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HFS and PageKite (public HFS w/o router reconfiguration)

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Bjarni R. Einarsson

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Hi! Thanks for HFS!

Just thought I'd post a quick success-report about using HFS with my project, PageKite (on win 7). PageKite is Free software (AGPL license) for making HTTP servers visible to the wider Internet without having to poke holes in firewalls. I think it's an excellent companion to HFS (I already recommend HFS on the project's website).

This is what I did to get PageKite up and running:

   1. Installed HFS
   2. Installed Python
   3. Signed up at http://pagekite.net/ for a test account
   4. Downloaded pagekite.py and a pagekite.cfg
   5. Moved pagekite.py and pagekite.cfg to C:\Users\Bjarni
   6. Ran both pagekite.py and HFS.exe

I had to give both programs permission to bypass the firewall, but after following the above, my HFS server was visible to the wider Internet.

The disadvantage to this approach, is relying on the remote front-end provided by pagekite.net (you could run your own, but it would still be a detour for your traffic). On the other hand, the advantage is it works almost anywhere, even from behind hostile firewalls or routers which you don't have permission to reconfigure. And the server ends up with a nice name in DNS with no funny port numbers in the URLs.

PageKite is pretty new and a little rough around the edges - in the future we'd like to be a bit more user friendly so steps 2, 4 and 5 above can be combined into a single step, and the UI could use some work - but it does work pretty well and I thought you might be interested in taking a look.  It might at some point be interesting for our projects to work together - adding direct support for the PageKite protocol to HFS for example would be pretty cool.


Offline ~GeeS~

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Hi,

Thanks for posting, this looks extremely interesting! I will give it a try!

Was looking for that concept for years ... it seems you found a very simple solution for serving across hostile firewalls.
This will give censors some headaches, lol.

Edit:
Just did some "research": This project deserves full support!
Because:
- it supports WIN, Linux & Mac
- the people behind the concept are "world class" in every aspect

Quote
PageKite is a system for running web servers on machines without a direct connection to the Internet, such as mobile devices or computers behind restrictive firewalls.

Without pageKite, this is a surprisingly difficult problem. In spite of the fact that powerful computers and high-speed Internet connections are now the norm in many places, technicalities generally conspire to make servers on home or mobile machines largely unreachable from the wider Internet - and therefore useless.

These technicalities - firewalls, NAT, IP addresses, DNS - are the problems pageKite aims to simplify and solve.
http://pagekite.net/docs/

I tried to achieve that with good old Proxomitron, but failed.

@ Bjarni: Thanks again for posting here & thank you for the recognition you give to HFS.

 "[...] it goes right through most firewalls, making your personal website visible even when you are using public WiFi or a 3G Internet connection."
Is this what i think it is: war-serving?  ;)

Which reminds me to watch the second part of the documentary from VPRO









 
« Last Edit: January 22, 2011, 06:55:42 PM by ~GeeS~ »
~GeeS~


Offline HerraBRE

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Thanks for the kind words!

I'd be a little wary of the "war-serving" label though - even if you are using PageKite, you are still legally liable for what you put on-line, and your front-end provider can probably be compelled by law to disclose your identity to the authorities or even shut down your account...

PageKite isn't some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card.  8)

Of course, if you get evicted from one front-end provider, nothing prevents you from moving to another one, or running your own front-end somewhere else. If you set up your DNS records carefully, your visitors might not even notice that you've moved.

For the pagekite.net service, we are still working through exactly what the legal situation is, what our obligations would be if we are served with a notice of copyright infringement, for example.

I personally think that if we are required to shut down an entire account because of one or two infringing files, that would be overreaching and disproportionate and would fight that to the best of my ability. If the account is used for nothing else... well... I don't know what would happen, to be honest.  When it comes to plain censorship (not copyright infringement), things are a bit different. I cannot see many situations where I would be willing to shut down an account to accommodate that. But that doesn't mean I couldn't be forced to. As a start-up, we are still small and quite vulnerable to DDoS, for example. :( Given time and many happy users, that will hopefully change...


Offline ~GeeS~

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Hi,

you are right. PageKite deserves a better label than that. I got your point an i am fully aware about it.
As you mentioned in your blog, the internet today is still focused on consuming information than sharing information. And even when information is shared, this data are "co-owned" by the hosting corporations. ...

