How do I access a web server behind NAT and proxy?

Question

I have installed a local web server for an web application for a customer. Their server is behind NAT and uses proxy for access internet.

Is there a way to access the web application remotely from my computer?

Answer 1

You will need to either create a port forwarding on the NAT router, but beware because then its open to the whole internet, or you need to have something connecting out to allow you in.

For example one thing what i like to do is to submit the following command behind a NAT.

ssh -R 10022:127.0.0.1:22 me@myserver.com

This command connects to myserver.com and opens port 10022 there. Then everything that connects to it's port 10022 will be tunneled to the source hosts 127.0.0.1:22. Later I connect to myserver.com from anywhere, and on myserver.com I submit this:

ssh -p 10022 127.0.0.1

Like this I can get behind the NAT.

You could also do the same by directly forwarding to the webserver, like this:

ssh -R 10080:<private webserver ip>:80 me@myserver.com

Now, on myserver.com, you could browse to 127.0.0.1:10080 and would get to the webserver which is behind the NAT.

Both solutions, port forwarding or SSH are working, but SSH is much more safe because you don't need to expose your private webserver to the internet.