So, I had finally got around to setting up an old desktop I have to be a web (LAMP) server, but I come to find that even though I can access my test website locally by forwarding port 80 on my router, I cannot access it elsewhere.
So I then set my server to operate on a different port and forward that port on my router (including the port in the url now when I enter the website), but the same thing happens. I then found out about various online port checking tools and about the DMZ option on my router and ultimately found that my ISP (Suddenlink) blocks every port except 22. However, port 22 is used by SSH, and I found that apache2 refuses to listen on port 22 when I set it to, as it generates some error about an address conflict and fails to restart.
Sure enough, I find that Suddenlink says, on their website, that they do not allow any sort of server operation for "residential" customers, and that you would need to become a "business" customer, which I come to find is a ridiculously expensive option.
So just for the heck of it, I look at what other ISPs are in the area, and see that the only real options are AT&T and the satellite internet providers. However, AT&T appears no better than Suddenlink (although I don't know exactly how many ports they block), and HughesNet doesn't either.
Is this a relatively new development with ISPs, or am I just unlucky? How are personal blogs, or anything else that isn't a corporate website, on the internet? That is, unless everyone pays for web hosting.
Edit: Wait, I'm an idiot, it will say every port other than 22 is blocked if only 22 is on; I just changed the port number of apache and forwarded it and now it seems to be working. It feels a bit crazy that they, under there acceptable use policy, "RESERVE THE RIGHT TO IMMEDIATELY TERMINATE YOUR ACCOUNT WITHOUT NOTICE", but I can't imagine they'd give a damn unless you end up generating a lot of traffic.
Actually, wait, no it's not working; I still had my WiFi on.
So I then set my server to operate on a different port and forward that port on my router (including the port in the url now when I enter the website), but the same thing happens. I then found out about various online port checking tools and about the DMZ option on my router and ultimately found that my ISP (Suddenlink) blocks every port except 22. However, port 22 is used by SSH, and I found that apache2 refuses to listen on port 22 when I set it to, as it generates some error about an address conflict and fails to restart.
Sure enough, I find that Suddenlink says, on their website, that they do not allow any sort of server operation for "residential" customers, and that you would need to become a "business" customer, which I come to find is a ridiculously expensive option.
So just for the heck of it, I look at what other ISPs are in the area, and see that the only real options are AT&T and the satellite internet providers. However, AT&T appears no better than Suddenlink (although I don't know exactly how many ports they block), and HughesNet doesn't either.
Is this a relatively new development with ISPs, or am I just unlucky? How are personal blogs, or anything else that isn't a corporate website, on the internet? That is, unless everyone pays for web hosting.
Actually, wait, no it's not working; I still had my WiFi on.