Cannot access IIS web server after computer name change

Windows XP Pro Sp2, IIS 5.1, running php webpage, computer name: 'pine'

A desktop machine are intended to run the intranet web site on the Windows
Server 2003 network. IIS setup ok, the php webpage runs fine from the local
machine (i.e. http://localhost/testing/mainpage.php). Properties for the
'wwwroot folder' have been set to share, and secuirty includes 'Internet
Guest Account (IUSR_pine) and Launch IIS Process Account (IWAM_pine).

It has been tested that other machines on the network could access the web
site ran on machine 'pine' via a web browser.

In an attempt to make users more aware of the nature of the website, I have
chagned the computer name from 'pine' to 'intranet'. (e.g.
"http://intranet/teamdocs/" instead of "http://pine/teamdocs). This machine
is no longer accessible via the network. Although running on the local
machine using localhost still works.

Nothing else have been changed...just the computer name. My guess is the
IIS permission settings needs to be updated to the new computer name. After
checking the security settings in the 'wwwroot' folder. These have remained
as 'IUSR_pine', and 'IWAM_pine'...all attempts to locate the 'IUSR_intranet'
and 'IWAM_pine' failed.

To confirm it was the computer name change causing the problem, I have
changed the computer name back to its original name 'pine'. The site was
once again accessible from other machines on the network.

Please could you advice? Is there something that I have overlooked? Thank
you for your assistance,

kind Regards,

Re: Cannot access IIS web server after computer name change

On Nov 22, 3:15 am, will~ wrote:
> Windows XP Pro Sp2, IIS 5.1, running php webpage, computer name: 'pine'
>
> A desktop machine are intended to run the intranet web site on the Windows
> Server 2003 network. IIS setup ok, the php webpage runs fine from the local
> machine (i.e.http://localhost/testing/mainpage.php). Properties for the
> 'wwwroot folder' have been set to share, and secuirty includes 'Internet
> Guest Account (IUSR_pine) and Launch IIS Process Account (IWAM_pine).
>
> It has been tested that other machines on the network could access the web
> site ran on machine 'pine' via a web browser.
>
> In an attempt to make users more aware of the nature of the website, I have
> chagned the computer name from 'pine' to 'intranet'. (e.g.
> "http://intranet/teamdocs/" instead of "http://pine/teamdocs). This machine
> is no longer accessible via the network. Although running on the local
> machine using localhost still works.
>
> Nothing else have been changed...just the computer name. My guess is the
> IIS permission settings needs to be updated to the new computer name. After
> checking the security settings in the 'wwwroot' folder. These have remained
> as 'IUSR_pine', and 'IWAM_pine'...all attempts to locate the 'IUSR_intranet'
> and 'IWAM_pine' failed.
>
> To confirm it was the computer name change causing the problem, I have
> changed the computer name back to its original name 'pine'. The site was
> once again accessible from other machines on the network.
>
> Please could you advice? Is there something that I have overlooked? Thank
> you for your assistance,
>
> kind Regards,



IIS does not have any ties to the computer name. You do not need to
change/update any IIS settings to make it accessible via a new
hostname.

If your website works now with localhost but not new computer name,
then that is a networking/name-resolution issue, not IIS issue. There
is no problems with IIS using IUSR_Pine when the machine is named
"intranet". Now, you may have code that assumes anonymous username is
IUSR_machinename, in which case the code would now be mistaken. It
would be burdensome to recreate IUSR/IWAM users because then you
*will* have to re-ACL everything, and good luck figuring that out
without reinstalling IIS and losing all your other settings.

FYI: You did not need to change the computer name from pine to
intranet. All you needed to do was add a Host header to your website
for "intranet" and to add a DNS entry for intranet pointing to your
server. With functioning WINS, renaming the computer would accomplish
a similar effect, but it appears not to work in your network
environment.

Your problem right now is that when you type http://intranet, how does
the browser know to resolve "intranet" to the IP of your XP Pro
machine? That clearly has nothing to do with IIS because the browser
has to figure out the IP *before* it can attempt to contact IIS.

Hence this is a networking issue and not IIS issue. Talk with your
network admin on how to get the "intranet" name routed to your XP Pro
machine. Then everything else should just work as it should.


//David
http://w3-4u.blogspot.com
http://blogs.msdn.com/David.Wang
//

Re: Cannot access IIS web server after computer name change

David,

Many thanks for your quick reply. The information is very useful.

kind Regards,

Will


"David Wang" wrote:

> On Nov 22, 3:15 am, will~ wrote:
> > Windows XP Pro Sp2, IIS 5.1, running php webpage, computer name: 'pine'
> >
> > A desktop machine are intended to run the intranet web site on the Windows
> > Server 2003 network. IIS setup ok, the php webpage runs fine from the local
> > machine (i.e.http://localhost/testing/mainpage.php). Properties for the
> > 'wwwroot folder' have been set to share, and secuirty includes 'Internet
> > Guest Account (IUSR_pine) and Launch IIS Process Account (IWAM_pine).
> >
> > It has been tested that other machines on the network could access the web
> > site ran on machine 'pine' via a web browser.
> >
> > In an attempt to make users more aware of the nature of the website, I have
> > chagned the computer name from 'pine' to 'intranet'. (e.g.
> > "http://intranet/teamdocs/" instead of "http://pine/teamdocs). This machine
> > is no longer accessible via the network. Although running on the local
> > machine using localhost still works.
> >
> > Nothing else have been changed...just the computer name. My guess is the
> > IIS permission settings needs to be updated to the new computer name. After
> > checking the security settings in the 'wwwroot' folder. These have remained
> > as 'IUSR_pine', and 'IWAM_pine'...all attempts to locate the 'IUSR_intranet'
> > and 'IWAM_pine' failed.
> >
> > To confirm it was the computer name change causing the problem, I have
> > changed the computer name back to its original name 'pine'. The site was
> > once again accessible from other machines on the network.
> >
> > Please could you advice? Is there something that I have overlooked? Thank
> > you for your assistance,
> >
> > kind Regards,
>
>
>
> IIS does not have any ties to the computer name. You do not need to
> change/update any IIS settings to make it accessible via a new
> hostname.
>
> If your website works now with localhost but not new computer name,
> then that is a networking/name-resolution issue, not IIS issue. There
> is no problems with IIS using IUSR_Pine when the machine is named
> "intranet". Now, you may have code that assumes anonymous username is
> IUSR_machinename, in which case the code would now be mistaken. It
> would be burdensome to recreate IUSR/IWAM users because then you
> *will* have to re-ACL everything, and good luck figuring that out
> without reinstalling IIS and losing all your other settings.
>
> FYI: You did not need to change the computer name from pine to
> intranet. All you needed to do was add a Host header to your website
> for "intranet" and to add a DNS entry for intranet pointing to your
> server. With functioning WINS, renaming the computer would accomplish
> a similar effect, but it appears not to work in your network
> environment.
>
> Your problem right now is that when you type http://intranet, how does
> the browser know to resolve "intranet" to the IP of your XP Pro
> machine? That clearly has nothing to do with IIS because the browser
> has to figure out the IP *before* it can attempt to contact IIS.
>
> Hence this is a networking issue and not IIS issue. Talk with your
> network admin on how to get the "intranet" name routed to your XP Pro
> machine. Then everything else should just work as it should.
>
>
> //David
> http://w3-4u.blogspot.com
> http://blogs.msdn.com/David.Wang
> //
>