IDEA: invisible application to update a text file on ftp server

[quantumrider]

Hi,

Currently I use update-ip little application to update a text file on my ftp server with my current ip address.

Would it be possible to request a little app here, that would have hard-coded ftp server info and would upload a little text file with the current ip address in it replaced.

My client wants this so the only access to his website by his employees is done from their computers at work.

So the app would need to run invisibly so the employees are not even aware of this additional security measure.

This way they would not be able to login from home or from any other place.

update-ip is visible running in the taskbar, so that's not useful.

update-ip is doing the job fine but is not invisible, it also uses a template file, here is the template file I use:

<%
dim MY_IP
MY_IP = "<!--IP--!>"
%>

then the file is included and script knows my ip and I get better treatment on the server =)

What do you think?

[Eóin]

You might not need a new program, you could investigate running your current solution as an NT service which might hide it better. Not sure though.

[quantumrider]

I definitely would prefer a hard coded app that would just send the file to ftp server with current ip every 5 minutes or so. And remain invisible in task list after installation.

[mouser]

there are a lot of programs that do this kind of thing (upload page with your current ip).
you might see if one of the others has a no-tray option.. i'll bet you can find one.

so basically you are saying that your current program works well you just want it hidden is that right?

[quantumrider]

pretty much, it would also be nice to be able to just run install from cd or usb flash drive and that's it

also, there could possibly be simpler thing, simple url request rather than ftp upload would also work.

with a text file of the url to be requested or if possible ability to edit the executables hard coded url.

is that possible?

[skrommel]

Try this one!

IpUpload - Upload current IP address to a FTP server.

Usage:
- Add the tags <ipaddress>, <time>, <username> or <computername> to the file to upload. These tags are replaced with the current values.
- Command line: IpUpload.exe <options>
- Example: IpUpload.exe -s ftp.server.com -l "c:\folder1\file.htm" -r "/folder2" -u user -p password -nic 0 -pause 5 -hide

Options:
-s <server>
  IP address of FTP server
-l <local path>
  Path of file to upload
-r <remote path>
  Folder on FTP server
-u <user name>
  User name
-p <password>
  Password
-nic <network adaptor>
  Network adaptor's IP address to use, 1 to 4, 0=external IP from showmyip.com
-pause <minutes>
  Time to wait between uploads, 0 exits
-hide
  Hides the tray icon

You'll find the downloads and more info at 1 Hour Software by Skrommel.

Skrommel

[Tekzel]

Actually, the best solution to this is for him to configure his FTP server properly.  Almost all of them (I say almost, because I haven't used every FTP server available, but every one I have ever seen has this) have an option to allow or disallow subnets.  All he has to do is configure his server to block all connections by default and then to allow his local subnet and that will prevent connections from anywhere other than at work.  You can usually specify multiple subnets on the allow list for situations where you have 2 branch offices, etc.

[quantumrider]

skromell:

WHOA you did that for me? Thanks a lot!!!!

If it's written in vbscript any chance I could get the source code?

And I hope it's not .net because some offices do not install it at all.

So there needs to be a link in startup folder?

Awesome!

Tekzel:

Actually the reason for this is so my client's employees don't have access to their website administration section from outside of their office. Ftp or URL I need a way to communicate current ip of the office to the asp scripts on their website.

Seems Skromell solved this problem for me, idea was not to let employees know how it's done so they don't find a way to compromise it.

Not to mention that anyone from outside the office won't even be presented with admin login screen....

I have this all setup already on the server for my own use, now it will make the client's admin section very secure...

[skrommel]

Try IpUpload v1.1!

Added more tags, changed the command line, added external IP detection.

ark2, you could add the command line to the Run key of the registry to make detection more difficult. And if you want to hardcode it, just edit the AutoHotkey sourcecode on my webpage.

Skrommel

[quantumrider]

awesome!

is there any way to set something up on a usb flash drive to load this automatically to the users computer on inserting the flash drive?

prompts are fine, also automatically set it up to run at startup?

[skrommel]

You can add a autorun.inf file to the disk, but to make it run, you have to make the flash disk bootable.

The easiest way is to download the file HP Drive Key Boot Utility from http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/serveroptions/us/download/23839.html

It's a whopping 45MB download, but you just need the hpdkbu.exe file.

Install it, run it from the start menu and just follow the wizard through. Then delete all the files on the flash disk, and add this autorun.inf file to the flash disk:

Code

[autorun] 
action=AutoLaunch Action
icon=..\Apps\Calc.exe 
open=..\Apps\Calc.exe 
label=AutoLaunch Label
includeRuntimeComponents=True

This one launches Calculator if you place a copy of it in the Apps folder on the flash disk.

Skrommel

[treason]

Hi skrommel,

New to this site, but I have a question about this software. I want to upload my computers IP address to an ftp server when windows starts. I want this because my IP changes, and I like to remote desktop to my home machine from work. But since the IP changes sometimes, I want to store the current IP of my home machine on an FTP.

Anyway, I created a batch file to autorun but I can't figure out the right parameters.

IpUpload.exe -s ftp.myftp.com -l "c:\program files\IPUpload\ipaddress.txt" -r "/temp" -u myusername -p mypassword -nic 0 -pause 0

The -l parameter will upload the external IP html file you downloaded from the web, I am uploading this because I cant find a plain txt file that just has my IP.

Also, the -pause parameter seems wrong also. I just want the software to run once and quit.

Any help is appreciated.

[skrommel]

Can you be more precise about what's wrong?

I think what you have to do is create the file c:\program files\IPUpload\ipaddress.txt, and add the text <ipaddress>. This text is automatically exchanged for your ipaddress.

But the simplest solution to your problem is to register your own virtual domain at http://www.no-ip.com. No more IP-addresses to rememeber, just register, download and install their program, and you can acces your computer at treason.no-ip.com.

Skrommel

[taowa]

I can't get it to work
The command: "C:\Program Files\IP\IpUpload.exe" -s XXXXXXXX.ca -port 21 -l C:\Program Files\IP\File.txt -r TaowaLaptop -u XXXXXXX@XXXXXXX.ca -p XXXXXXXXXX -nic 0 -pause 0

The file: IP for <computername>
<ipaddress>
<time>

[taowa]

I have tried with quotes: "C:\Program Files\IP\IpUpload.exe" -s taowa.ca -port 21 -l "C:\Program Files\IP\File.txt" -r "/TaowaLaptop" -u XXXXXXX@XXXXXXX.ca -p XXXXXXXXXX -nic 0 -pause 0

[mwb1100]

"C:\Program Files" usually has permissions that don't allow non-admin users to write to files.  Try putting the output file somewhere else.

[taowa]

I have this