Node.js generate LetsEncrypt.org SSL certificate with specific common name - node.js

Question

I am currently trying to create a LetsEncrypt SSL certificate package using the node letsencrypt package (https://www.npmjs.com/package/letsencrypt). I have managed to generate a standard certificate suite using the following code.
'use strict';
var express = require('express');
var LE = require('letsencrypt');
var le;
// server = staging for test encryption cert generation
// server = production for generating verified certificate
var le = LE.create({ server: 'production' });
// Define encryption certificate options as JSON object
var opts = {
domains: ['www.mydomain.com'], email: 'me#mydomain.com', agreeTos: true
};
// Submit certificate signing request to LetsEncrypt.
// Print certificates, keys (i.e. pem files) when received from server.
le.register(opts).then(function (certs) {
console.log(certs);
// privkey, cert, chain, expiresAt, issuedAt, subject, altnames
}, function (err) {
console.error(err);
});
var app = express();
// Create server listening on port 80 to handle ACME challenges
// i.e. basic web server to serve files so CA can verify website ownership
app.listen(80, function () {
console.log('Basic server started and listening on port 80');
console.log('Server handling basic ACME protocol challenges');
});
// Allow access to all static files in server directory
// Enables CA to access file served up to verify domain ownership
app.use('/', le.middleware());
Which works fine and generates me a trusted certificate from LetsEncrypt.org when accessed via www.mydomain.com. However, when I try to access my website on my internal (local) network via 192.168.0.myserveraddress. I get the following error:
Does anyone know how I can modify the common name in the certificate request to LetsEncrypt to 192.168.0.myserveraddress so I don't get this error when accessing my website via our local area network?

Answer 1

I actually solved this issue by setting up our local area network to allow loopback connections using what is called NAT Loopback.
This means I do not need to use the local IP address (192.168.0.myserveraddress) to access my server anymore and can just use www.mydomain.com to access it internally.
Since this maintains the domain name the certificate is now trusted and I no longer have the above error.
Additionally I believe that certificate authorities (i.e. LetsEncrypt) will not issue certificates for IP addresses. So the only way you can resolve the above error is to access the website via its domain name. See link below.
https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certificate-for-static-ip/84.