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 - 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 http://www.stephensftpserver.com - www.stephensftpserver.com at the bottom of my profile

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

3.  this page contains something to test the connection to ftp://sperry.serveftp.com - 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 - 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?

let me get this right - you want a web page to ping the ftp server and if switched on then redirect visitor to it otherwise display a custom error?

If so then the page pinging the server would need to be on an entirely different server [if it is on the same then it cant really test itself if off!]

So then you want a page that will do something like this
http://www.bmwmovies.net/sp_ping/ - http://www.bmwmovies.net/sp_ping/  (without the google/yahoo stuff!)

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 email them to me please?

mailto:stephen@perrypc.co.uk - stephen@perrypc.co.uk

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

i getting offline messages and can't open it but a cmd / ping returns ok with an average of 65ms.

WRT the files, do you want ASP or PHP (better!).

I have also created two images and set the script to ping your server. If offline then it shows an offline pic and an online one if its on. The file can be found @ http://www.bmwmovies.net/sp_ping/image.php - http://www.bmwmovies.net/sp_ping/image.php  [unfortunatley the forum software doesn't allow php images but I could hack it into your sig directly in the database!
The php files are attached here [ http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/uploads/kbannon/Ping.zip - Ping.zip ]
The asp code is below:-

code wrote: <% option explicit function ping(arg)   with Server.createobject("wscript.shell")     ping = Not CBool(.run("ping -n 1 " & arg,0,true))   end with end function if ping("sperry.serveftp.com") = True then    Response.Redirect(" ftp://sperry.serveftp.com - ") else Response.Redirect("server_down_page.asp") end if %>

I think it works!

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

pma1ums wrote: 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

you're doing it at the wrong times, if you tried anytime between 11:30 last night and 7:20pm this evening you would get that page cannot be displayed error cos the computer is not on, hence the server isnt running, try it now - i bet it works

this is why i made this topic to try and find a solution to make it a bit more obvious that the server is not running

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???

Stephen, Im still looking at ways of helping your ftp server out, is this script of kbannons able to be customised, if i was to have an image of all the files on your server,  I dont mind leaving mine on during the day and once its running then im intending leaving it up, so extra bandwidth will be available in evenings as well.

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)

Stephen can i upload you some stuff or not it says access denied when i try? Ive got about 6 dvd's full of aplications and stuff. i'll pm you the index's first so you can see if there's owt you want.

Goldryder wrote: What the heck does this mean.... NDIS i/o driver blocked Keeps flashing up on this pooter screen and its driving me nutz

check your firewall settings, and its possibly virus-related, so check that too

pma1ums wrote: 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???

nae probs, if you send a box of dvd+r's ill burn you the whole collection

oh, and i wouldn't mind a strut brace if you're offering lol

stephenperry wrote: 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)

thorough testing (with thanks to p0dy for his patience! ) has led to the conclusion that ping will be no use... on the other hand, this works a treat...

telnet

open sperry.serveftp.com 21

gives just the right relevant results (connect or cant connect)... only problem is how to call these commands from php or asp, p**** the results and act accordingly

maybe i should just get myself a different isp, one that offers static ip addresses with their adsl accounts

Goldryder wrote: stephenperry wrote: Goldryder wrote: What the heck does this mean.... NDIS i/o driver blocked Keeps flashing up on this pooter screen and its driving me nutz check your firewall settings, and its possibly virus-related, so check that too Firewall and anti-virus is working perfectly...but the notice still flashes up every few mins..weird things these poots....

reminds me of NDISWAN, related to Novell Netware client, which version of windows are you using at the moment, Ally?