Calibre server on DSL with dynamic IP

So I have a question about the Calibre server use. I find that this works just fine over my local home network. When the server is on the computer on which I have Calibre I can access my Calibre library with other computers and devices in my local network, including wireless devices, at http://127.0.0.1:8080/

However, this is not of that much use to me. What I would like to be able to do is be able to access my Calibre library from an Internet connection, say at a local cafe that provides WiFi. My home Internet connection is DSL and connects through a router to all my home network devices. My Internet service provider does not promise a fixed IP address, but I have noticed that unless I restart my router or disconnect it from the DSL line my IP address stays the same.

When I use a browser to access http://my_ip_address I get a dialog box requesting a user name and password. When I enter the user name and password for the DSL router settings program I am allowed access to this.

When I use a browser to access http://my_ip_address:8080 I get a browser error that the web page cannot be displayed. Under my Windows XP firewall settings I have added Calibre to the exceptions list and and assigned it to port 8080 with access from the Internet.

So can anyone suggest what else I might need to do to make this work?

[user_none]

You need to setup port forwarding on your router. When you go to your_ip_address you are going to the router. When you set up port forwarding you ar telling the router that you want all traffic coming in on a specific port (8080 in this case) to be forwarded on to the computer runnin calibre.

Also, look at dyndns. They offer a free service that will allow you to associate your ip address with a written adress (mycomputer.dundns.com for instace). If your router has support for dyndns' sevice it will update dyn with the new ip adress every time it changes.

[jbcohen]

User none is correct and that will get the job done. Another way to do this is some library management software include a web server in the software which will adapt your databse for communication over the internet. However the database would need to be password protected. My electronic library is not really that complicated to warrant a library management software.

[user_none]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Another way to do this is some library management software include a web server in the software which will adapt your databse for communication over the internet.

This is included as part of calibre and this feature is what the OP is referring to.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

So I have a question about the Calibre server use. I find that this works just fine over my local home network. When the server is on the computer on which I have Calibre I can access my Calibre library with other computers and devices in my local network, including wireless devices, at http://127.0.0.1:8080/

It's worth noting that 127.0.0.1 is the loopback address and refers to the computer you're currently on. It shouldn't (can't) work on any other computer on your network to access the Calibre server. I suspect you are using the local address, such as 192.168.0.x of your server computer to access the Calibre server from other computers on your home network.

As user_none said, you will need to set up your router to do port forwarding. For that to work well, you will also need to set up a dynamic DNS account, as he suggested. Most current routers have both those functions available (they are off by default), but even if the dynamic dns function is not available in your router (I have one that does not have it), you can run a local program on your Calibre server to update dyndns.

Good luck. It's tricky to set up if you haven't done this sort of thing before, but it's worth the effort.

[theducks]

One more point if you have more than 1 computer on your network.
You need to set your configuration so the it gets the SAME internal IP so port forwarding works.

Depending on your routers DHCP server's features. You may be able to 'reserve' a preset internal (192.168...) address by entering the MAC of your machine( eg. a1:b2:c3:f4:56:08) This features allows a laptop to still be fully portable (DHCP), but have a 'static' like address at it's home base.

Assign a Static IP (be sure to be above the DHCP assignment range, so someone else does NOT get your address).

[slm]

A totally different approach:

If you have a Dropbox account, put your Calibre library inside the Dropbox folder.

This won't let you access the Calibre server, but the Dropbox folders are easily reached from anywhere and the Calibre library is just a set of folders with the books in the current formats in a pretty straight-forward organization.

For simply copying a book onto my reading device, I find this works quite well.

@ user_none and Starson17 and theducks. Thank you for the compact education and suggestions. Starson you are correct that address 193.268.1.2:8080 that provides local network access to my Calibre server.

So over the past couple of days I have been experimenting with settings on my router to see if I could get external access. I found two settings that I thought might be what was need.

See attachment rouuter1.jpg. I could not get image insertion to work.

I tried this with both entries in this table (as shown) as well as with only one or the other. No success.

See attachment router 2.jpg

Again I tried this with both entries in this table (as shown) as well as with only one or the other. No success.

So unless one of you or someone else has any further ideas I may just go with the idea suggested by slm.

Karma to you all for attempting to help.

[Manichean]

The first setting is the one you want. I think the reason it didn't work is that you mistyped your IP address- in your post, you gave 193.268.1.2 as your internal IP, in the router configuration, you typed 192.168.1.2. So, obviously, one of both is wrong, you'll want to recheck that. Also, you only need the first entry (assuming correct IP), and the internal ports shouldn't be needed from what I see of the explanation text. Ditch the whole port triggering setting, that's not what you want.
Also, generally speaking, having a little more detail that "no success" might be nice. Did you try to connect to your router's public IP? Have you set up DynDNS? If yes, is DynDNS working?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

@ user_none and Starson17 and theducks. Thank you for the compact education and suggestions. Starson you are correct that address 193.268.1.2:8080 that provides local network access to my Calibre server.

So over the past couple of days I have been experimenting with settings on my router to see if I could get external access. I found two settings that I thought might be what was need.

See attachment rouuter1.jpg. I could not get image insertion to work.

I tried this with both entries in this table (as shown) as well as with only one or the other. No success.

See attachment router 2.jpg

Again I tried this with both entries in this table (as shown) as well as with only one or the other. No success.

So unless one of you or someone else has any further ideas I may just go with the idea suggested by slm.

Karma to you all for attempting to help.

The 192.168.1.1 should be your router AND not open to the outside: I suggest removing this entry.

We will assume that 192.168.2 is your Calibre PC

outside->router 8080 forwarded to192.168.1.2->CalibrePC

[Starson17]

1) 192.168.1.2 is your PC address internally (the one that runs Calibre). Leave that in the NAT-Virtual Server page you posted for port 8080 (make sure that Calibre's Server is set to 8080)
2) 192.168.1.1 is your router address internally. Take that out of the NAT-Virtual Server page for port 8080
3) You don't need port triggering at all. Remove the address from NAT-Port Triggering.
4)After you've made those changes, you are almost there Go to:
http://www.whatismyip.com/
That will tell you your external (WAN) address on the internet. Say it tells you your address is 75.86.15.48.
Then go to any computer with internet access and type the following into the address bar: http://75.86.15.48:8080
You should see a login for your Calibre server.

It will stay valid until you reboot your router or otherwise change your ip address on the internet. To get a permanent URL address, like hamlet53.dyndns.org:8080 that never changes, you should set up dyndns on your router (or run it separately if your router does not support it.)

Thanks for the additional help and advice all. Unfortunately I could just never get this to work. Even at at the suggested settings when I type in http://my_current_IP:8080 all I get, after a long page loading pause, is "connection reset etc." That's alright I have now set up a drop box account that should suit my purposes. Once more thanks all

[ggurl]

Starson,

Thank you so much for your posts, they were on point! I registered to say thank you. I've not been able to figure out how to configure my Calibre for internet access (off wifi), your directions, made it FINALLY a reality.

I was even able to set up my own DynDns url. Many MANY THANKS.
~GGurl

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by ggurl

Starson,

Thank you so much for your posts, they were on point! I registered to say thank you. I've not been able to figure out how to configure my Calibre for internet access (off wifi), your directions, made it FINALLY a reality.

I was even able to set up my own DynDns url. Many MANY THANKS.
~GGurl

I'm glad the posts helped. I use the content server from multiple phones, friend computers, android tablets and my laptop. Once you are comfortable with the powerful search capability of Calibre, you will be able to find anything very quickly.