Correct iptables settings so search_api can connect to remote solr server?

Hello,

I am getting this error "The Solr server could not be reached." yet when I click on the Solr Server URI I can browse the server. Tried with rc2 and the same result. Not sure what could be the problem.

Also checked with lsof

lsof -i
COMMAND  PID USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
sshd    1105 root    3u  IPv4   8222      0t0  TCP *:ssh (LISTEN)
sshd    1105 root    4u  IPv6   8224      0t0  TCP *:ssh (LISTEN)
master  1181 root   12u  IPv4   8408      0t0  TCP localhost:smtp (LISTEN)
java    2348 root   50u  IPv6  35166      0t0  TCP *:8983 (LISTEN)

It's listening fine.

I am also seeing 500 errors on ping:

Oct 16, 2012 10:42:49 AM org.apache.solr.core.SolrCore execute
INFO: [] webapp=/solr path=/admin/ping params={} status=500 QTime=9

Oct 16, 2012 10:42:49 AM org.apache.solr.common.SolrException log
SEVERE: org.apache.solr.common.SolrException: Ping query caused exception: no field name specified in query and no defaultSearchField defined in schema.xml
        at org.apache.solr.handler.PingRequestHandler.handleRequestBody(PingRequestHandler.java:77)

Possibly related:
#1812302: Wrong "qt" default parameter for the PING handler, but switching to pinkpony did not solve this issue.

Looking at the tutorials most specify a Solr in localhost, but mine is on a different server. Could that be a problem? http://zugec.com/73-how-setup-search-api-apache-solr