Testing external connections from inside the house

[ColKurtz]

I have a basic consumer-router ethernet/wireless home network. Occasionally, I would like to access my home systems while I'm at work or travelling. I'm basically familiar with the process, as I have an FTP server set up which I can access just fine, but am having trouble with other applications.

My question isn't specific to those apps, though, but a general question: Can I test inbound (external) network connections from within my house?

I can attach to my target computer (VNC for example) from either: 1) Within my house, by directing the client to my server's private 192.x.x.x address, or 2) From an external computer outside my house, by pointing the client to my real IP address that my router owns (and which I have port forwarding set up to the target server). What does not work is pointing the client to my router's real IP address *from* a computer inside the house on the private LAN.

This makes it a pain to troubleshoot access problems when I'm at the office, as I'm often wondering if the problem is some port-forwarding error, client issues on my work machine, corporate LAN, etc. It would be a lot easier to verify that inbound connections work before I leave for work or head out of town.

Are there proxy tricks for this, or any other way to verify? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[JackMDS]

I keep an old laptop with dialup modem and cheap Dialup account for such purposes.

:sun:

 

[ColKurtz]

Bump. (Thanks for the suggestion, Jack). Anyone have advice for those who don't want to sign up for dialup just for this purpose?

 

[Keitero]

Friend's house? i just call up my friend and ask him to connect to test things out. (like http or ssh)

 

[ColKurtz]

Yeah, I've tried that but that's also a PITA. It's fine if it works the first time, but if not it's really annoying to keep calling or drive back and forth (maybe the motto is "be more friendly to your neigbors", as we don't really know any of ours).

 

[JackMDS]

In other words, with regular Entry Level Cable/DSL Roter, you can not perform out to the Internet and bcak to your system with the same connetion.:shocked:

:sun:

 

[teething]

Check to see if your router is set up to block Internet NAT redirection.

 

[DnetMHZ]

That's what my office is for, and vice versa.