Why Look?

Sometimes an appliance connected to your LAN offers a web service. The IP address may change if it is set by a DHCP server, a common method with most home routers. Or, you may have set the IP address manually and forgotten the setting.

The script activated by the Locate button below will scan the HTTP ports on your LAN to identify servers offering a web page. At the end of the scan a list of frames showing the web pages will be added, each with a link to open them in a new window.

Security Considerations

The Javascript used to scan your LAN will only operate if scripts are enabled in your browser. Also, some browsers require additional options to be set allowing cross-domain resource access. See the Browser Settings tab for help on this.

Most modern browsers operate so that cross-domain resource access is safe. If you need to change your options to allow this tool to operate, you may want to revert after you are done.

As a general safety precaution, you should not interact with any web page that is a frame in another page, including this one. The accompanying link will allow you to open a located server in a new window, so you can be sure that you are interacting with a web page on your LAN, and not some spoofed page. Check the address bar for a private IP address, like http://192.168.0.100, before proceeding.

Note

• Some servers may be missed. The server may be shut down or busy. Also, the scan method isn't perfect, relying on access timeouts for its operation. You can re-scan if you did not locate a server you expect to be up on your LAN, possibly with different timeout settings.
• A found server with a blank web page may indicate that it needs to be accessed using https: instead of http:. You can open the link and make this change in the address field if necessary.

Timeout Setting

Scanning depends on the script timing out when there is no server before the browser does. The default below should be okay, but you may want to adjust it if:

• No servers, or servers you expect to exist are not found. Increasing the timeout will give a server longer to respond, although it will also slow down the scan.
• Very many servers are found, but they are displaying the browser's "unable to connect" message. Decreasing the timeout to lower than the browser's threshold should eliminate this problem.

Locate

 

All Browsers

Scripts must be enabled for this tool to operate.

Internet Explorer

Version 9

Enable access of data sources across domains:

1. Select Tools from the menu bar, or the icon.
2. Open Internet options from the resulting menu.
3. Move to the Security tab.
4. Select the zone Internet.
5. Press the Custom level... button to open a new window.
6. Scroll down to the Miscellaneous section.
7. Click the Prompt selection for Access data sources across domains.
8. Close the pop-up windows with the OK button.

You may want to restore your original security settings after locating your LAN Web Servers.

Firefox

Version 8

Security settings are integral, and need not be changed.

Chrome

Version 15

Security settings are integral, and need not be changed.

Safari

Version 5

Security settings are integral, and need not be changed.

Other Browsers and Versions

This tool has not been checked with other browsers or other versions of the browsers listed above.

If the Locate button appears to do nothing, you should check Internet preferences and options to ensure that scripts are allowed to run and access cross-domain resources.