How do you run a server?

trogdor

trogdor

New member
Hey folks,

sorry if this is slightly OT, but I'm sick of paying yahoo 8 bucks a month for 20meg of host space, so I decided to try and run my own server to host my new band's website. My buddy donated an only slightly outdated HP that I plan to run it off of. Having never done this before, i have a few questions...

1. Do I need a special OS for it, or is winXP fine? If XP, then what kind of software do I need to run for the server itself, and are there any special things I need to know about setting it up? software recommendations?

2. I need to register my domain name...where should I do this, and what is a fair price to pay?

3. Once I register my domain name, how do I get it to point to the address of my server?

Thanks for the wisdom...

trog
 
This is a pretty good tutorial:

http://www.dslwebserver.com/

I followed it in setting up my own server.

But I needed my own server (or so I felt) as a test platform to learn more about what I'd been working with -- namely the Linux OS, the Apache webserver, the MySQL database, the Perl programming language -- and stuff I planned to learn, like PHP, JSP, Unix mail services -- from the ground up. All in all it's been somewhat excruciating, and I am pretty good at this stuff and had some background. I would now advise most people not to do it because, unless you already are or really want to learn to be a professional sys admin, it takes more time and effort than it's worth. If you just want to save a few bucks... well, consider what your time is worth.

You can get a ISP plan with plenty of server space, the ability to run CGI and/or PHP, set up a MySQL database, etc., for pretty cheap these days, and you'll have none of the hassle of doing it yourself, worrying about security or server maintenance, fixing the server when something bad happens, or figuring out why your latest patch to MySQL killed all your Perl applications, etc. I'm sure there are Microsoft-centric ISPs too with similar services where you can set up a SQL Server database and run ASP code, etc.
 
www.clarkconnect.org

it's easy to install and use
it's free
it has email/ftp/web server
it's free
it's easy to install and use
it's linux so it's runs very efficiently
it's free

you get the point :D
 
trogdor said:
Hey folks,

sorry if this is slightly OT, but I'm sick of paying yahoo 8 bucks a month for 20meg of host space, so I decided to try and run my own server to host my new band's website. My buddy donated an only slightly outdated HP that I plan to run it off of. Having never done this before, i have a few questions...

1. Do I need a special OS for it, or is winXP fine? If XP, then what kind of software do I need to run for the server itself, and are there any special things I need to know about setting it up? software recommendations?

2. I need to register my domain name...where should I do this, and what is a fair price to pay?

3. Once I register my domain name, how do I get it to point to the address of my server?

Thanks for the wisdom...

trog
Click to expand...

You pay Yahoo to host your website for good reasons. $8/month is a pretty good deal, once you figure out how much it will cost you for your time to set it up and maintain it.

When someone decides to hack or do a DDoS attack on your website, they are messing with a 3rd party server which is not networked to your own personal computer or your LAN.

The other thing to keep in mind is that servers, be them web or file servers usually make use of specialized processors and HDs that can handle the CPU load created by high volume traffic to your site or streaming of music. Their connection to the internet is probably alot faster than your DSL or Cable connection.

Don't just take into consideration what is convinient for you - if people visitng your site have bad experiences, they most likely won't come back. Is that what you want?
 
I think you guys are getting a little nuts with the difficulty/security/reliability issue. This is for the guys band. He is most likely not going to need Perl, PHP, sendmail and MySql. Sounds like he needs a basic site which can be run from a Windows OS and PWS. I have run a web, mail and ftp server for my small business for years without a single problem. I've sold $1000's of dollars in software from my site and no one has ever said they had issues with my site. Keep yer OS patched and you won't have any problems.
 
Good point, HangDawg...

I still think a provider's machine is a better idea overall, but something on your home machine gives you a bit more control and immediacy, for sure...
 
C'mon ya bunch of wussies. Where's your sense of adventure. It's not, HARD to do this. It's quite simple really. The guy might learn something in the process. And notice, he didn't ask where is a good place to host my site. He wants help to do it himself and I commend him for that.
 
Trogdor-

Ive been lookin into this myself- Here is a good place to look... http://httpd.apache.org/

Looks like its gonna take some reading- Then of course you have a whole other issue of getting your domain name fowarded to your server which can be tricky if you have a dynamic IP. Also- keep in mind that unstream speeds on dsl and cable are usually alot lower than downstream. But it is doable. My site now is actually hosted on a freind of mines server- once i get things figured out and setup I'll take over for him. Security is an issue. Maintanance is an issue- but if nothing else, worth the experience you'll (we'll) get from it. Besides- it might be fun.
 
HangDawg said:
C'mon ya bunch of wussies. Where's your sense of adventure. It's not, HARD to do this. It's quite simple really. The guy might learn something in the process. And notice, he didn't ask where is a good place to host my site. He wants help to do it himself and I commend him for that.
Click to expand...

thanks, dawg. And thank you all for the input. I definately would say that I am more the DIY variety...and enjoy a challenge.

