Clients and the internet and network

[IT2Be]

When I run a server (from behind a firewall) I have to direct the client to the right network address.

That is no problem until you work with your clients from the same network (internal OR internet).

If you want both however this seems to be an issue!

How can we do this?

[Harjo]

I have a Servoy server which is used by internal clients and external clients at the same time!

You have to do portfowarding thru the firewall.
Otherwise the external clients can't reach the internal server
and you have to fill in, under Application-Preferences-Services,
firewall hostname or ip: 127.0.0.1

than it will work both ways.

[Karel Broer]

I still can't figure out how I can let my external client connect to the repository server. They can download the client application, but cannot find the repository database.

I redirected the HTTP port (8080) for the webconnection to my local server IP address (that works) and I redirected the RMI port (1099) to the same address.
In the dataservice, firewall hostname or IP (for external usage) I set the router IP adress.

So what did I forget or do wrong?

[wgknowles]

There are alot of things to check for:
http://servoyserver:8080/servoy-admin/network-settings

look here and make sure everything is set up right!

[jcompagner]

freecolours: what you should do is make sure the 2 way socket is selected.. Then fill in for the hostname: 127.0.0.1

this way we are tunneling everything just like an SHH tunnel.. And then it should work fine in youre case.

[Jan Blok]

All is very well explained in the server admin page:
http://localhost:8080/servoy-admin/network-settings

[Westy]

All is very well explained in the server admin page:
http://localhost:8080/servoy-admin/network-settings

We have a situation where port 1099 has been added via our customer's internet provider's administrative web page and the static internet ip address has been forwarded to the server's local ip address.

With the TwoWaySocket checked off and servoy.rmiStartPort set to 1099 on the Servoy-admin web page, we have tried setting the java.rmi.server.hostname to:

(1) blank
(2) static internet ip address
(3) 127.0.0.1

I have been able to connect as a remote client with all three of the above settings. But some of my customer's remote clients are able to connect and some can not. It appears that they are able to connect more consistantly when they use the Servoy Client install web page than when they use the Servoy Client desktop icon.

So we are having trouble trying to narrow things down and understand what the correct settings should be, particularly with regard to the difference between items 2 and 3 above. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

[jcompagner]

And some customers are accessing the internet through a NAT router?
(like over here more and more people are doing)

Then you have to switch on two way socket.

2 way socket can only be disabled if the application is only used inside an company where you know for sure that nobody connect through a nat router. If you are deploying a solution over the internet then 2 way socket setting must be set to true else all NAT users are out of luck.

[Westy]

I did not communicate the situation properly. When I said we have the "TwoWaySocket checked off" I meant it contains a check, meaning it is on.

Yes, I believe you are correct that "some customers are accessing the internet through a NAT router".

Does that mean that an adjustment may have to be made to the client outgoing router to open port 1099 similar to what is required for the incoming NAT router? I am trying to better visualize things so I will know what to do in various situations.

[jcompagner]

If 2waysocket is enabled then clients don't have to open any ports on there nat router.

on the server you should use 127.0.0.1 or the ip/dns name of the url that people are typing in the browser. Then everything should be OK.

Those who do have trouble are they also having troubles with http://demo.servoy.com:8080/ ??

[Westy]

Those who do have trouble are they also having troubles with http://demo.servoy.com:8080/ ??

Good idea! I will have them try it.

[Westy]

we have tried setting the java.rmi.server.hostname to:

(1) blank
(2) static internet ip address
(3) 127.0.0.1

I have been able to connect as a remote client with all three of the above settings. But some of my customer's remote clients are able to connect and some can not.

I have received the following clarification regarding the above three options from Servoy support:

"Option 3 is only necessary if the server has multiple IP addresses. With option one Servoy tries to determine it for himself which is successful in many cases. If you put in the external IP it might stop working on the internal network (depends on how they route that traffic)."

[jcompagner]

The best thing is that you don't use 2waysocket and that the rmihost is the hostname or ip of the server.
But this is only possible when all the clients are on the same network as the server.. (so over the internet this is never an option anymore)

If you have to use the server over the internet then 2waysocket has to be enabled. If you then also use the server local and over the internet then you have to set the rmihost name to 127.0.0.1

so most of the time when you use 2waysocket then also set the rmihost name to 127.0.0.1. That should work the best in all the cases when the clients are not on the same network.

[Westy]

The last explanation is very clear to me. Thank you, I really appreciate it.

With regard to the 127.0.0.1 setting, I now understand when to use, but can not visualize what it is actually doing. Can anyone explain?

[jcompagner]

if you use 127.0.0.1 then you are using a tunnel for all the cliet<->server traffic.

without 2way socket and 127.0.0.1

If the clients wants to connect it connects directly to the server itself everytime a request is made.

if a server wants to connect it also connects directly to the client.

That last one isn't possible if clients are behind nat. So if you set 2waysocket on. The client creates a tunnel. So that when the server wants to connect it does try to connect to the client it self but uses the tunnel.

If you don't have 127.0.0.1 set then the clients still connects directly to the server for every request. If you also set that one to 127.0.0.1 then every call the client does is to him self and that is routed through the tunnel also (so no direct socket connection is made either)