1

So we are configuring a server site with REDCap to put up surveys and I am able to load it using localhost or the IP address through internet explorer. However, trying google chrome or edge browsers leave me with a 404 not found if using the IP address and an ERR_CONNECTION_RESET if using the localhost method. I am not extremely versed in putting up websites like this so I'm not sure which configurations may or may not be correct.

On top of this, our website address is not loading it at all, I'm not sure I'm binding it correctly in IIS. I am only able to connect from within the network. The database is on a separate server, but those are reading each other fine.

Tools:

  • IIS for setting up the website in general

  • PHP

  • MySql Server version 8

  • MySql Workbench for creating users/tables

  • Server Manager

Kyle Schuck
  • 11
  • What are the bindings for the website in IIS? If you got a 404, then you were not using the correct url, like https://server/site/file.html. Is the redcap site supposed to be accessible outside the network/public? I would not recommend it unless you know what you're doing. The answer here covers the basics: https://superuser.com/a/1011791/673426, but you basically need to forward traffic through your router, and optionally configure DNS so other people can use a name instead of IP – Cpt.Whale Jun 30 '23 at 20:10
  • We have 2 bindings currently. There's an http binding with "all unassigned" as the IP and port 80 (no hostname), the second binding is an https using the server's IP address and port 443. The hostname here is redcap.countyofkings.com which should eventually be the URL we want to have our audience use. I will admit I am not an expert by any means in this field, and this portion of the server was set up by our IT before I started here, he is also not an expert in setting up a website. I will give the link you gave a read. – Kyle Schuck Jun 30 '23 at 21:00
  • Set the https binding to IP Address: all unassigned and hostname: [empty], and it should work a bit better. Later, if you end up dealing with https certificates, you may want to bind specific hostnames separately. You can use your DNS (azure?) to point your .com URL to the server's public IP. – Cpt.Whale Jun 30 '23 at 21:25
  • You are correct, it does work a bit "better". So now at the very least it does let me connect via other browsers like chrome and edge (though edge comes with a warning). Our IT has already added some sort of SSL certificate to the binding that was using a hostname before (now blank). Is azure something we should look into? I'm not using anything other than what's been listed initially to create the site, so I don't have a separate DNS (I thought you could set it up from within these software). Obviously like anyone else would, we want to prioritize security. – Kyle Schuck Jun 30 '23 at 23:37
  • It just looked like the countyofkings.com domain was currently being hosted in azure dns. Whoever owns it would need to be involved in setting up the site – Cpt.Whale Jul 01 '23 at 02:00
  • Yes countyofkings.com is ours, we have a main website on that url hosted through another company's server, but this site is particular so we were going to set up another site on *.countyofkings.com namely redcap or something of the like. is this something that's possible or would our other site get in the way? (we'd likely even link to this site from the old one) – Kyle Schuck Jul 03 '23 at 15:10

0 Answers0