Default Gateway Requirements

I recently had a server providing telnet service to a local area network. An external connection was required, and therefore port forwarding on the master router needed configuration. I forwarded telnet to the local IP of the server, but a telnet connection could not be established. This was because the server did not see the router as the default gateway.

The server must see the router, which requires the following command for a temporary solution:

route add default 192.168.0.1

Where 192.168.0.1 is the local IP address of the router. Depending on how often the server restarts you may have to set the default router permanently. Although if the server is never expected to restart then the temperatory solution will act as a pseudo permanent solution.

VirtualBox Host Networking Set Host Static Local IP

If you are running a guest operating system, and are utilizing host networking via a bridge and tap, you should set the host IP address statically. On my other machine I was able to utilize DHCP for the host IP, but on this machine when the guest IP address is set the host has trouble DHCP’ing and new IP address.

Overall setting IP address statically is important to keep track of utilized and available IP addresses. DHCP is really only useful in practice when anonymous machines are connecting and the MAC addresses are new to the router.

Windows No Internet - Router Fix

When your Windows XP computer has no internet connection it is either because it has not configured an IP address or some other malfunction. The good news is that Windows automatically configures your IP addres via a service called DHCP that lives happily in your router or modem. To get your computer an IP address simply restart your machine, and your router. If you don’t use a router you can restart your modem. You would be surprised the power of a system restart; it tends to resolve the most stubborn issues.

Secure Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon Web Server Wordpress

I have had success avoiding hackers, and other threats with use of a completely up to data Ubuntu system, a hardware based firewall, and an up to date Wordpress installation. I feel that the most important security aspect of a server is keeping the software up to date, and once this criteria is met the addition of a hardware firewall will close all unnecessary ports further reducing threats. With all unused ports closed, and the only ones open are being monitors by the corresponding server applications;/ therefore the systems security is based on the hard work of the programmers to keep their server software up to date. I have no doubt in their incredible capabilities, as Apache, Mysql, and PHP are relatively powerful while secure applications.

By the way, most routers have a built in firewall. Any router that requires port forwarding has a firewall that is active. Port forwarding punches a hole through the firewall, while directing a particular external port to a specific local IP address.