yet more internet issues

[Sub-Routine]

You are doing well David.

 

I think your URL should not include dyndns.org, it should be "hostname.ath.cx".

 

Rand

 

OK experiment over.

 

I went to the Moxie for a spin... I can log into the remote ISY using the external IP address provided by the front page of the portforward.com folks (entered in the HTTPS line under settings in the MobiLinc) . Yipee. Now the confusing part. I can not access the ISY remotely, from the same Moxie, when I enter my "hostname.ath.cx.dyndns.org" or simply "hostname.dyndns.org" in the HTTPS line.

David

[brad77]

I think that you are still confusing some things. First off, did you use the same external IP address that you are using to access your ISY in your DynDNS setup? If not, that's a problem.

 

I'm a bit unfamiliar with the format of the host name "hostname.ath.cx.dyndns.org". On your DynDNS account, you are asked to enter a host name, then pick a DNS host suffix (the DynDNS.org part). Put the two together and you have the full URL that you should be using.

 

When I picked my IP address in the control panel for the local static IP address, do I need to enter this anywhere else? And then there is this tidbit... in the help tab of the ISY control panel the URL is 192.168.0.3... this is not the IP address I asked for in the creation of the static IP address in the: network settings|adapter setting|properties|internet protocol versionn 4(TCP/IPv4) properties.

Your computer has an internal IP address. Your ISY has one too. They are different addresses. What we're trying to do here is access your ISY, not your computer. It is not necessary to configure your computer to have a static IP address. It doesn't hurt, but it is not necessary. What Rand and the others were suggesting is to set up a static internal IP address for your ISY. You then set up your router to forward port 443 to that static internal IP address. Then, you set up DynDNS. Lastly, set up a software updater on your computer to keep track of changes to your external IP address. When you do this last part, be careful about how often you update your address. If you do so too much, DynDNS will suspend your account.

 

When I asked my router to forward to 443, do I need to let the dynDNS know?

DynDNS doesn't need to know anything about what ports you plan to forward. It is used to connect an easy to remember host name to your public IP address. Nothing more.

 

As I mentioned before, each device in your home (internal) network has a different internal IP address. However, all of those devices share the same external IP address. That is to say that there is only one public address on the internet pointing to your home network. This should help explain why you can do some of the setup on your computer. Both your computer and your ISY share the same external IP address. Fundamentally, you are telling DynDNS the public (external) address of your entire home network, not just your computer.

[Dinboise]

I found the missing piece. Setting the ISY's IP address through the command prompt. Somehow I missed that step. I have been trying to set an IP addres to it from the router, and the control panel of the computer... oh well.

 

So now the ISY does indeed have this address and I can still get to it from my network though this IP address is not listed on the LAN list. The port has been forwarded to this IP address. I am pretty sure the dyndns has been set up correctly. The real test will be if I can access the ISY from outside my network using the dyndns host name. ANd if this all works I will definitely get the updater.

 

Thanks for the help guys.

David

[Dinboise]

I talked to Darrell about 2 weeks ago, and got things straightened out and everything seems to be working now. Boy my learning ability is way down since college. I don't know if this will help anyone else but I put the steps that I had to go through below. I think they are exactly what you have all asked me to do but in a way that I understand it now. I am sorry if you find yourselves thinking - "yeah well duh, that's what I said." But I wasn't listening as well I should have.

 

How I got the ISY to communicate with MobiLinc outside my home.

 

The ISY has an IP address locally called an internal IP address that would be given automatically by my router depending on the boot up sequence. It would change often so I had to make it “staticâ€. I gave it (192.168.0.##) by following:

 

http://www.universal-devices.com/mwiki/ ... IP_Address

 

this involved a telnet connection to the ISY and was a local change. For me, I needed to know that the Subnet Mask was 255.255.255.0 And the Gatway was 192.168.0.1 It also helped to know that the Domain Name Servers for Qwest (my ISP) were “preferredâ€= 205.171.3.65 And alternative = 205.171.2.65

 

2) Then I went to the router page (type 192.168.0.1) in the address space on the explorer web page and find the tab for Advanced Setting. Advanced Port Forwarding. And made the following changes:

 

Starting port = 443. Ending port = 443. Protocol = TCP.

Remote port = 443. Remote End port = 443 (this made the port of 443 exclusive to computers searching only for 443. It is still an open port – but only goes to the internal address of the ISY (192.168.0.##), not the printer or computer or iPod, etc)

 

3) Then I went to DynDNS.com ( http://www.dyndns.com/ ) to set up a free ‘Host name†to associate/register with the external IP address of my router which at the time was 205.171.2.** but has since changed many times. This Host name, however, will not change and I called myself "Lalala.chose one from the list.org"

 

So now I can access the ISY from: https://Lalala.chose one from the list.org

 

And in MobiLinc application on the iTouch, I enter “Lalala.chose one from the list.org†in the HTTPS spot in the settings area to allow access remotely from any wifi in the world.

 

4) Now I got the DynDNS to update automatically by using an “Updater†that was provided by the DYN DNS folks… ( http://www.dyndns.com/support ) This way, I do not have to check for updates at the DynDNS site.

 

Tada...

 

Thanks for the help, and I hope by me typing this message to myself, I will be able to do this next time without problems when the computer crashes.

 

David

[aLf]

Dinboise:

 

There isn't a person on this site that hasn't gone through what you posted at some time in their past. I too didn't know the difference between an internal or an external network. There are volumes of information available describing what you just accomplished (and you described it very well I may add). That said, I agree with you that there is no substitute for a good teacher. I have found many "tech service buddies" on this Forum who are ALWAYS willing to not only help but help me learn. And what really is nice is that they NEVER make you feel inferior or dumb when you ask. The professionalism and caring on this Forum starts at management level (Michel) and has populated down through ranks like you and I. I still only know a little bit of ISY and Insteon, but I learn every day. Since my struggle with your exact problem and resolution with networks, I have helped several people set up their routers and home internet. Funny isn't it? One persons help can help hundreds over time. I learned that in kindergarten, guess it still works today.

 

aLf

[Dinboise]

Well said aLf

 

David