LAN website not accessible from any Windows LAN browsers

[molinus]

I have a website on a standalone Ubuntu server (using virtual host).
I can access the site from 3 different Macs using Safari, Firefox and Chrome.
I can access the site from my Mac using virtual Windows XP Pro in VirtualBox.

But I cannot access the site from any Windows machine on the LAN, and it's frustrating
I cannot get to it with name resolution nor with IP address.

Here are some of my related configs:

In sites-available (also in sites-enabled)
mywebsite.conf
<VirtualHost *:80>
DocumentRoot /var/www/mywebsite
ServerName mywebsite
ServerAlias *mywebsite
Directory /var/www/mywebsite
</VirtualHost>

ports.conf
NameVirtualHost *:80
Listen 80

UFW
22 ALLOW IN Anywhere
80 ALLOW IN Anywhere
8080 ALLOW IN Anywhere
137/udp ALLOW IN 192.168.2.0/24
138/udp ALLOW IN 192.168.2.0/24
139/tcp ALLOW IN 192.168.2.0/24
445/tcp ALLOW IN 192.168.2.0/24
3306/tcp ALLOW IN 192.168.2.0/24

Does anyone know why I can get my site on Macs, but not Windows?

[R.Bucky]

If you are not operating DNS, you need to add your sites to the Windows /etc/hosts. Here is a how-to http://nwlinux.com/change-the-etchos...es-in-windows/

[molinus]

Thanks for the reply Mark, but I already have the host file populated on each Windows machine with all IPs and names, plus running Ubuntu as the WINS server.
Network name resolution works perfectly fine for network file sharing on all machines, Windows, Linux & Mac.
Samba works fine too, and the Windows machines can access WWW with no problems.
I can access mywebsite from the Macs and Linux machines, but not the Windows machines.
I was able to access mywebsite from one Windows machine by turning off its Windows firewall. I haven't tried it on any others yet, because I'm wondering what Windows firewall exception is needed to make it work - ports 137, 138, 139, 445 and 3306 are already open in the Windows firewall, and 80 is open, since there is never a problem accessing any www sites.

[airtonix]

WINS is only an layer seven protocol, so it only resolves name resolution for Samba.

To resolve names at the level required by apache you need to have a layer three protocol service like avahi or bind running.

This is why your macs can resolve the address but no the windows machines.

easiest way to address this and minimise the amount of host file editing is to install "bonjour printing services for windows", this allows windows to see the avahi/bonjour broadcasts on your LAN.

You'll also need to allow traffic on port 5353 udp on your local computers for avahi/bonjour to work properly for your local area network.

Your ability to access websites on the internet by hostname is nothing to do with you being unable to access the website on your local network.

You might also be interested in this :

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7...896533#3896533

[molinus]

Thanks for the reply, but that is what is so maddening about this.

Avahi has always been running on the Ubuntu server, and Bonjour has always been running on Windows.
I mentioned Samba and WWW access to show that there are no networking issues.

I have an exact copy of mywebsite plus several other websites running through Xampp on my Mac, and all the machines (Mac, Windows & Linux) can access them all, both with name resolution and IP address.

So it must be a problem with a configuration in either Ubuntu or Apache2. That is why I put my conf info in the first post.

I am befuddled.

[arrrghhh]

So it must be a problem with a configuration in either Ubuntu or Apache2. That is why I put my conf info in the first post.

Why do you think that? Especially if turning off the Windows firewall fixed it on that one Win machine...

I also assume all these machines are on the same switch, vlan, router, what-have-you?

[molinus]

I apologize, I should have mentioned that my Windows firewall statement was incorrect.

When tried to access mywebsite with the firewall off, I entered the IP for the Mac-hosted mywebsite by mistake in my frustration and haste.

Firewall or not, using Window machines, I cannot get to the Ubuntu-hosted mywebsite via IP or name, but I can get to all of the Mac-hosted sites.

I don't know if this could be part of the problem or solution, but the Mac-hosted sites use a single httpd.conf under xampp, whereas the Ubuntu-hosted sites use individual .conf files under Sites-Available & SItes-Enabled.

Also, yes - 1 gateway router for ISP, and 1 24-port switch - 1 subnet.

[chrislynch8]

Ok the Wins PCs that cannot access the site. Can you do the Following.

1: Ping the IP address of the Server - do you get a respond.
2: Can you access the site as serverip/mywebsite
3: Does entering serverip into the browser bring to you to the default apache page

Rgds
Chris

[molinus]

Thanks for the tips Chris - I assumed there was connectivity since mounted network drives worked.

I don't know the explanation, but here is what happened:

Pinging the server IP (and Name) was fine from all the Macs, but timed out from all the PCs.

Then on 2 different PCs, I got the same results by doing this:
1) Pinged server IP (and Name) again (timed out)
2) Went to Network Browser, and even though no ping response, found the server name listed and connected to a shared folder on the server, then closed it.
Note: I did not have to log in to the server - I just opened the shared folder from Network Browser.

After that, pinging the server IP (and Name) worked and mywebsite was available.

I don't know why I would have to connect to the server via Network Browser first, to make the website available, and only from PCs.

[molinus]

Update:

I just went back after lunch, and cannot get to the server via the Network Browser, nor can I get mywebsite again (just from the PCs).

During that time, there have been no interactions (no input/output) on either the server or the PCs!!!

Something is severely fubar with Ubuntu.

I think maybe WINS is not working correctly - it seems to work intermittently, so I am considering setting up BIND DNS on Ubuntu.

Does anyone think BIND DNS might solve the website issues and Network Browsing from all machines?