Topic: Newbie with tons of questions

[Jackie]

I have tons of questions mainly because I don't think my website is working for outside users. I don't have anyone that can confirm that www.pridellc.org is showing a website or an under consruction page.
Apache 2.2.14
OS: Win XP Pro
Apache error log shows no errors, everything seems to be starting and running fine

I'm registered through dyndns.com and their instructions on how to integrate dyndns with Apache is ambiguous so I don't think my configuration file is correct. The reason I don't think the configuration is correct is because they have a tool to check port 80 that Apache is listening on that shows that my connection is timing out and it should be open http://www.dyndns.com/support/tools/openport.html. I've used portforward.com's port checking tool and it shows port 80 is open in TCP but closed in UDP so long as the Apache service is stopped; if Apache is running the app itself blocks the port checker tool and it shows up as unable to connect which it should because port 80 would be in use. Do I need to enable UDP for a web server? I've looked at my router logs and it shows that the UDP ports are being constantly bombarded with intrusions so I've opted not to open any UDP ports but if that's what I need to do to get this thing to work I guess I don't have much choice.
Also when I installed Apache it asked for a network domain which the dyndns.com instructions showed to enter dyndns.com but I can't find anything in the configuration file showing dyndns.com. The problem is I think I put in .org instead and I need to double check it and correct it if necessary. Do I need to uninstall and re-install Apache for this? If so would I input dyndns.com or my own registered domain name because if I end up having to uninstall and re-install I want to make sure I put in the correct information the first time.

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[glsmith]

...is showing a website or an under consruction page.

Curently neither, times out.

... Do I need to enable UDP for a web server?

I've never opened UDP for Apache, only TCP

...if Apache is running the app itself blocks the port checker tool and it shows up as unable to connect

Which is why i do not like port checkers you launch locally. However if say this says it's open I'd believe it.

Shields Up! at https://www.grc.com

... network domain ... Do I need to uninstall and re-install Apache for this?

NO, although forced at setup to be entered, I've found it to only show up in the comments of the config so it wouldn't matter. What matters is ServerName and Listen.

Listen 80

Since there is no IP:PORT pair and just the port, Apache listens on all IPs availabe. In most cases this is the usual setting and only on multiple IP'd machines would you probably want to change this.

ServerName, although used to bind to an IP is not necessarily of value untill you start using virtual hosts. I will probably get flack for this statement but truth is, you could comment out the line and Apache is going to bind to the first IP it finds other than 127.0.0.1 unless there is no other IP available. However if you use it then it must bind to an IP that points to you.

So, that said, the usual problem becomes firewall/s or port blocks by the persons ISP. The shields up will let you know that one because if the ISP has blocked port 80 it will show as blocked, regardless of what you have set in your router or other firewalls. Cable seems to fall into this catagory in most, not all, of the US.

Since you never specifically mention the Windows Firewall, have you excepted port 80 there?

Do you also have a active firewall that came with an AV package similar to Norton Internet Security?

[Jackie]

With Apache running the surf sheild test results are:
GRC Port Authority Report created on UTC: 2010-02-26 at 01:01:50

Results from scan of ports: 0-1055

0 Ports Open
0 Ports Closed
1056 Ports Stealth
---------------------
1056 Ports Tested

ALL PORTS tested were found to be: STEALTH.

TruStealth: PASSED - ALL tested ports were STEALTH,
- NO unsolicited packets were received,
- NO Ping reply (ICMP Echo) was received.
With the Apache not running the results are:
GRC Port Authority Report created on UTC: 2010-02-26 at 01:08:40

Results from scan of ports: 0-1055

1 Ports Open
0 Ports Closed
1055 Ports Stealth
---------------------
1056 Ports Tested

NO PORTS were found to be CLOSED.

The port found to be OPEN was: 80

Other than what is listed above, all ports are STEALTH.

TruStealth: FAILED - NOT all tested ports were STEALTH,
- NO unsolicited packets were received,
- NO Ping reply (ICMP Echo) was received.

so the port is open but only when Apache is not running. With Apache running the port times out. XP firewall is excepted and the results are the same even when all firewalls are down. AV doesn't include firewall.

[Jackie]

Ok now I'm really confused. It seems my port is dongling back and forth or something. When I disable the router firewall and check with the dyndns.com port tool the port times out but if I check it with the portforwarding.com internal tool the port shows open and then the dyndns.com tool will show open as well but then Apache won't start. The error log shows nothing but the system event logs show:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Apache Service
Event Category: None
Event ID: 3299
Date: 2/26/2010
Time: 2:06:17 AM
User: N/A
Computer: M748LMRT
Description:
The Apache service named reported the following error:
>>> Unable to open logs .

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Apache Service
Event Category: None
Event ID: 3299
Date: 2/26/2010
Time: 2:06:17 AM
User: N/A
Computer: M748LMRT
Description:
The Apache service named reported the following error:
>>> no listening sockets available, shutting down .