Back to topic:

I made a test account, installed Python 2.7, PageKite and HFS beta on my laptop (corporate Win XP Pro).
My wireless connection is firewalled and ...

... HFS is perfectly reachable from the outside world!!! It took less than 10 minutes. Just follow the instructions.
... portforwarding is not necessary anymore. If you can browse, you can serve,too.


The value of this tool can not be overemphasized!










« Last Edit: January 23, 2011, 03:19:21 PM by ~GeeS~ »
~GeeS~


Offline rejetto

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i got no time these days to give a deep look into your project, but you are welcome here and good luck with it.
i will stick this topic for a while.


Offline bmartino1

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looks like a python tool to use tcp protocol with it own protocol to allow this traffic... Looks interesting and i wish you luck in this en devour.
Files I have snagged and share can be found on my google drive:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qb4INX2pzsjmMT06YEIQk9Nv5jMu33tC?usp=sharing


Offline Fysack

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so what do you think bmartino1 (verry funny name when i speak it in my languich`ish:-) about hfs in 2015?
GOD CAN READ YOUR MIND


Offline bmartino1

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@ Fysack

(bmartino1 was once my college username... it derives form my first and last name and is i'm the only one with that name at the college...ther go the 1....)

To help me better understand your question, What do yo mean? the way http file serving is handled or the continuation of HFS and it program?

as a micro computer support degree holder, i can say:
I was first told of HFS in 2009, with a College teacher who said that internet sped and new technology would one day open the door to where every home can "self host" and share there files independently... Of course there are security reason and "copyright" things that should be shared, but those are besides the point. as new technology continues to grow(ie fiber opti and 1gb speds), and since HFS has been here long before i came to the forum, i see a lot that this program(HFS) can still do alot...

Of course, like anyone who uses an open sourced program,.. people like to have edits/own customization and expectation of the program. (ie better security, new add-ons and improvement, etc.)

The best thing that i have seen was the evolution of HFS and stunnel to make a working https. one of many ways that HFS will still continue to grow and continue.

AS for Page kite, it still getting off the ground, i see a possible evolution in witch hfs and pagekit might be brought together. as for now, i have stopped my testing on it(HFS/Pagekite). as these are great for home users, but not in the enterprise environment...

I think HFS will continue to grow in 2015 and there on. As it is up to Rejeto(the HFS creator) and other progresses with programmers  with the source code to maintain it, and they are doing this for free... so things take time!
Files I have snagged and share can be found on my google drive:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qb4INX2pzsjmMT06YEIQk9Nv5jMu33tC?usp=sharing


Offline Fysack

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Dear bmartino1

The best way i can describe your name, if its the same word of different language and it was directly translated: Be the mustache number one hehe

I mean the contuiniation of the HFS program.

And as an old pic16C84 soldering solider i would say: your presence in the HFS forum are vital for future dewolopment. You got My Respect brother.

Beside of Hfs and stunnel (amazing shit) i would also like to mention the total devolopment of the complete package A-Å (graphic an stuff also)

..excuseme, ive newer heard abuot pagekite (i will ofcourse find out after post)but i like it.


bmartino1.. if you are a beliver of 2015, im too. You sure have triggered my attention ;-)

 8)





GOD CAN READ YOUR MIND


Offline bmartino1

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https://pagekite.net/signup/?more=bw

----------
We just wanted to let you know that you only have two days
 left on your PageKite.net account.  Once your time runs out,
 your kites will stop flying and go offline.
 
If you intend to continue using the service, please log on to
 your account at <https://pagekite.net/home/> and click the
 "+buy more" button to the left to extend your subscription.
 
Note that we will not delete your account until it has been
 inactive for at least 6 months. So don't panic! :-)
 
If, on the other hand, you have decided not to use the service
 anymore, please accept our thanks for taking the time to give
 it a try.  If you can spare just a few more minutes, we would
 love to know why you have decided to stop using PageKite.
 
Your feedback matters!
 
Thanks,
  Bjarni and the PageKite team
Files I have snagged and share can be found on my google drive:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qb4INX2pzsjmMT06YEIQk9Nv5jMu33tC?usp=sharing


Offline Fysack

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no politics no personal no nothing of the rest ilove you bmartino
GOD CAN READ YOUR MIND