To access a locally hosted website from another computer using IIS, you must configure the site bindings to listen on all network interfaces and ensure Windows Firewall allows inbound traffic on the HTTP port. This setup requires identifying your host machine's local IP address and updating the IIS binding configuration to replace "localhost" with that specific IP or the wildcard "*" character for universal access.
Identify Your Host Machine's IP Address
Before modifying any server settings, you need to know the exact network address of the computer running IIS. Remote devices cannot reach your site via
localhost or
127.0.0.1; they require the LAN IP address assigned by your router. Open the Command Prompt on your Windows machine and type
ipconfig. Look for the
IPv4 Address under your active network adapter, which typically looks like
192.168.1.x or
10.0.0.x. Write this down, as it will be used in the next steps. If you are unsure about your network topology, refer to our guide on
how to host my website on my local pc for foundational networking context.
Configure IIS Site Bindings
By default, IIS often binds sites to
localhost, which restricts access to the local machine only. To allow external connections, you must change this binding. Open the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager from your Start menu. In the Connections pane on the left, expand your server node and click on
Sites. Select the specific website you wish to expose. On the right-hand Actions pane, click
Bindings....
In the Site Bindings window, select the entry for
http and click
Edit. You will see a field labeled
IP address. Change this from
127.0.0.1 or
localhost to either your specific local IP address identified earlier, or simply leave it as
* (All Unassigned) to allow access from any interface. Ensure the Host name is either blank or set to your IP, and the Port remains
80 for standard HTTP traffic. Click
OK to save the changes. Restarting the site within IIS Manager may be necessary to apply these changes immediately.
Adjust Windows Firewall Rules
Even with correct IIS bindings, Windows Defender Firewall will block incoming connections by default. You need to create an inbound rule to permit traffic on port 80. Open the Control Panel and navigate to
Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security. Alternatively, search for "Firewall" in the Start menu and select
Inbound Rules. Click on
New Rule... in the right-hand Actions pane.
Select
Port as the rule type and click
Next. Choose
TCP and specify
Specific local ports, entering
80. Click
Next again and select
Allow the connection. Apply this rule to Domain, Private, and Public networks depending on your security requirements; for a trusted local network, Private is usually sufficient. Click
Next, give the rule a descriptive name such as "IIS HTTP Access", and finish. This step ensures that packets arriving at your IP address are not dropped by the operating system. For more details on managing local site configurations, see
configuring IIS (Windows 11 & 24H2) local site - MySite.
Test Connectivity from Another Device
Once the bindings and firewall rules are configured, test the connection from a different device on the same network. On a laptop, smartphone, or secondary PC, open a web browser. Enter the URL using the format
http://[Your-Local-IP], replacing the brackets with the actual IP address found in the first step. For example, if your IP is
192.168.1.50, type
http://192.168.1.50. If the page loads correctly, your remote access is successful. If you receive a timeout error, verify that both computers are on the same subnet and that no third-party antivirus software is blocking the connection.
If you encounter issues accessing the site without a domain name, check our article on
accessing my locally hosted website from another computer outside my network without a domain name for advanced routing tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I access my site from a different subnet?
Accessing a local IIS site from a different subnet requires router configuration, specifically port forwarding, which exposes your internal IP to the public internet. This introduces significant security risks and is generally discouraged for development environments unless strictly necessary. It is safer to keep testing within the same local network segment.
What if I get Error 500.30 when accessing remotely?
Error 500.30 indicates that the application pool failed to start, often due to permission issues or missing modules rather than network connectivity. Check the Event Viewer on the host machine for detailed error logs related to the specific application pool identity. Ensuring the app pool has read/write permissions to the website directory usually resolves this specific redirect failure.
Can I use HTTPS instead of HTTP for remote access?
Yes, you can configure SSL bindings in IIS, but you must install a valid certificate on the host machine. Self-signed certificates will cause browser warnings on remote devices, requiring manual trust acceptance. For secure local development, consider using tools like mkcert to generate trusted local certificates that browsers recognize without errors.
Does changing the IP binding affect localhost access?
No, changing the binding to a specific IP or wildcard does not disable local access. You can still access the site via
localhost or
127.0.0.1 from the host machine itself. The IIS service listens on multiple endpoints simultaneously once the wildcard or explicit IP is added alongside the loopback address.
How do I find the port number if it's not 80?
If your site is bound to a custom port, you must include that port in the remote URL, such as
http://192.168.1.50:8080. Verify the port in the IIS Bindings dialog box mentioned earlier. Ensure that the Windows Firewall rule also allows traffic on this specific custom port, not just the default port 80.