Static IP address on SMC8014

[karelles]

Good morning all,

I'm working at a small business, running an office of Macs, one of which, a Mac Pro, is running OS 10.6.8 and Filemaker (port #5003). We want that computer, and specifically that application, to be accessible remotely through a static IP.

Comcast assigned a static IP to the WAN, and sold them another "useable" IP for the LAN.

I found instructions on the web that said to configure the computer's network interface to the specs that Comcast gave us and then set "True Static IP Port Mgmt" to "UNcheck Disable all rules and allow all inbound traffic through" and then set the appropriate rule for Filemaker.

So to test before I brought down the network, on MY MacBook Pro, also running Filemaker and OS 10.6.8, I set that up. IT WORKED!!! I could access the internet, and from the Mac Pro could see the database on my computer from Filemaker on the Mac Pro. (I didn't check from out of the office, and in retrospect, I should have, and will today.) I thought I was home free, so I reset my laptop to DHCP and set up the Mac Pro Networking System Preference exactly how I set up my laptop and the Mac Pro promptly lost connection to the internet and nothing could see it from the Network including by SSH or ping.

I restarted the SMC 8014, albeit quickly. I restarted the computer. I zapped the PRAM of the computer. I checked, double checked, triple checked the numbers, checking for spaces, misplaced periods, etc. I tried different DNS numbers (using OpenDNS). I pinged from the Mac Pro and could NOT reach the DNS servers. My notes don't show whether I pinged the router itself (the WAN IP) and I don't remember. I'll try that too today. I checked the Sharing setup - identical.

This worked on one computer. Why would it fail on another computer, sitting side by side? There's a switch in the office, connected to the switch in the closet, so the only outside difference between the two is the port on the switch (simple, not managed) in the office.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Just power cycle the SMC appliance....sometimes its public IP mapping doesn't always click in on the first try.
Make sure the "True static IP" option has a checkmark in the firewall options of the SMC's web admin (at 10.1.10.1)

And I can't encourage enough though....don't put computers directly on public IP addresses......especially one with data on it. If you need some computer to access this info from another location, setup some routers at both sites that do a "router to router VPN tunnel".....for the remote package to be able to access it securely through the VPN tunnel.

[karelles]

Thanks Stone Cat,

We ordered a Cisco Router with VPN capability. I'm going to go set it up on Tuesday. One further ? about VPN. They would like to be able to access the database from many different locations, not just one, ie when they travel they'd like to be able to access from a motel room or a cafe, will the VPN work there?

Thanks again for sharing your expertise.

Karelle

Just power cycle the SMC appliance....sometimes its public IP mapping doesn't always click in on the first try.
Make sure the "True static IP" option has a checkmark in the firewall options of the SMC's web admin (at 10.1.10.1)

And I can't encourage enough though....don't put computers directly on public IP addresses......especially one with data on it. If you need some computer to access this info from another location, setup some routers at both sites that do a "router to router VPN tunnel".....for the remote package to be able to access it securely through the VPN tunnel.