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Accessing openproject from outside local network
Added by matthieu greffet over 2 years ago
Hello,
I have a very simple question but could not find any complete answer so here I go, hopefully it will help other net-prototocle amateur like me :
I would like to install openproject for a small organization and access it from internet outside the building. I followed to the letter the tutorial on how to install op on a ubuntu computer : ( https://www.openproject.org/docs/installation-and-operations/installation/packaged/#ubuntu-2204 ) and it worked great.
I can access OP web interface on my PC through my favorite web navigator, or with another PC on the local network. Open project cannot however be accessed at this point from outside the local network. From what I understood on this page (https://vpnoverview.com/privacy/anonymous-browsing/public-vs-private-ip/) this is normal as there are no reasons to expect that trying to connect from outside the network to a private ip like 192.168.x.x should work since those ip are not used outside local networks.
I understood that to get access to my openproject serveur I should use either a VPN (to access my local network), or configure my routeur to do "port forwarding".
My question is : Are there other method then VPN/port forwarding, which method is more adequate, what are the best practice to use, and of course do you have tutos that work as fine as the one I used to install OP regarding this operation.
Many thanks,
Matt
Replies (3)
Hi,
One important part for the network is missing from your description.
We would need to know an Internet connection with NAT-ed IP or a dynamic external IP or a static external IP is used (what you call the internet connection of the building).
If we know this information we can continue discussion. And decide about if there are alternatives and which ones.
Thank you for requesting this information from your Internet Provider in a support case.
Hi,
Our internet provider provides us a dynamic external ip.
With a Dynamic external IP you are able to use the VPN and port forwarding solution that you mentioned.
Other methods do not come to my mind.
VPN vs port-forwarding:
The tutorials you need are in many places on the internet. I suggest to search for a router first that supports VPN for easy approach of high security
If you have the model and manufacturer of the router, then with that you are able to find tutorials.
It has nothing to do with OpenProject, which is in your context nothing else than a web-server.