How can I Access remote FTP servers on Private IPs

dablew · 12-01-2007, 11:33 AM

Hi all,
I need any precious advice on how to sort this:

Am setting up a number of FTP servers(more than 50 and going higher!) around some offices(all in one autonomous WAN).All of these servers have to be accessed publicly by clients anywhere and for this I have had to give each server a public IP.Am afraid I might end up overusing my public IPs and run short of them with more sites coming.

Are there ways I can configure in Linux or better according to my setup,to have all the servers on private IPs mapped on a single Public IP and yet manage to reach all of them independently?I was thinking of manipulating these with ports but am not sure how or even if most FTP clients can support this.

All the sites connect to the same cisco router to make the WAN and connect to the internet.

Please assist.

utanja · 12-01-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dablew

Hi all,
I need any precious advice on how to sort this:

Am setting up a number of FTP servers(more than 50 and going higher!) around some offices(all in one autonomous WAN).All of these servers have to be accessed publicly by clients anywhere and for this I have had to give each server a public IP.Am afraid I might end up overusing my public IPs and run short of them with more sites coming.

Are there ways I can configure in Linux or better according to my setup,to have all the servers on private IPs mapped on a single Public IP and yet manage to reach all of them independently?I was thinking of manipulating these with ports but am not sure how or even if most FTP clients can support this.

All the sites connect to the same cisco router to make the WAN and connect to the internet.

Please assist.

have you looked into using a router/switch and forwarding ..

Th3_J3st3R · 12-01-2007, 12:36 PM

Well as far as I know you can only forward to one client. I don't know how you would set up a router/switch to forward random IP address' to specific servers without knowing who is who.

You could set up some sort of login script which forwards to the correct ftp server. Thats the only solution that I can think of.

The main problem is allowing people to log in from anywhere. If your clients had static IP addresses (their home address') that you could map THEN you can forward to the correct ftp server. Just set up the port forwarding tables on the cisco router.

dablew · 12-03-2007, 02:14 AM

Thanks utanja and Th3_J3st3R for your comments,
I am just curious,Is there a way I can forwad a request from lets say:
A public a.b.c.d

ortZ to a private e.f.g.h

ortY.If this is possible how would it fare with having each private IP matched with a different port on the same public IP.

Or how best can save on my public IPs and have my setup working right.

Thanks again.