Web Access not working outside LAN despite forwarded port

[jweob]

Hi

 

I have a Linkstation LS-WVl bought in Singapore and a DLINK DIR-615 router. I'm on firmware 1.56.

 

I am trying to get webaccess set up. I have it working on the local network but can't get it working from outside the local network despite following port forwarding instructions. Devices I am trying it on outside the local network are work computer and iPhone (using browser and app).  I go to buffalonas, type in the name and just get a time out/server stopped responding message. Inside the local network it works fine.

 

 My Linkstation is on 192.168.0.193. I have tried the following:

1) Followed the settings listed by brian_nathaniel in "Web Access Help Page" thread:

• WebAccess Server : Enabled
• HTTPS/SSL Encryption : Disabled
• Use BuffaloNas.com : Enabled
• Auto-Configure Firewall (UPnP) : Disabled
• External Port and Nas Internal Port : 9000

2) Set up port forwarding for port 9000 to 192.168.0.193. I selected TCP and UDP

3) When that didn't work set up a "virtual server" for 192.168.0.193. Selected protocol "Both", public and private port 9000

4) When that didn't work set up a DMZ for 192.168.0.193

 

 My router has UPNP enabled. Any ideas what I am doing wrong? Am really at my wits end here and would really appreciate some help.

 

PS  Looking at some of the other posts I tried using canyouseeme.org to check if port 9000 was visible. On my home computer (same LAN as the Linkstation) it confirms port 9000 is ok.

However on my work computer I get "error no route to host". For my iPhone on 3G I get "error connection refused". Could this be the problem? If so how do I fix it

 

[jamesnb]

Did you try to setup a free dynamic DNS account and use that to access your LS from outside?

I have that worked perfectly...

[jweob]

Thanks very much for this. I'm a newbie at this so just to check I understand right: the dynamic DNS service would take the place of buffalonas.com to allow me to find the changing IP of my linkstation from a computer on the internet?

 

Can you give me some pointers on how to try this out? I found DynDNS and can set up an account there. How do I get my linkstation to tell DynDNS whenever its IP address changes?

[jweob]

I tried setting up the dynDNS account but no luck. Here's what I did from my home computer:

 

1) Signed up at dynDNS and got username, passsword, dynDNS URL linked to network external IP address

2) Went into linkstation settings and disabled "use buffaloNAS", put in my dynDNS URL in the DNS hostname box

3) Tried going to the dynDNS URL

4) Got the same server timeout message

 

I tried using can you see me again afterwards. Port 9000 is OK still, port 80 is being blocked. I added port 80 to the port forwarding list in the router but it is still blocked. EDIT I have now confirmed that my ISP blocks port 80. Is this the problem?

 

Also read that sometimes you may need to "bridge" the modem so that it does not block any ports. My modem is a motorola SBV5121. Any idea whether I need to bridge it and if so how I would do that? I found the manual online but there is no reference to a built in firewall or bridging.

 

Would really appreciate any more suggestions!

[jamesnb]

You are almost there.

 

1/ Prep the NAS: the steps that you have done so far is good. Make sure the "External port" and "NAS internal port" are set to 9000 (just to simplified the process)

 

2/ Prep the network: You mentioned that you have a Motorola modem. But is it a router as well? If not, you may have to invest into a simple Router which support DynDNS updates. I use Cisco Linksys E4200 but you can choose different type. On the to Router's DDNS settings, make sure you input all details about your DynDns account (login name, password, etc..) and hit update button (if there is one) to ensure the Router communicating well with the DynDNS account

 

3/ Forwarding the Port: On the Router: Make sure you forward all the port 9000 to your NAS's IP address. Because of this, it is better to assign a fixed IP address for your NAS. In order to do this, you would need to assign it from within the Router.

 

Once everything is up, you are good to go.

[jweob]

Thanks for the instructions, I have made some progress!

 

I have the DynDNS account set up with my router and my linkstation using your instructions. If I use the 3G connection on my phone I can now open webaccess outside my house by going to http://<myDNSaccount>.dyndns.org:9000/. Wierd thing is that I can't access the same site from my work internet connection (get a time out).

 

I thought that maybe it had something to do with my work firewall blocking port 9000. When i try from work canyouseeme says that 9000 is not available ("no route to host"). So I set up a webhop account at dyndns that redirected http://<myDNSaccount>.dyndns.net to http://<myDNSaccount>.dyndns.com:9000/ . The webhop works for my 3G connection but still doesn't work for my work internet.

 

Thanks for helping so much already, any ideas on how to fix this last problem?

[jamesnb]

Try this: Go to a coffee shop (or any shops) that offer free Wifi (starbucks is one of my favourite), get on that WIFI and try to connect back to your NAS. If you could do that, it must then be 100% your corporate firewall blocks the access.

 

Buffalo has an App for Android and iPhone that allows you to connect to your NAS. Check them out from Google Play or App Store.

 

[jweob]

I think it must be my corporate firewall since it works when I use a 3G connection.

 

I had an issue just now which caused me a bit of confusion so I'll put it down in case anyone else has the same problem. I thought that turning the "cloaking" feature on for my webhop might solve the problem of me being unable to access the webaccess through the coporate internet connection. It didn't work, then next time I tried to connect from my 3G connection I just got the "reading"screen. It was stuck on that screen for ages and didn't progress. However when I tried the address directly without using the webhop it loaded fine. Turns out the cloaking feature on the webhop stops the webaccess from working somehow.

 

Also dynDNS takes a while to update changes you make to webhops etc., which is why I didn't realise I had broken it when I first turned cloaking on.