I have a newbie-network question, so I'll ask for your patience right up front!
My Linux (Debian) desktop runs an Apache Web Server for the other household/family desktops to access.
They are running Windoze. (e.g., Windows 10).


All the household/family desktops get access to the Web through a wireless router (Verizon Fios).


My two questions are:
1) Can I 'directly' access one household computer from another?
(I assume that the route between the two computers would go through our Verizon router.)

2) Using a simple example of ftp, how do I configure the computers/router so that I can ftp between two of them?
(I've read about iptables, but still need a newbie/real-world example....)

TIA, Matt

Please disregard this reply.
It is OBE.

Yes, you are doing this now when accessing the debian web server from the other household computers. Nothing to configure on the router.

Again you can use your Web server as an actual example. Same thing for FTP

Thanks for the reply michaelk.
When I'm on my linux box and try to get to either my router or a Windoze desktop I am unsuccessful.

Below is - 1st I try to go to the Windoze box (whose firewall, btw, is turned off temporarily). It gets 'No route to host'. Next, I try to go to the router itself and I get 'Connection refused':


/home/matthew : [1789]


ftp 192.168.1.2
ftp: connect: No route to host
ftp> bye


/home/matthew : [1790]


ftp 192.168.1.1
ftp: connect: Connection refused
ftp> bye


Any ideas of what I should do?

Thanks again.

A FTP server needs to be installed and running on the computer you are trying to connect to as well as the firewall allowing FTP connections. Some router's have file sharing / FTP capabilities for those that have a USB port but they also need to be configured and running.

Instead of FTP have you considered using windows file and print sharing.

Thanks again for the quick reply.


I was using ftp as the example.
There are several things I'd like to do that I've done in the past (shortly after there were no dinosaurs left roaming.... ;-).


I have used ftp, rlogin, ssh, and yes - even rsh - to do 'stuff' between desktops.


If I want to put myself thru the pain, I guess the best thing to do is implement ssh again.


Years ago I first implemented a Web server on the Linux side for just this cross-platform compatibility.
Specifically, I implemented launching my Web applications (e.g., via jnlp) to execute from a single set of code.
But Web-launching standalone applications is a no-no now.


Man, I'm old!

Please disregard - this was a duplicate.