Intranet Help :/

[eclass]

Hey everyone!

 

I'm our school I'm setting up a local intranet site mainly for staff communications, calendars & announcements and such... I finally finished setting up an Ubuntu server running LAMP+Webmin which is working great! however I have two questions and would like your input on this.

 

1. What script would work best for an intranet site? I was researching Wordpress and Jommla which say it will work but it looks like it requires lots of tweaking and plugins etc.. Is there anything else worth looking at? or is this something I would have to start from scratch?

 

2. Now I'm able to view any webpage I setup in it however It only works when I enter the server IP address into the browser. Is there a way to setup a "virtual name" for internal purposes? I would hate for staff to remember an IP address every time they need access to the intranet. I assume theres has to be a way to create a "myschoolintranet.com or .net" into a browser and have that kick in the Ubuntu server.

 

I've been messing around with our windows DNS server to convert the IP to name but im having any luck :/

 

thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

[soveryapt]

You would need to set an A Record in your DNS with a name for your server which points through to the IP address. If you're on a domain, you will then most likely have to use a FQDN (so for instance intranet.domain.local).

 

Personally, I've found using the IP address means all devices can access it though (for instance, my macs won't access on the FQDN - I'm sure theres a way to get round this).

[eclass]

I tried this. But it still wasen't resolving :/ I wonder if I didn't wait long enough..

 

ps..Yes we are on Domain

 

 

1. Open DNS management under administrative tools. Start Menu - Control Panel - Administrative Tools – DNS.

 

2. Expand forward lookup zones by clicking on the +.

 

3. Right click on the zone (domain name) and click on new host (A or AAAA).

 

4. Type in the name of the record. If you are creating www then type in www, if you are created a sub domain such as dev.example.com or test.example.com then type in the sub domain name.

 

5. Type in the IP address of the domain name or the sub domain. This is usually the primary IP address of your dedicated server.

 

6. After typing in the IP address click on add host.

[soveryapt]

Hmmm ..

 

Should work pretty straight off as it's not like your internal DNS has to propagate the globe like the internet ones do ..

 

When adding it in, I just added intranet as the name of the record and added the IP, this then allowed me to access using intranet.domain.local.

[eclass]

OK, so for instance

 

the server IP is 192.168.40.10

the folder name for the website is called "myschool.intranet.com"

 

With that said I should be able to type "myschool.intranet.com" into a browser and have it land on the webpage folder..? right :\

but it just takes me to an outside unknown website

[soveryapt]

OK, so for instance

 

the server IP is 192.168.40.10

the folder name for the website is called "myschool.intranet.com"

 

With that said I should be able to type "myschool.intranet.com" into a browser and have it land on the webpage folder..? right :\

but it just takes me to an outside unknown website

 

The other thing to look at is whether you have got your LAN settings to ignore for localhosts and any other things.

 

For instance, in my bypass thing for one school I have 10.92.29.*, 10.123.138.*, 127.0.0.1, *.domain.local - so whenever I then use either the IP address or the FQDN for an internal device, it ignores all my proxy settings and internet settings and looks internally.

 

I would advise, it could just be an example I know but, again using a .com domain for an internal device. Always better to use a .local, in fact for internal, better to use your domain name full stop, so if your domain is called soveryapt.local then you could map your intranet to intranet.soveryapt.local, if that makes sense?

[eclass]

Thanks Ill double check my setting..

 

any Ideas on what software to use? script?

[soveryapt]

I use Wordpress myself. Big fan of it, but I've hand coded our intranet as its only basic. Wordpress runs the help desk though using SupportPress from WooThemes.

 

I've used Joomla in the past too. Also very versatile package but I would say a slight more learning curve on the admin side, though I've not played with it properly for a while. Most of my clients have been migrated to WordPress now.

[TechMonkey]

Anything you use you are going to have to add mods and plug-ins to if you want to do anything beyond the basics or even improve what is given to you.

 

For the intranet via a name rather than IP, firstly I would not use a .com name, or anything that could possibly have a real internet alternative. It just saves on complications. So our intranet address is just intranet or our internal moodle is moodle. Can you see a pattern forming?

 

Our Apache server has a virtual server set-up so that when certain addresses are sent to it the server knows which folder to send it to. I'll have to wait till I'm in tomorrow to show that though. Roughly though our DNS server has an entry that says moodle = 10.x.x.x, where 10.x.x.x is the ip of the server. The Apache server then has a virtual server set-up in the config that says if something comes in with the name "moodle" server up folder xyz.

 

That may be going a step far as our Apache server is serving up multiple 'sites' yours may not need that. I'll give real world examples tomorrow.

[petectid]

OK, so for instance

 

the server IP is 192.168.40.10

the folder name for the website is called "myschool.intranet.com"

 

With that said I should be able to type "myschool.intranet.com" into a browser and have it land on the webpage folder..? right :\

but it just takes me to an outside unknown website

 

You cannot use the .com bit of your address as this is a root domain, your request to resolve this address will be forwarded through your gateway for resolution on the Internets .com DNS root servers, it will be unknown as it is not a registered domain. Look at soveryapts posts and take note of his root in the address, .local this is probably what you should use if anything therefore "myschool.intranet.local" or "myschool.intranet". Change this and edit your DNS entry and it will work.

[eclass]

Thanks for everyones feedback I'm currently checking out our configuration... I will post updates if I have success

[eclass]

On another note I found this basic wordpress intranet site tutorial which I'm checking out as well.

 

http://wp-guides.com/2011/09/create-an-intranet-for-your-organization/

[cpjitservices]

also if you are using your windows box as a DNS Server you'll have to make sure the configuration of your IP points it's DNS to that server.

 

for instance if your server is .40.10 and your dns server is .40.100 then point your linux DNS to .40.100 then your linux box will use that server as it's DNS and aslong as you have it correctly configured it'll resolve.

[eclass]

SUCCESS! I added the server IP to my DNS A record! and boom! I'm able to use name instead of IP...

 

 

Thanks for your help guys!