > >
> > > Thanks:
> > > Don
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Dario" <adpm.to@inwind.it>
> > > To: <ecs-list@netbloc.com>
> > > Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 7:31 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [ECS] Web access
> > >
> > >
> > > > Mark Gilmore ha scritto:
> > > > >
> > > > > Note that if another port # would be more conventional, I
> > > > > could easily change the default to something other than
> > > > 3000.
> > > >
> > > > As there's not yet a standard for home automation access via
> > > > WEB, I
> > > > guess everything is OK (IMHO)
> > > > Actually, if ECS is working wuite like a WEB-server, then you
> > > > could use
> > > > port 80, the standard for HTTP (so nobody would have trouble).
> > > > Of
> > > > course, provided you're not using other webservers on ECS
> > > > machine.
> > > > I've set up port 80 on my system, and I can get to it via any
> > > > computer.
> > > >
> > > > Dario
> > > >
>

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