Accessing localhost

[johne53]

I've a computer program here which needs to access localhost. I haven't needed to use the program for several years but when I tried it just now it wouldn't work.

The last time I used the app I was probably with my previous ISP (and therefore using a different router) but I'm pretty sure that if I typed http://127.0.0.1 into a browser it'd show me a page corresponding to localhost. But if I do that now (on any of my computers) they all report that 127.0.0.1 refused to connect. Could that be something to do with my TalkTalk router? And if so, is there a solution?

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi John,

Glad to see that you've got to the bottom of this with talkwhatever's help. If you need any further assistance please let us know 🙂

Chris

[talkwhatever]

Fab! 😊 

(that you're sorted, not that you're mixed up 🤣)

[johne53]

Bah, you're right! I'd been getting mixed up with the 192.168.1.1 number 🙁

[talkwhatever]

Yup, there is a web page where you can talk to your router and see/adjust its settings.

Have a look at the (back of the) router to find that address. It might be something like http://192.168.1.1

[johne53]

In that case, I must be gotting my numbers mixed up. For my previous router I'm sure there was an IP address I could type in which displayed some kind of router page (a setup page maybe??)

[talkwhatever]

Hee hee John, not dim. 

127.0.0.1 means 'yourself'. So when you go to that place on any machine, it looks for a website on itself. Now unless you've done something very clever and geeky (or installed a program to do that), you'll get no reply as each machine is not normally 'a website'.

[johne53]

Sorry to be dim about this but I've a mixture of machines here running MacOS, Windows 7 and Windows 10 - and every browser tells me that 127.0.0.1 can't be accessed. So surely the problem must lie with something that's common to them all (e.g. the router) ??

[talkwhatever]

It depends on the program. Sorry. Ask the developers of that program. Good luck.

[johne53]

Thanks - but how can I check if a program has access to port 80 ?

[talkwhatever]

Hiya, more likely that your computer no longer has that web server running (on localhost). 127.0.0.1 always points to back to the computer you are using. 

So trying this on any of your computers, will each point to the computer you are trying it on — probably not what you want. But could be (if you've installed this program on all your computers).

Check that this program you mention is still running and has access to the privileged port 80 (that http uses).