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Setting up a web server at home.

M

mitchelt

Senior member
I have a spare Dell PC that I just picked up for cheap and was wondering if the following is possible:

I want to configure the Dell as a web server so I can test web sites before I publish them, also to experiment with them. I would also like to run/test ASP pages.

- What version of WIN XXXX do I need (NT4 or Win2000 Server)

- Do these versions of Windows come with the IIS server, which I believe is nneded to run ASP pages or web pages? (I'm not really a server guy, I'm learning)

Am I missing anything? I will probably connect to the Dell via a simple home network.

I just thought it would be cool to experiment at home and not on my actual web site.

Thanks,

Mitch
 
Personally I'd use Windows 2000, and I do 🙂. It's more versatile than NT 4 and works surprisingly well, for a MS product. Every version of W2K has IIS and web hosting services, even Professional. Good luck
 
you could also use win2k AS as a DNS server on your private network and access your internal "webpage" via DNS.

loosbrew
 
If you want to set up a web server for people to view on the internet, you will need to run IIS on winNT/2k, which do not come packaged together.

As an alernative, you can set up a linux box and run apache webserver, which are both free to obtain. There are lots of documentation out there on how to set it up. g'luck!
 
win 2k pro comes with IIS, u just have to choose it as an installation option. I would highly suggest using Apache webserver instead. IT's all text-based interface and the easiest thing to setup ever...I spent an hour wrestling with IIS and just said f-it. Apache instead only took me 5 mins to setup and haven't had to configure it since =D. You'll probably have to download an ASP addition to it though...anyways yeah...go Apache if you can =)

-Ed
 
windows 2000 is good for serving unless youre worried about security. then i would recommend *nix. you can run asp on *nix if you install a couple packages i believe.
 
Thanks everyone for the help!!

The server is for home use only, and will NEVER be hooked up to the internet.

I think I will go Win2K and see how bad I can screw it up.

Mitch
 
Even if it is not ever hooked up to the net, install EVERY patch, and hot fix, and every service pack. Remember if you are on a small network with only one of the machines connected to the net the others can be reached through that machine. Also check around for documents on hardening the 2k server. I downloaded a ~40 page document on NT. There are some strange things you have to do to NT to harden it...
 
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