My Web site at http://genechan.homeip.net/ has been running fine under Abyss for over a year, since the knowledgeable folks on this forum helped me work through some problems (see http://www.aprelium.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10464&highlight=#10464). About 10 days ago, it stopped being accessible from the Internet, and I have been unsuccessfully trying to figure out why and to fix it. I'm appealing for help again, if not to tell me exactly what's wrong, then to point me in the right direction (tools, procedures) to figure it out - please!
Here's my setup:
- Windows XP Home Edition, ADSL, D-Link DI-704P Router (port 80 forwarded to 192.168.0.117), Kerio Personal Firewall 2.1.5, Proxomitron proxy server [on port 8080 for my Web browsers], Abyss X1 v1.2.0.6 Web server, Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall is OFF.
Here's what happens:
1. My server (QUATTRO) runs on 192.168.0.117 on my internal LAN (inside the router). I can access my Web site from this PC, and the Abyss logfile shows the access coming from 192.168.0.117, but nothing shows up in the Kerio firewall log. This PC (QUATTRO) has a "hosts" file containing an entry "192.168.0.117 genechan.homeip.net", which probably enables the request to bypass the Kerio firewall. Conclusion 1: Abyss works.
2. Two different PCs on my LAN, STEVE (on 192.168.0.121) and HOMER (192.168.0.153), both "inside" the router, also access the Web site okay, and both the Kerio firewall logfile and the Abyss logfile show the access coming from 142.173.67.12 (the public IP address of my LAN.) STEVE has no "hosts" file at all, so it must be using DNS to look up the public IP address. Conclusion 2: Abyss works.
3. Anyone from outside my LAN (i.e., the Internet) fails to get to my Web site - from their perspective, their attempt times out after a minute or two. I see the request in the Kerio firewall log, which shows the requesting Internet IP, and says the access is permitted, and it's going to Abyss on port 80. In the Abyss logfile, NOTHING appears for that request. Conclusion 3: the request successfully passes through the router and firewall, but Abyss never gets it.
Here's what I've tried:
4. Turning off the Kerio firewall, re-installing the firewall, turning off the proxy server, un-installing (delete .conf file) & re-installing Abyss. No improvement.
5. Run a port sniffer (Port Peeker) on port 80, in place of Abyss. Requests come in, are recognized, logged, and passed through the Kerio firewall, and appear in Port Peeker's log. Conclusion 5: requests successfully go through the router, the firewall, and appear on port 80 for an application listening to that port. (One odd thing: Kerio's timestamp shows the access coming in and being permitted, then Port Peeker's timestamp shows the access upwards of 10-20 seconds later. What's happening in the meantime?)
6. Use proxify.com to try to access my Web site From my PC (QUATTRO). Like attempts from other "outside" users, this also fails (times out at the requestor's screen). The request appears in the Kerio logfile, but not in the Abyss logfile.
7. Use http://www.psi-rho.com/dsltools/test.php?type=www to test whether port 80 appears to be open. It responds "Port 80 does not appear to be open". Kerio does show the access request coming in, and permitting it to go to to Abyss on port localhost:80. Nothing shows up in Abyss' logfile.
8. Open up port 8088 in the router (port forwarding to 192.168.0.117), and change Abyss' listening port to 8088. This WORKS for "proxify" attempts and real "outside" attempts. !!! Conclusion 8: Abyss works, but somehow, it doesn't work with port 80 for "outside" requests.
The first question comes to mind: if there's no entry in the Abyss logfile, does that mean Abyss never received the request, or did it receive the request but was unsuccessful in sending a response (e.g., if an outbound response is blocked by a firewall or router?)
The second question: is there a hint of the problem source to being able to get Web site access from "inside" the LAN, but not from "outside"? Why does it work on port 8088, but not on port 80?
Perhaps a red herring: I've been dutifully installing Microsoft's "security patches" to Windows XP as they make them available. Any possibility one of these might be causing me grief?
I'm out of ideas, and desperately seeking help in solving this one. I've considered installing a different Web server, to see if that would work, but I'm not quite at that stage of desperation, yet.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
(Sorry for this long post, but it may be helpful to relate what I've tried already.)