I suppose I should have said that all I really want this for is a simple FTP server. I'm not running any fancy code. Maybe a couple of email addresses. That's all my old yahoo site was, and I thought 8 bucks a month was a bit steep for what I was using it for.

I'll look into those links you guys posted...

In the meantime...I'm still trying to figure out how to get my registered domain name to point to my server (thinking ahead...). Anyone?

edit: I also have been looking at domain name registration pages, and alot of them seem really skeezy (DOMAIN NAME BLOWOUT!!) kind of like used car lots or something. What should I look for and what should I pay? What do you think of this place? http://registrar.godaddy.com/default.asp?isc=goods019m
 
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kremitmusic said:
Trogdor-

Ive been lookin into this myself- Here is a good place to look... http://httpd.apache.org/

Looks like its gonna take some reading- Then of course you have a whole other issue of getting your domain name fowarded to your server which can be tricky if you have a dynamic IP. Also- keep in mind that unstream speeds on dsl and cable are usually alot lower than downstream. But it is doable. My site now is actually hosted on a freind of mines server- once i get things figured out and setup I'll take over for him. Security is an issue. Maintanance is an issue- but if nothing else, worth the experience you'll (we'll) get from it. Besides- it might be fun.
Click to expand...

That's the same attitude I've got about it kremit. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
 
How to forward your URL:

When you register your domain name you can forward it to another url. You can sign up for free services (such as www.dyndns.org) with which you can always be directed to your computer. What these services do is update your "hostname" by running a small program on your computer that finds your ip address and updates the service so that you hostname redirects to your ip address. This works with dynamic ip addresses without a problem.

Such services as dyndns.org have programs for windows and linux.

Clarkconnect (www.clarkconnect.org) which I have used for a few years has it's own redirection service which works wonderfully on a dynamic ip address. If you install the router version, it has a built in dsl dialer that reconnects when your connection goes down and updates the ip number for your hostname. If you install the standalone version you will need a seperate router.

I ran a clarkconnect server with a router, firewall, ftp server, web server (running apache and php), email server, and snort (intrution detection).

Now if you want to have the domain name that you bought show up in the address part of your browser you will need to register (and pay) for a service that updates your ip address to the hostname you bought.

www.minimizeit.com and www.clarkconnect.org both offer these services. Clarkconnect already has the service built into the software (so you won't have to download/configure another). I used the minimizeit service for a year and it works flawlessly. I believe it costs about $5 a month.

I hope this helped you out.

Once you get a little closer to getting this running and you need more specific information, just ask. I am sure someone will know the answer.
 
thanks sae...

One more question...I still want to connect my pc to my cable modem along with my server. Do I need a router or a "switch"? I was looking at both of these on newegg.com and couldn't tell what the difference was.
 
If you do decided to use clarkconnect as a router/server then you don't need to have another one. You will only need 2 network cards in your server.

If you want to run the server in standalone mode then yes, you will need a router.
 
sae said:
If you do decided to use clarkconnect as a router/server then you don't need to have another one. You will only need 2 network cards in your server.

If you want to run the server in standalone mode then yes, you will need a router.
Click to expand...

Not forgetting that fact that any Win2k/XP machine can act as your router for your network. You won't need a hardware unit. 2 network cards are all you need. One goes to the cable modem, the other to a hub or switch (if ya wanna spend the extra cash) A switch is not really needed for a small home network though.


Edit: To answer your other question. A hub or a switch gives you a place to plug in multiple PC's or other devices and has no knowledge of other networks. It works with local ip addresses only. A router is needed when you need to communicate with other networks. It "Routes" traffic destined off your local network and stores tables of ip routes to other networks.
 
I if you are going to be running your own websever, I would want more security than windows xp firewall :rolleyes:
 
Rent space on a server and skip the hassle.

You will need a static IP ($12/month) so your server can registered in the DNS hierarchy. If you are on cable, servers are not allowed, and neither are static IP.

I run my own mail, web, and FTP servers for my business. Fortunately, most of the kids like to hack Microsoft, and don't know squat about Netware. I do block 30,000 (thirty thousand) spam attempts every month. There is always some prick in Asia or Australia trying to spam my mail servers.

My comment is not intended to be disrepectful, but if you are even asking these questions, you are not ready to host your own server. Save yourself a ton of grief and rent space for a modest price and no aspirin required.
 
bgavin said:
Rent space on a server and skip the hassle.

You will need a static IP ($12/month) so your server can registered in the DNS hierarchy. If you are on cable, servers are not allowed, and neither are static IP.
Click to expand...


Again, wrong and wrong. I neither have a static ip (that's what dynamic DNS is all about) and I am on cable. I guess the cable part depends on who is providing the service. I run web ftp and mail from my home. Never been hacked either. There really is nothing of interest. You guys are just way too paranoid or don't have a clue. Not sure which yet.
 
Well thank you all for the info...

Obviously, I'm going to learn as I go, just as I did last year when I built my first computer (which works if you were wondering...).

The website isn't that big of a deal to me. I'm more interested in experimenting with running a very simple server to learn a few things and possibly save a few bucks in the process.
 
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