Can't Access Router Login from other Networks

[philipcheesy]

I'm using an ASUS AC1750 RT-AC66U wireless router. I enabled the access from WAN feature on my router, and used the ASUS DDNS hosting service to set up [hostname].asuscomm.com as the address for my router. When I enter http://[hostname].asuscomm.com:8080 from my laptop while connected to my router, I am able to login to my router's settings. However, when I am connected to the internet elsewhere and enter the same address, the page does not load.

Any ideas about what I'm doing wrong or what settings I need to change so that I can login to my router's settings from other networks? I appreciate all suggestions

 

[Almighty1]

Isn't the setting Administration -> System -> Web Interface -> Enable web access from WAN that has to be enabled?

 

[philipcheesy]

Isn't the setting Administration -> System -> Web Interface -> Enable web access from WAN that has to be enabled?

Thank you for your response. I already have that setting enabled.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Is your RT-AC66U directly connected to the internet (via a cable modem) or is it behind another router? If it's behind another router remote access won't work.

Check your WAN IP address at Network Map > Internet status > WAN IP address. If it's something like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x that will be your problem.

 

[philipcheesy]

Is your RT-AC66U directly connected to the internet (via a cable modem) or is it behind another router? If it's behind another router remote access won't work.

Check your WAN IP address at Network Map > Internet status > WAN IP address. If it's something like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x that will be your problem.

Hmm, I'm in an apartment where my landlord provides the internet, and there's just ethernet outlets in the wall I plug my ASUS directly into. So it sounds like I'm connecting through another router?

I can see all the digits in my WAN IP, not just the first six or two. I'm not sure if by ".x.x" you mean I should literally see x's or if that's just a general pattern. Either way, The first six digits are also different than 192.168.

Thank you for your help!

 

[ColinTaylor]

Hmm, I'm in an apartment where my landlord provides the internet, and there's just ethernet outlets in the wall I plug my ASUS directly into. So it sounds like I'm connecting through another router?

That's probably the case and the cause of the problem.

I can see all the digits in my WAN IP, not just the first six or two. I'm not sure if by ".x.x" you mean I should literally see x's or if that's just a general pattern. Either way, The first six digits are also different than 192.168.

I meant 192-dot-168-dot-something-dot-something. 10.x.x.x, 192.168.x.x and 172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x are private address ranges that indicate you are behind another router.

An easy way to check is to go to www.whatsmyip.org from a PC attached to the router. Look at the large number at the top of the page. Does it match the number on the router's Network Map page?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Also, I must mention the elephant in the room.

It is recommened by just about everyone on these forums that you do not enable Web Access from WAN. It is a massive security risk. There were numerous cases reported here back in January by people whose routers were compromised because of it. Asus has since patched the vulnerability but whose to say when the next one will be discovered.

If you really need remote access to the router then the recommended approach is to setup the VPN server on the router and connect through that.

 

[philipcheesy]

That's probably the case and the cause of the problem.

I meant 192-dot-168-dot-something-dot-something. 10.x.x.x, 192.168.x.x and 172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x are private address ranges that indicate you are behind another router.

An easy way to check is to go to www.whatsmyip.org from a PC attached to the router. Look at the large number at the top of the page. Does it match the number on the router's Network Map page?

So my WAN IP on my Network Map page is 219.xxx.x.x, and when I go to the whatsmyip.org I get 96.227.xxx.xx. Is the fact that they don't match a sign that I'm linked through another router?

 

[philipcheesy]

Also, I must mention the elephant in the room.

It is recommened by just about everyone on these forums that you do not enable Web Access from WAN. It is a massive security risk. There were numerous cases reported here back in January by people whose routers were compromised because of it. Asus has since patched the vulnerability but whose to say when the next one will be discovered.

If you really need remote access to the router then the recommended approach is to setup the VPN server on the router and connect through that.

Ah, and thank you for this advice too! I'll start looking into setting up a VPN then, especially since the WAN method is looking like a dead end.

 

[ColinTaylor]

So my WAN IP on my Network Map page is 219.xxx.x.x, and when I go to the whatsmyip.org I get 96.227.xxx.xx. Is the fact that they don't match a sign that I'm linked through another router?

Yes that strongly suggests there is some sort of intermediate router. Whatever the specific reason, it will stop you connecting.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Ah, and thank you for this advice too! I'll start looking into setting up a VPN then, especially since the WAN method is looking like a dead end.

Sorry, it's late here and I'm tired. I'm overlooking the obvious! You will have the same problem trying to connect to the router's VPN server that you do with the router's web server.

I have no personal experience of your particular setup, but I'd guess that your only hope would be if your landlord's internet connection is setup in such a way that it operates in a sort of "pass through" (or port forwarding) mode (like a DMZ).

To test that, temporarily enable Web Access from WAN and then go to http://canyouseeme.org/ Then check to see if port 80 (or whatever port you have set on your router) is open.