Computer question * boring & techy! *

you were warned!!

Okay, here goes...

Currently running a popular FTP server on one of my computers on the mini-LAN at home using Serv-U v5.0 Corporate Edition, IIS 6.0 is installed, Windows XP Pro SP2.

Dynamic IP address provided by ISP, changes every few weeks or so, dynamic host domain provided by "no-ip.com"

ADSL port redirecting FTP port 21 to internal address of computer on LAN (192.168.0.2), all thats working great

Now for my question....

When people connect to my FTP server, they usually connect by using internet explorers built in FTP browser, instead of using a dedicated FTP client.  Given this, if my computer is turned off or the server is offline for any reason, the FTP browser takes about 30 seconds before it gives up and times out.

What I would like is to open a webpage, which in turn tests for connectivity to the FTP server (pinging port 21?) and, depending on the result, redirects to either the FTP browser screen (ftp://sperry.serveftp.com) or onto a holding page saying something like "server currently offline, please try again later"

Easiest way would be to just leave the server running 24/7 but i don't really want to do that for various reasons

Using Windows Scripting Host is a possibility, put the script within the index page on a some webspace

Any ideas?  

umm..

1.  you click the link for www.stephensftpserver.com at the bottom of my profile

2.  your internet browser (internet explorer/firefox whatever) opens the page located at www.stephensftpserver.com

3.  this page contains something to test the connection to ftp://sperry.serveftp.com, maybe download a small test file, or responding to a command, something to signify that its responding

     IF this test is successful

         THEN open ftp://sperry.serveftp.com in your web browser

     ELSE if the test is not successful, show a "failed to connect" error message or webpage instead

is that clearer?

my reply was written befopre you got allys reply

Anyway what I have there is a php function that pings the server and displays online or offline. It could as easily be modded to redirect instead of write online!

I also have an ASP version of it.
K.

Could you not write a simple script file that pings ftp://sperry.serveftp.com

if its offline then it could just display an offline message and if its up it would allow access, bit rusty on ins and outs but concept is similar to software that tells you uptime of ftp sites etc.

im sure if seen code for this somewhere in the past but have a funny feeling it may have been unix stuff, i will check and let you know.

can someone test my server to make sure they can log on, im getting an "offline" message on Killians link, but im sure thats to do with me not being able to access from outside the lan when im inside it (if that makes sense?  i mean i can connect to my own server through 192.168.0.2 but not through my current ip address)

cheers very much  

mr perry

evertime i try to click on your link it allways shows up .page cannot be displayed ..i tried a few months back and got the same????????

i use xp and aol 9 for net access

aha   

thanks

its now alive and kicking

ps

can i send you loads of blank dvd s so i  can be lazy and not have to download  a lot of the stuff i would like to be on a hard copy....then i could subject her to some of them too

pps  if theres anything you need making in steel ....its sorted  ..does that bit help as an extra blag???

thanks  im just about to upload the script and ill need some help trying it out

one thing has struck me though, because my ip is dynamic and "sperry.serveftp.com" is done through a dynamic dns service, wont that always show up as online?  or am i being thick? (no suprise there lol)