how the clients connects to the server via external IP address?

Question

The below application is a chat program developed by java , The client connects to the server perfectly when I am using my local IP address. but when I have used my external IP address to connect the client to the server from two different machines , The server just keep waiting for connection and nothing happen. so All what i need is to connect the client to the server using the external IP.

client:java

import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class Client extends JFrame{

   private JTextField userText;
   private JTextArea chatWindow;
   private ObjectOutputStream output;
   private ObjectInputStream input;
   private String message = "";
   private String serverIP;
   private Socket connection;

   //constructor
   public Client(String host){
      super("Client mofo!");
      serverIP = host;
      userText = new JTextField();
      userText.setEditable(false);
      userText.addActionListener(
         new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event){
               sendMessage(event.getActionCommand());
               userText.setText("");
            }
         }
      );
      add(userText, BorderLayout.NORTH);
      chatWindow = new JTextArea();
      add(new JScrollPane(chatWindow), BorderLayout.CENTER);
      setSize(300,150);
      setVisible(true);
   }

   //connect to server
   public void startRunning(){
      try{
         connectToServer();
         setupStreams();
         whileChatting();
      }catch(EOFException eofException){
         showMessage("\n Client terminated connection");
      }catch(IOException ioException){
         ioException.printStackTrace();
      }finally{
         closeCrap();
      }
   }

   //connect to server
   private void connectToServer() throws IOException{
      showMessage("Attempting connection... \n");
      connection = new Socket(InetAddress.getByName(serverIP), 6789);
      showMessage("Connected to: " + connection.getInetAddress().getHostName() );
   }

   //set up streams to send and receive messages
   private void setupStreams() throws IOException{
      output = new ObjectOutputStream(connection.getOutputStream());
      output.flush();
      input = new ObjectInputStream(connection.getInputStream());
      showMessage("\n Dude your streams are now good to go! \n");
   }

   //while chatting with server
   private void whileChatting() throws IOException{
      ableToType(true);
      do{
         try{
            message = (String) input.readObject();
            showMessage("\n" + message);
         }catch(ClassNotFoundException classNotfoundException){
            showMessage("\n I dont know that object type");
         }
      }while(!message.equals("SERVER - END"));
   }

   //close the streams and sockets
   private void closeCrap(){
      showMessage("\n closing crap down...");
      ableToType(false);
      try{
         output.close();
         input.close();
         connection.close();
      }catch(IOException ioException){
         ioException.printStackTrace();
      }
   }

   //send messages to server
   private void sendMessage(String message){
      try{
         output.writeObject("CLIENT - " + message);
         output.flush();
         showMessage("\nCLIENT - " + message);
      }catch(IOException ioException){
         chatWindow.append("\n something messed up sending message hoss!");
      }
   }

   //change/update chatWindow
   private void showMessage(final String m){
      SwingUtilities.invokeLater(
         new Runnable(){
            public void run(){
               chatWindow.append(m);
            }
         }
      );
   }

   //gives user permission to type crap into the text box
   private void ableToType(final boolean tof){
      SwingUtilities.invokeLater(
         new Runnable(){
            public void run(){
               userText.setEditable(tof);
            }
         }
      );      
   }
}

Client:test

import javax.swing.JFrame;

public class ClientTest {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      Client charlie;
      charlie = new Client("127.0.0.1");
      charlie.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      charlie.startRunning();
   }
}

Server:java

import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class Server extends JFrame{

   private JTextField userText;
   private JTextArea chatWindow;
   private ObjectOutputStream output;
   private ObjectInputStream input;
   private ServerSocket server;
   private Socket connection;

   //constructor
   public Server(){
      super("Buckys Instant Messenger");
      userText = new JTextField();
      userText.setEditable(false);
      userText.addActionListener(
         new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event){
               sendMessage(event.getActionCommand());
               userText.setText("");
            }
         }
      );
      add(userText, BorderLayout.NORTH);
      chatWindow = new JTextArea();
      add(new JScrollPane(chatWindow));
      setSize(300,150);
      setVisible(true);
   }

   //set up and run the server
   public void startRunning(){
      try{
         server = new ServerSocket(6789, 100);
         while(true){
            try{
               waitForConnection();
               setupStreams();
               whileChatting();
            }catch(EOFException eofException){
               showMessage("\n Server ended the connection! ");
            }finally{
               closeCrap();
            }
         }
      }catch(IOException ioException){
         ioException.printStackTrace();
      }
   }

   //wait for connection, then display connection information
   private void waitForConnection() throws IOException{
      showMessage(" Waiting for someone to connect... \n");
      connection = server.accept();
      showMessage(" Now connected to " + connection.getInetAddress().getHostName());
   }

   //get stream to send and receive data
   private void setupStreams() throws IOException{
      output = new ObjectOutputStream(connection.getOutputStream());
      output.flush();
      input = new ObjectInputStream(connection.getInputStream());
      showMessage("\n Streams are now setup! \n");
   }

   //during the chat conversation
   private void whileChatting() throws IOException{
      String message = " You are now connected! ";
      sendMessage(message);
      ableToType(true);
      do{
         try{
            message = (String) input.readObject();
            showMessage("\n" + message);
         }catch(ClassNotFoundException classNotFoundException){
            showMessage("\n idk wtf that user sent!");
         }
      }while(!message.equals("CLIENT - END"));
   }

   //close streams and sockets after you are done chatting
   private void closeCrap(){
      showMessage("\n Closing connections... \n");
      ableToType(false);
      try{
         output.close();
         input.close();
         connection.close();
      }catch(IOException ioException){
         ioException.printStackTrace();
      }
   }

   //send a message to client
   private void sendMessage(String message){
      try{
         output.writeObject("SERVER - " + message);
         output.flush();
         showMessage("\nSERVER - " + message);
      }catch(IOException ioException){
         chatWindow.append("\n ERROR: DUDE I CANT SEND THAT MESSAGE");
      }
   }

   //updates chatWindow
   private void showMessage(final String text){
      SwingUtilities.invokeLater(
         new Runnable(){
            public void run(){
               chatWindow.append(text);
            }
         }
      );
   }

   //let the user type stuff into their box
   private void ableToType(final boolean tof){
      SwingUtilities.invokeLater(
         new Runnable(){
            public void run(){
               userText.setEditable(tof);
            }
         }
      );
   }

}

Server:test

import javax.swing.JFrame;

public class ServerTest {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      Server sally = new Server();
      sally.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      sally.startRunning();
   }
}

Answer 1

You need to configure your firewall and set up port forwarding.

Port forwarding is the important one. Basically you need to tell your router to send all incoming requests to the specified port, where your program can handle them.

Firewall is another possible issue, sometimes your network or computer blocks unknown requests.