The "My Company's Internal Web Site" link on the default Web site Welcome page does not work when you connect to the site over the Internet in Windows SBS 2003 (838429)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you visit the Welcome page on your Microsoft Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 computer's default Web site, and then you click the My Company's Internal Web Site link, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following:
The page cannot be displayed.
The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings.
Cannot find server or DNS Error.
Internet Explorer

CAUSE

This issue occurs if you run the Configure E-mail and Internet Connection Wizard (CEICW), and then you do either of the following on the Web Services Configuration page of the wizard:
  • You click to select the Business Web site (wwwroot) check box.
  • You click Allow access to the entire Web site from the Internet.
If you permit access over the Internet to your business Web-site root or to the whole Web site, the wizard configures the server to permit access over the Internet to the root of the default Web site. However, the Web site's Welcome page (Default.htm) is designed for use only over the local network.

By default, the My Company's Internal Web Site link on the default Web site's Welcome page uses the http://companyweb address. The companyweb alias record is registered only in the Windows SBS 2003 computer's local Domain Name System (DNS) zone. Therefore, if you visit the Welcome page over the Internet, the My Company's Internal Web Site link does not work. This link works only if you connect to the site over the local network.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use either of the following methods:
  • If you want to publish your business Web site, replace the Default.htm file in the Web-site root with your own home page or with your own Welcome page. By default, the Web-site root is located in the C:\Inetpub\wwwroot folder.
  • If an Internet service provider (ISP) hosts your business Web site, or if you do not have a business Web site, run the CEICW again, and then select the option not to publish the Web site. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. On the Windows SBS 2003 computer, click Start, and then click Server Management.
    2. In the left pane of the Server Management window, click To Do List.
    3. Under Network Tasks, click Connect to the Internet.
    4. On the first page of the Configure E-mail and Internet Connection Wizard, click Next.
    5. On the Connection Type page, click Do not change connection type, and then click Next.
    6. On the Firewall page, click Enable firewall, and then click Next. Do not click Do not change firewall configuration.
    7. If the server is running Microsoft ISA Server 2000, click OK when you are prompted with the warning that existing packet filters will be disabled.
    8. On the Services Configuration page, click to select the check boxes for the services that you want to make available over the Internet, and then click Next.
    9. On the Web Services Configuration page, click Allow access to only the following Web site services from the Internet. Do not click Allow access to the entire Web site from the Internet.
    10. Click to select the check boxes for the Web services that you want to make available over the Internet, and then click Next. Make sure that you do not click to select the Business Web site (wwwroot) check box.
    11. On the Web Server Certificate page, click Do not change current Web server certificate, and then click Next.
    12. On the Internet E-mail page, click Do not change Internet e-mail configuration, and then click Next.
    13. Click Finish to complete the wizard operation.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, edit the HTML code for the default Web site to make the My Company's Internal Web Site link work over the Internet. To do this, you must replace the internal http://companyweb link with the following external link:

https://FQDN_of_SBS_Server:444

This external link works correctly both over the local network and over the Internet.

Note The Windows SBS 2003 Setup program cannot configure the My Company's Internal Web Site link in advance for external use, because neither the server's fully qualified domain name (FQDN) nor its external Internet Protocol (IP) address is known when you run the Setup program.

To edit the HTML code, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
  2. Expand My Computer, expand Local Disk (C:), expand Inetpub, and then click wwwroot.
  3. In the right pane, right-click the Default.htm file, point to Open With, and then click Notepad.
  4. On the Edit menu, click Replace.
  5. In the Find what box, type http://companyweb.
  6. In the Replace with box, type https://FQDN_of_SBS_Server:444.
  7. Click Replace All, and then close the Replace dialog box.
  8. On the File menu, click Exit.
  9. Click Yes to save your changes.

    When you access the Welcome page on the default Web site over the Internet, and you then click the My Company's Internal Web Site link, you are now redirected to your company's internal Web site.

MORE INFORMATION

You can access other links that are on the Welcome page of your company's default Web site over the Internet because these other linked pages are virtual directories that reside under the default Web site. These links are relative links. For example, the Remote Web Workplace link uses the relative link /Remote. Therefore, if you connect to the server by using the http://FQDN_of_SBS_Server address, and then you click the Remote Web Workplace link, you are directed to http://FQDN_of_SBS_Server/Remote. Because this address uses the FQDN of the Windows SBS 2003 server, the link works correctly over the Internet. Unlike the other sites on the Welcome page, the "companyweb" site is separate from the default Web site. Therefore, a relative link does not work.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/21/2004
Keywords:kbprb KB838429 kbAudITPRO kbAudEndUser
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.