FP98: Channel Definition Wizard Doesn't Accept Port Numbers

• Microsoft FrontPage 98 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you create a Channel Definition Format (CDF) file on a Web server that is not on the standard Transport Control Protocol (TCP) port (port 80), you may receive the following error message:

   http://<Web server name>:<port number>/<Web name> contains invalid
   characters.

CAUSE

The Channel Definition Wizard does not recognize the colon (:) as a valid character in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The Channel Definition Wizard is designed to work only on the standard port.

RESOLUTION

Create the CDF file on a server that is located on port 80.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

A port is a method by which multiple services can operate on the same network protocol. File Transfer Protocol (FTP), TELNET, and HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) are all services that use the TCP/IP protocol. Each service uses its own port. For example, the default port for browsing the World Wide Web is port 80. It uses the HTTP protocol. Today, most Web browsers are configured so that you can type the destination URL without specifying a port and your request will be sent to the standard HTTP port without any intervention from you. For example, typing www.microsoft.com in the URL box in your Web browser is the same as typing http://www.microsoft.com:80.

For more information about port settings for HTTP servers, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q173663
   TITLE     : FP97: How to Use Microsoft Personal Web Server on Different
               Port

   ARTICLE-ID: Q149605
   TITLE     : How to Change the TCP Port for IIS Services

   ARTICLE-ID: Q149843
   TITLE     : FP: Personal Web Server Can't Bind to Port 80