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Network Access Setup Guide

Your Computer's IP Address

10.225.126.40

Quick Checklist

✅ Step 1: Verify Backend is Running

npm run dev

You should see:

✅ Server is running on http://localhost:8000
🌐 Network access: http://<your-ip>:8000

✅ Step 2: Verify Frontend is Running

cd frontend
npm run dev

You should see something like:

  VITE v5.x.x  ready in xxx ms

  ➜  Local:   http://localhost:3000/
  ➜  Network: http://10.225.126.40:3000/

IMPORTANT: Look for the "Network:" line - this is the URL to use on other devices!

✅ Step 3: Windows Firewall Configuration

Option A: Allow through Windows Defender Firewall (Recommended)

  1. Open Windows Defender Firewall
  2. Click "Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall"
  3. Click "Change settings" (if needed)
  4. Find "Node.js" in the list
    • If found: Check both "Private" and "Public"
    • If NOT found: Click "Allow another app" → "Browse" → Find node.exe (usually in C:\Program Files\nodejs\ or C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\npm\)

Option B: Temporarily Disable Firewall (For Testing Only)

  1. Open Windows Defender Firewall
  2. Click "Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off"
  3. Turn off for Private networks (temporarily)
  4. ⚠️ Remember to turn it back on after testing!

✅ Step 4: Test on Same Computer First

  1. On your computer, try: http://10.225.126.40:3000
  2. If this works, proceed to other devices
  3. If this doesn't work, check firewall settings

✅ Step 5: Access from Other Devices

Requirements:

  • ✅ Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network
  • ✅ Backend server must be running
  • ✅ Frontend server must be running
  • ✅ Windows Firewall must allow Node.js

On your phone/tablet/other device:

  1. Open a web browser
  2. Go to: http://10.225.126.40:3000
  3. The app should load!

Troubleshooting

❌ "This site can't be reached" or "Connection refused"

Possible causes:

  1. Firewall blocking - Check Windows Firewall settings
  2. Server not running - Make sure both backend and frontend are running
  3. Wrong IP address - Get your current IP: 
    ipconfig
    Look for "IPv4 Address" under your active network adapter

❌ "Network access" URL not showing in Vite

If Vite doesn't show the Network URL:

  1. Make sure host: '0.0.0.0' is in vite.config.js
  2. Restart the frontend server
  3. Check if port 3000 is available

❌ Can access frontend but API calls fail

Problem: Frontend loads but can't connect to backend

Solution: The API service automatically detects the host. If accessing via IP, it will use that IP for API calls too.

❌ IP Address Changed

Your IP address may change if you:

  • Reconnect to Wi-Fi
  • Restart your computer
  • Connect to a different network

Solution: Run ipconfig again to get the new IP address.

Testing Checklist

  • Backend server running on port 8000
  • Frontend server running on port 3000
  • Windows Firewall allows Node.js
  • Can access http://10.225.126.40:3000 on same computer
  • Other device is on same Wi-Fi network
  • Can access http://10.225.126.40:3000 on other device

Quick Test Commands

Get your IP:

ipconfig | findstr /i "IPv4"

Test backend health:

curl http://localhost:8000/health

Test network access (from same computer): Open browser: http://10.225.126.40:3000

Still Not Working?

  1. Check both servers are running - Look at terminal windows
  2. Check firewall - Temporarily disable to test
  3. Check network - Make sure devices are on same Wi-Fi
  4. Check IP address - Run ipconfig to verify current IP
  5. Check ports - Make sure nothing else is using ports 3000 or 8000