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Apache Service
Event Category: None
Event ID: 3299
Date: 2/26/2010
Time: 2:06:17 AM
User: N/A
Computer: M748LMRT
Description:
The Apache service named reported the following error:
>>> (OS 10048)Only one usage of each socket address (protocol/network address/port) is normally permitted. : make_sock: could not bind to address 0.0.0.0:80 .

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

When I re-enable the firewall the status is the same, the port dongles back and forth, the only time Apache will start is when the dyndns.com tool shows it's timing out and it will continue to time out until I kill Apache and reopen the port with the internal portforward.com's tester. If I wait for a few minutes the port will start timing out again and Apache will start, WTF. Whether I leave the firewall up or down it doesn't seem to matter, the port will eventually lock up on the browser side. Computers I hate them; has anyone ever heard of anything like this. It's like the port is closed until it recieves an internal outbound signal and then the data flows freely for a few minutes and then the port recloses to all inbound signals. The weird thing is that Apache won't connect when the port is wide open. I'm pretty sure the dyndns.com tool is supossed to show open while Apache is running could someone check that? Again the URL is http://www.dyndns.com/support/tools/openport.html

[glsmith]

I get;

75.xxx.xx.xx:80 is open and accepting connections. This indicates the port is not being blocked by either a firewall or your ISP and is currently operational.

as I should be getting and that is with Apache running since it is not a locally run tool as I had thought..

I'm still trying to think out this reversing port business, and it always leads back to a firewall, which one I do not know. What router do you have?

that said,
>>> Unable to open logs. I see this error in a couple different situations, the simplest being Apache is running already.

>>> no listening sockets available, shutting down . Well ... obviously something is using the socket already ... like Apache or IIS

>>> (OS 10048)Only one usage of each socket address (protocol/network address/port) is normally permitted. : make_sock: could not bind to address 0.0.0.0:80 .

Self explanatory and the same error as above one basically.

Curious, how are you starting & stopping Apache? Have you tried using some obscure high port to see if it works then? Sure you are using the correct IPs for everything? Is the behind the router IP static or dynamic?

[Jackie]

I'm using a Belkin F5D8233-4-v1 router bridged through an Embarq 660R Modem on XP Pro. The hardware has the latest firmware and XP is updated. My ISP owns the modem and supposedly by bridging it that eliminates that firewall and I've tried it with the router and the OS's firewalls up and down; the results are the same. The only thing I can think of is one of the port checking tools is still using it for a few minutes after it shows the results. I've also thought that maybe some other software was trying to use port 80 but it should be trying to access the port all the time; therefore it should conflict with Apache all the time. Also in my firewall rules, Apache is the program that has permission to access port 80, I should be getting a popup from XP for any other programs wanting to access the firewall. I'm thinking of installing Utorrent and letting it use port 80 for a large download and see if the connection stays open; Utorrent has a little green icon that indicates whether port forwarding is working or not but I don't know how well that will work either because data will be coming and going at the same time and it seems that as long as data is going outbound the port stays open. The only other thing I can think of is my room mates machine has port 80 open for some reason and the router is trying to pass off to that machine. I'm going to check that right now.

I use the Apache Monitor to start and stop the service but I've also confirmed that the service is stopped by opening Administrative services. I have a dynamic IP that is synched with a software updater to dyndns.com. The machine has a static IP from the router. I've double checked that the updater is working and the IP's are correct. I agree that it's a firewall problem and more than likely it's the router, It took me three days of hell trying to get port forwarding working in the first place. In the end I ended up calling both my ISP and Belkin for technical support. Both agreed that the modem was doing nothing since it was bridged but the router was blowing both mine and the tech from Belkin. I started out with an exception in the firewalls routing port 80 to my machine. When that didn't work I put the machine in the DMZ zone and dropped all firewalls and port forwarding still wouldn't work after resetting the router. That's when I called my ISP to see if they were blocking ports. After I told them what was going on they told me to call Belkin because they didn't block ports. After I called Belkin they had me put everything back into the original configuration with the firewall exception with all firewalls up and after resetting the router a few times it finally started working with the portforward.com internal port tester and it worked with the external port tester "Surf Sheild" but it never did work with dyndns.com's open port tool until last night when I figured out the trick of checking the port with the internal tester first. With the internal tester Apache has to be down. At first I thought Apache was misconfigured and it may be because I'm fairly new to the software but I'm an old hand with routers and port forwarding but now I'm thinking it's the router. Ports that work when they want to doesn't make sense.
Unfortunately it's the only wireless router I have and I have to run this wirelessly because I have room mates and they don't want any wires running through the house. At one time I had this set up on another machine that used a Linksys router on Linux and it took about 45 min to get everything up and running; with this setup on starting my fifth day and seeing things that I've never heard of. Either a port is supposed to be open or closed not acting like some kind of swinging door or an and/or gate.

[Jackie]

I figured it out. XP added an exeption for Apache Monitor but didn't specify a port. After I added an exception for port 80 it seems to work. Still doesn't explain why it wouldn't work with the firewalls down though. Thanks for everyones help.

[glsmith]

You're welcome. I am glad you finally got it going.