starting my own webhost, help

dreww

Hey,

Im starting my own free web host that will be ran off of a road runner cable line(free web host because of the slowness compared to other web hosts.) and was wondering what would be the best srver to use. Is apache easy to install and manage on my machine, or should i go with bad blue that i hear is smaller and easier to handle.

So for starting this, i will need the server(apache, or badblue), and to install php(oh, lord i hope i can get through that)? Is that all the progs i will need or not? Also, are there any links or websites that will help out people that are starting out a web host?

THANKS,
Drew

dalecosp

I'd recommend Microsoft PWS (the original version) on Win98.

:rolleyes: 😃

I would definitely do a lot of reading before attempting this ... or are you not as clueless as you might sound?

Apache is an industry standard. What about your choice of OS? What about security? What about DNS? What about RoadRunner's TOS? (if any...heh....)

What about....

It's a rather big decision. I'm not trying to be condescending, and I'm not wanting to; you'd just better do a lot of research, and practice, and testing, etc., etc., etc.....

How about any of these?

#make search key=httpd | grep Port:
Port:   daapd-0.2.1d_1
Port:   hunch-1.1.4
Port:   apache-1.3.29_1
Port:   bozohttpd-20031005
Port:   dhttpd-1.02a
Port:   fhttpd-0.4.2
Port:   flood-0.20031002_1
Port:   micro_httpd-2000.12.15
Port:   mini_httpd-1.18
Port:   tclhttpd-3.4.2
Port:   thttpd-2.24
Port:   twhttpd-1.0_1
Port:   w3c-httpd-3.0A

You've lots to think about, friend.... 😉

planetsim

Free servers are all going broke id firstly make sure you can host websites and also have some sort of tools.

Although dalecosp suggested PWS id say use Apache and get the Apache ToolBox, thatd help alot.

But before that do some research its not as easy as you think to create a host especially even being on a home PC. You need to think about security, how the users will get to upload files. Will there be a CPanel, will users get to see there statistics.

dalecosp

For the record, Planetsim, my comment was intended to be sarcasm ... to its fullest extent. A shame that in written language that is often difficult to detect. :o

For the record, no one should ever attempt to serve web pages with Microsoft's PWS. Not even on your grandmother's LAN, with no Internet connection at all. :mad: AAMOF, you should probably find something newer than Win98 if you must run a Microsoft operating system; and there are plenty of good alternatives. 🆒

The only M$ web server to use is the IIS type solution, whatever its current incarnation is...Win2k3?? And for a "free" webhost, that's not an ideal solution.

Apache is, as I said, the standard, and for good reason.

Chris_Evans

I might note that if you want to run on Windows, I would recommend 2000, 2003, or alternatively since all three are stable, XP.

I personally think the Microsoft operating system is great, but I won't say anymore - don't want to start another discussion! 😛

You can download a nice automatic installer for PHP/MySQL here:
www.firepages.com.au/phpdev

Also, if you know Linux then since PHP is native to Linux, you could run it on that, the same as if I was to write an asp.net script, I'd put it on Microsoft IIS.

I'd also point out that installing PHP for Microsoft IIS seems to loose some of its functionality.

Thanks in advance,

Chris

greg252

My suggestion is - don't do it!
Not only do you need to think about the technical aspects (OS, software, security and such) but what about the legal aspects- lost data, stolen personal information, etc.
There is a reason "good" hosting companies charge- it's a full time just just keeping everything working.

If you have to try to do it, start hosting your own site and see what it takes.

Best of luck

Chris_Evans

I might point out however that providing you state that your web host is specifically for "personal use only" and that your customers can't "store any confidential data" and that you "accept no responsibility for any loss, damage or liability for the customers site", you should be fine.

I'm a web host, and I charge simply because of that, and secondly, unless you start hosting hundreds of sites (which I doubt you can do on your current connection), advertising on your free pages is unlikely to earn you much revenue, unless you do something different like www.coolfreepages.com does.

ajdegans

I'd say set up your own server but ONLY for personal use...

Its hardly the effort to have a 'bigger' host for others on your home internet, and on top i think no man would want it on your server just because of the internetconnection 😃

I have my own webserver (www.zerocom.ath.cx) and ran an webcam from it some months... no succes. tried an forum where noone came 🙁 and now i used it for testing purposes and ftp serving when im on remote locations and need access to my programs to install on the remote pcs 😉

but my internet is waaaaaay to slow (2048down / 768up kbit) to host bigger than that 🙂

I am running windows 2000 with apache, php, php myadmin and mysql (PHPTRIAD) (http://computers.zerocom.nl for specs) 😛 but as i said just for the connection its not worth starting a hosting 'company'!😃

kevindolan

I would figure out what is allowed by your ISP before going through any trouble. I am on Comcast (3.1Mb/256kb) in the U.S. and from what I understand, we are not supposed to even have a VPN setup? What a crock 🙂

Anyway, unless you have a sick internet connection, especially with regards to upstream, you're not going to have much fun trying to offer service to anyone other than yourself.

As far as DNS, you can have any domain point at any IP, but if you are on cable, they probably use DHCP and that being the case you can't get a static IP out of them for any amount 🙁

You could use a service like DynamicDNS but hosting sites for others without having a subnet is kind of a joke. Not that I am any authority on the matter but these are certainly considerations that must be made.

With that in mind, if I were still going forward with the endeavor, I would use Mandrake without a doubt!

For the sake of playing around, setup a gateway server with all the fixens, get that secure, and learn from there...
Build yourself an intranet.

Good luck

mrxxlphp

I would have to agree – don’t do it. Its perfectly ok to do it for your own site or for testing/fun but as soon as you loads other peoples sites on it you are directly responsible for all the content they host. Also it will slow your connection right down and make it unusable for anything else.

If your running a free Webhost then what about DNS, POP3, SMTP and all the rest of it?

If your still hell bent on doing it then you need a very fast machine P4 running RedHat or Mandrake. Then get a good firewall other wise your server will have more holes than Swiss cheese.

How are you going to let users manager there accounts? If you have a static IP it pretty much isn’t going to work. And finally as mentioned by Kevin do you have permission from your ISP?

Stuart

dalecosp

Originally posted by stuartbaggs
If your still hell bent on doing it then you need a very fast machine P4 running RedHat or Mandrake. Then get a good firewall other wise your server will have more holes than Swiss cheese.

Heh, heh, or you could get equal performance from an Athlon K6-2 500 running FreeBSD ... 😃 😃 😃

Nothing personal, stuartbaggs; gotta pick on RH a bit ... what, pay for Linux?

Heck, I don't even pay for my servers' b/w... 😉