Can't connect to website unless opened on server first

fabre · 03-08-2006, 09:40 PM

I am running an apache web server on a Suse 10.0 machine.
Used Yast to configure the vhosts.

I noticed external/Lan machines can't connect to my websites unless at leat one of the website is loaded into Konqueror/firefox on the server, then all websites are accessible for a period of a time.

Then after a few minutes external/Lan machines can't connect anymore, and as I soon I refresh the website loaded in Konqueror/firefox, they can connect again.

Suse machine is behind a router DI-624 with the rule for the virtual sever Http (TCP 80) enabled

I am not sure where the problem is, if it's apache/suse or the router.

unSpawn · 03-09-2006, 07:34 AM

Sounds like iptables ESTABLISHED,RELATED issue to me. Post your firewall rules.

ScooterB · 03-09-2006, 08:21 AM

I agree unSpawn. It definitely sounds like a firewall issue!

fabre · 03-09-2006, 10:16 AM

iptables? haven't look into the firewall rules.

Where can I find them?

/edit

Just notice on boot I get a message in the line of "ip6tables not support state matching, extended ip6tables disabled"

Is that related?

unSpawn · 03-09-2006, 05:37 PM

Where can I find them?
Sposedly /etc/sysconfig/iptables on RH*L-compatible systems.

Just notice on boot I get a message in the line of "ip6tables not support state matching, extended ip6tables disabled" Is that related?
Spose not. chkconfig --level 2345 ip6tables off if you cant stand it.

ScooterB · 03-10-2006, 07:44 AM

I am not that familiar with your distro, but in most iptables is located in /etc/sysconfig. There might be a couple of other things to look at also. Check to make sure that ipchains isn't running. IP tables and ipchains are mutually exclusive. The other thing might be to look at ip6tables and see if it is running. For instance fedora has it available, but since the rest of the world hasn't changed over to IP6 yet, it won't do much good to try and run it (especially if you have an IP4 type IP address (i.e. 123.456.789.012). Take a look at those things and you can google for a tremendous amount of info on setting up iptables. Take a look at these things and repost.

fabre · 03-11-2006, 12:46 AM

doesn't look like it's firewall related.

From a lan machine if I type the server ip 192.168.0.2
I can surf the hosted website, no problem there.

If I use a URL, can't connect

If I open the URL on the server first, the Lan machine can see it for a minute then it won't be able to connect again.

How is that even possible?

ScooterB · 03-13-2006, 08:57 AM

I think that you might be fighting wth multiple issues. One may be the dns. Unless you have edited your PC's hosts file to point to that server it may not connect. And I have seen issues with trying to connect to a server that exists on your private lan and you have forwarding going on in your router to forward to that private ip. Doesn't work very well because you are coming from the same private lan. I think that the connect/not being able to connect issue is firewall related like unSpawn said. When you start up the site locally you are making an established connection. It allows it, because you are local to the server (on the same host) but it appears to the firewall that it is a trusted connection. So it lets you connect. Then when you try and connect from another host, it won't let you because it is a "new"connection. Try taking a look at your rules relating to new and established connections. Then repost!