INTRODUCTION:
This is an easy way to host your own site so that you can begin experimenting with PHP without having to pay for a hosting service or rely on a free web service, (which can be very limiting). Keep in mind, you will want to have at least broadband, (cable/dsl) to run this service. Now that I've told you what you probably already know, let's get to the interesting stuff.
DOMAIN NAMES:
First of all, domain names are a must have. A domain name is a url that takes people to your computer ex.(http://clips.gotdns.com). While you may want to have a domain that is like ex.(mysite.com), the free domain names are more like ex.(mysite.gotdns.com or mysite.dyndns.org). They require that you accept a ex.(.theirdomain.com) at the end of your chosen site name.
GETTING A FREE DOMAIN NAME: (FOR DYNAMIC IP ADDRESSES)
To get a free domain name that points to your computer, simply go to http://www.dyndns.org/ and select the tab at the top of the page that reads ACCOUNT. Then click CREATE ACCOUNT under the username/password field. Fill out the form there and don't forget to AGREE to the ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY. After you fill that form out you will get a message saying you have 48 HOURS to respond to an EMAIL they have sent to YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. When the email arrives, you will see a line in it that says TO CONFIRM YOUR ACCOUNT, PLEASE GO TO THE ADDRESS BELOW:. Remember, you have only 48 HOURS to click that link and activate your account. So follow the instructions in the message they sent you and click the link to activate your account. When you click that link it will take you to a confirmation page that tells you your account has been activated and you can now LOGIN to START USING YOUR ACCOUNT. Click the LOGIN link on that page. Fill in your USERNAME and PASSWORD, and click the LOGIN button. It will now tell you that your are CURRENTLY LOGGED IN. Click the LOGOUT button beside your USERNAME. It may not seem like you'd want to log out, but trust me on this one. After you have logged out click the tab at the top labeled ACCOUNT. Now, LOGIN once again, and this time it will take you to your ACCOUNT. In your account there are TWO TABLES or BOXES. The top one has INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT. The BOTTOM BOX is the one your looking for. This box should be labled YOUR HOSTS & ZONES. In that box click the link NEXT TO DYNAMIC DNS labeled ADD A HOST. It may ask you for your username and password. If so, you know what to do. You have now arrived at the fun part. You get to pick the name of your site. The field next to where it says HOSTNAME: is where you would type the name of your site. The pull down box next to that field is the suffix. You don't have to fill out the IP ADDRESS field. It should automatically list your IP ADDRESS. WILDCARD and MAIL EXCHANGER are optional. You can find help on their site for these optional features. Click add host, and you now have a functional domain name and the next page should show your settings. Now click the SERVICES tab at the top of the page. Note: It will already be highlighted but click it anyway. You should now see a bunch of links. Click the one that says DYNAMIC DNS. Now there should be a link in the paragraph that says UPDATE CLIENTS. CLICK IT. It will take you to a page full of update clients. You must download a client to serve a site on your computer. NOTE: The best one I have found so far is the one labeled DIRECTUPDATE. Download and install this service. Once installed and running you will have to configure this program to redirect visitors to your computer. Open the DIRECT UPDATE ADMIN MODULE by DOUBLE CLICKING the DIRECT UPDATE icon in your system tray. It will pop up a window that tells you the progam is a freeware program and that you are not registered. Click the CLOSE button under the REGISTER NOW USING INTEGRATED STORE! button. Now click the tab at the top of the box labeled ENGINE CONNECTION. Select LOCALHOST from the drop down box. Type in your DYNDNS password. Select DEFAULT from the drop down box labled ON PORT:. Select all the check boxes under the CHANGE PASSWORD button. Where it says STARTUP TYPE select AUTOMATIC. Now click the START button and then click the CONNECT button. Now go to the tab that says STATUS. This is where you will specify the domain name, user name, and password of your DYNDNS account. Click CREATE. Fill out the form then click OK. You now have a DOMAIN NAME pointing to your computer. But that isn't all. You now have to set up an HTTP server, so that your computer knows which part of the hard drive to send people to when they connect to your computer through your domain name.
SETTING UP AN HTTP SERVER:
I suggest you download a good secure and FREE server. Some servers can cost you hundrends of dollars, but there are servers that cost nothing and are just as good. I reccomend you try either ABYSS WEB SERVER located at http://www.aprelium.com/abyssws/ , or APACHE located at http://httpd.apache.org/ . For this manual I will be explaining how to set up an ABYSS WEB SERVER. Go to this location http://www.aprelium.com/abyssws/ . Click DOWNLOAD in the MENU ON THE LEFT. Select the proper download for your operating system. I would choose ABYSS for WINDOWS since I am running windows. It will take you to DOWNLOAD.COM. Click DOWNLOAD NOW. You can choose wheter to run it or save it to your drive. Either way, when it is done downloading run the SETUP PROGRAM. Simply follow the instructions and you should be able to install it without flaw. If you are running windows. The path to your homepage is in PROGRAM FILES / ABYSS WEB SERVER / HTDOCS. You can edit your web page from there.
CONCLUSION:
You now have the power to serve your own page directly from your home or office computer. Keep in mind, your computer must be running all the time for your webpage to be accessable. NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A ROUTER, YOU MUST SET YOUR ROUTER UP TO DIRECT TRAFFIC TO THE COMPUTER WITH THE SERVER ON IT. ALL ROUTERS ARE DIFFERENT, SO I CAN NOT HELP YOU WITH THIS PROCESS. I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO SET YOUR COMPUTERS IP TO A STATIC IP SO THAT THE ROUTER ALWAYS KNOWS WHERE TO SEND THE INFORMATION.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Sterling
