Extranet Testing from the Intranet

Use this procedure to confirm that you have set up your server correctly to access it from the extranet.

Perform the following procedure from the server.

To test the extranet from your intranet:

1. Create a test file in the home directory for the new Web site:
   • Create default.htm and place it in the home directory. Your home directory should be under the Inetpub directory. For example, the home directory can be C:\Inetpub\AdventureWorks.
   • Type some text in default.htm and save the file. For example, type <H1>some text, such as the external FQDN</H1>.
2. Create an entry in the hosts file on the server:
   • Move to the hosts file. Typically, this file is located in WINNT\system32\drivers\etc on the operating system drive.
   • Open the hosts file in Microsoft Notepad.
   • Add the SharePoint Portal Server computer (internal static) IP address along with the external name of your server to the hosts file. For example, add 10.0.0.X AdventureWorks.adventure-works.com.
   • Save the file.
3. Modify the proxy settings for Internet Explorer on the server:
   • Open Internet Explorer.
   • On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
   • Click the Connections tab, and then click LAN Settings.
   • Select the Use a proxy server and Bypass proxy server for local addresses check boxes.
   • Type the address and port number for the proxy server, and then click Advanced.
   • In Do not use proxy server for addresses beginning with, type *root_domain_name and then click OK. For example, if the root domain is adventure-works.com, you type *adventure-works.com.
   • Click OK, and then click OK to close Internet Options.
4. In Internet Explorer, type http://external_server_name.external domain name in Address. You should see the text that you typed in default.htm. For example, if you typed AdventureWorks in default.htm, AdventureWorks displays.

If you can access the server, you have specified the external FQDN correctly. If you cannot access the server, ensure that the Web site started.

To ensure that the Web site started:

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Services Manager.
2. Expand the node for the SharePoint Portal Server computer.
3. Right-click YourVirtualWeb, where YourVirtualWeb is the name of the new Web site you created, and then click Start.

If you still cannot access the server, see the section Troubleshooting later in this chapter. After you successfully access the extranet from your intranet, you should test access from the Internet.