Really stupid question because I dont know anything about servers but I'm learning!!

[ljlbray]

I'm sorry to have to ask this but...
I'm trying to set up an internal (eventually external too) helpdesk. I've set up Liberum Helpdesk on a machine I've built with Server 2003. I've got it all running fine on a virtual website on the IIS of this server.

All I want to do is to be able to either...

Link this into our network so I can just put a link into our users' start menu...and eventually (This is the and/or bit), integrate it with our school website.

I would like to keep this running on this server due to space issues and also to keep it seperate.

I've given it an IP address, but this is where my knowledge fails me drastically because I recieve the error 'Name Error: The domain name does not exist. 'when I try and access the IP address. Can I link this to our web server so that it can redirect users to the helpdesk? And if not how can I just make this server accessible as a link in our program sets so they can log into the helpdesk?

Sorry I know it's a beginner question...

Thanks for reading this anyway and thank you in anticipation of any help offered!!

Laura

[somabc]

Name Error: The domain name does not exist.

Suggests it is not trying to access the Server as an IP address but rather as a name.

On the server itself I would check you can access the page using

http://127.0.0.1/

This verifies the webserver is actually running.

Then try

http://<the IP Address>/

If this works go to another computer and try again.

http://<the IP Address>/

If it does not work try to ping the IP address, and if this does not work there is a network error. (ie can give you more advice when you get to this stage)

[ljlbray]

http://127.0.0.1 cannot be found, but would this be the correct IP as I've already given it a static ip of 10.128.8.68?

Thanks

Laura

[clareq]

In IIS is the website shown as stopped? If so right click and start it. By the way, 127.0.0.1 is the IP address of the local machine, whichever machine you are on.

[gwendes]

http://127.0.0.1 cannot be found, but would this be the correct IP as I've already given it a static ip of 10.128.8.68?

Thanks

Laura

127.0.0.1 on the server.

[mac_shinobi]

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loopback]Loopback - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

A loopback interface has several uses. It may be used by network client software on a computer to communicate with server software on the same computer, viz., on a computer running a web server, pointing a web browser to the URLs http://127.0.0.1/ or http://localhost/ will access that computer's own web site. This works without any actual network connection–so it is useful for testing services without exposing them to security risks from remote network access. Likewise, pinging the loopback interface is a basic test of the functionality of the IP stack in the operating system.

[ljlbray]

http//localserver shows website under construction page, 127.0.0.1 shows previously mentioned error, and in IIS the website is shown as running...

[clareq]

Again in IIS, right click on the web site and go to properties. What TCP port is it on? If it's anything other than 80 add the port to the URL eg http://localhost:8080

[somabc]

Could it also be in a different virtual directory eg.

http://localhost/something

[ljlbray]

Port is 80 :-( and with the suggestion about the different virtual directory wouldn't this still be able to access 127.0.0.1 if I'd got everything set up properly?

[mac_shinobi]

Port is 80 :-( and with the suggestion about the different virtual directory wouldn't this still be able to access 127.0.0.1 if I'd got everything set up properly?

for windows xp ( should be more or less similiar on server 2003 or w/e )

Installing IIS on Windows XP Pro

Also when I add it I also add the virtual directory option by checking the tickbox

[clareq]

If you look in IIS and right click on the home page and browse, what is the address that shows in your browser? On the properties dialogue, under documents,is the home page (default content page) correct?

[ljlbray]

Ok so when I browse on hdesktest (the virtual website I set up, now I get nothing, it just hangs. But when I visit localhost/hdesktest it works fine. on the actual folder struture of helpdesk, if I access this on localhost, it lets me get to the logon screen but then gets the 'website under construction' page after I've entererd a valid username and password...

It was getting to the hdesktest site in IIS using browse before I added it to the domain, I'm not sure why I'm not getting to it now...
ooh but finally it does get to the IP/hdesktest and returns a timed out error..

[mac_shinobi]

Ok so when I browse on hdesktest (the virtual website I set up, now I get nothing, it just hangs. But when I visit localhost/hdesktest it works fine. on the actual folder struture of helpdesk, if I access this on localhost, it lets me get to the logon screen but then gets the 'website under construction' page after I've entererd a valid username and password...

It was getting to the hdesktest site in IIS using browse before I added it to the domain, I'm not sure why I'm not getting to it now...
ooh but finally it does get to the IP/hdesktest and returns a timed out error..

If you make a backup of the directory where your website is ( hdesktest ) if there is anything important in there - then un install / remove IIS and then re install it and re configure it and put it back and try it again does that help with ref to being able to load the correct page etc

[ljlbray]

Yayy I did the following and the helpdesk is back up on the Virtual Website, now I just have to work out why it's not appearing as the localhost/default.

1: when trying to access the firewall to check I hadn't been stupid and left it on, I couldn't access it because of ipnat conflict. So it could still have been something to do with this.

2. Device Manager -> View -> Show hidden devices -> Non-Plug and Play Drivers, disabled IP Network Address Translator

also

3. Remote Routing and Access -> disabled

Restarted Machine, IIS reset just in case, and then lo and behold I could ping out and in to the router, and after a few tweaks with baseUrls in my settings.asp file I could open up the helpdesk again.

Now I have to figure out how to get it to load as http://localhost/default or http://localhost/helpdesk

and then get it to be accessible for teachers :-S