Author Topic: accessing embedded devices from the internet.  (Read 34042 times)

martino

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accessing embedded devices from the internet.
« on: August 17, 2012, 10:33:57 pm »
I was inspired by Jan's book "Embedded Ethernet and Internet Complete" and have built a number of devices with web servers built in, which I can use on my home Intranet. My problem arises when I wish to monitor or control these devices from the Net or the outside world. I want to know how a web client can access individual ip addresses of embedded web servers from the other side of my router, which has a fixed ip address. I don't want to set up any port forwarding in my router if possible. Can some one help please?

Jan Axelson

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Re: accessing embedded devices from the internet.
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2012, 11:27:05 am »
Even if your router has a fixed IP address on your internal network, your modem's port to the outside world may have a dynamic IP address.

To get around that issue, see:

http://tzodns.com/

You'll also need to configure your firewall.

Be aware that most home ISP accounts forbid hosting servers.

Also see:

https://cosm.com/

http://iobridge.com/products/cloud_services.html

Chapters 4 and 10 of Embedded Ethernet and Internet Complete cover this topic.

"The internet of things" has become a buzzword for Internet-abled devices so searching around on that might bring up more possibilities.


martino

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Re: accessing embedded devices from the internet.
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2012, 05:45:29 pm »
Thanks for a prompt reply. I may have been a bit general and simple with my question. (Its clear in my mind, maybe getting it out is a little harder!) My modems ip address is fixed and my firewall is configured. I have port forwardng set to accept any request to a http server on port 80 to be forwarded to a particular servers address. Thats where I get stuck. If I have mutiple devices (obviously with different ip address) how can the request coming in be directed to the required device. The original request from a browser must be directed to my modem, an outside ISP assigned address. But somehow the packet needs to be identified and passed to the required device. I can only enable one device at a time on my network, and change my port fowarding to that devices address. I wonder is there a "normal" practise to achieve this? eg Does the modem need to be set up to forward a request to each device or do I need to build  a server (router) to decode and redirect or am I missing something really simple. Does chapter 4 explain this? So I hope I have explained my dilemma that I can access a device from "outside" but not multiple devices.

Jan Axelson

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Re: accessing embedded devices from the internet.
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2012, 09:44:45 pm »
I believe port forwarding is the way to do it. See:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/31129-42-servers-external

Ranger.JR

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Re: accessing embedded devices from the internet.
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2017, 04:14:28 am »
It is very good information.