alternate access mappings 1

[MightyPez]

I'm new to sharepoint, so please bear with me. I installed sharepoint on our IIS server with the intent of sharing excel documents over the internet. The goal would be to have a client access the website (for this post, it will be

http://www.companysite.com).

But for users in our domain, they can't type that. Instead, they have to type the name of the server, "server004".

Now internally sharepoint works fine. But I need to be able to have the clients access it from outside our domain. I added

http://www.companywebsite.com

to the alternate access mappings as an internet zone. When you go to that url from the outside, you get prompted for a username and password. Once verified, you get a "page not found" error. And in the address bar it is showing

http://server004/default.aspx

Before I start tinkering more with the access mappings I would like some input on what to do. Thank you for any help you can provide.

 

[SPV]

I don't know a lot about alternate access mappings either and I haven't had to set up non-domain access yet, but it strikes me that the two problems you describe are unrelated.

Firstly the prompt for the username and password probably appears because the external users don't have accounts on your domain (or in your SharePoint site). You either need to create accounts for them (in which case the prompt is required), or allow anonymous access through that web address (which wouldn't prompt but would apply for anyone who comes through that address).

Secondly, the 404 error. We used to get this a while ago when I first set up an AAM on one of our web applications. My boss, who has infinitely more IIS experience that I do, fixed it. I think he had to create the alternate access mapping (

http://www.companysite.com

in your case) within IIS as well as SharePoint, possibly using port 80. If I remember his explanation correctly, the request arrives in IIS at port 80 by default because no port is specified in the URL. IIS needs to have the port 80 /

http://www.companysite.com

mapping configured so it knows to pass the request on to SharePoint so the page can be delivered.

Sorry if this reply is a bit vague (or inaccurate!): I'm only just getting my head round it myself. But I hope it helps in some way, even if it only prompts a better response from someone more knowledgeable.

 

[MightyPez]

The domain issue actually isn't a problem. i will have users set up with usernames and passwords because there will be several different sites for Sahrepoint.

The problem with using port 80 is that SharePoint will be hosted on an existing IIS server that is a front end for the company. Preferably we would use an alternate domain (like

http://sharepoint.companysite.com)

or just have users type the correct port in (

http://www.companysite.com:8080).

Thanks for the reply, step by step I'm getting closer.

 

[MaxEd]

I think you just add the mapping to the alternative mapping page and also make sure your router is forwarding the port request. That's the only way I am able to do it. I don't know how to get that domain name mapping thing to work but the port numbering worked for me.

-Laughter works miracles.

 

[MightyPez]

All the proper ports are forwarded. And the I don't care about how I get to the site, just that I can get to it.

 

[MightyPez]

Ok, I have it working now. I had to change the default administrative mapping to

http://www.companywebsite.com

and then add server004 as an alternate access mapping in the intranet. Thanks for the help!