Setting up a web server

[Maximilian]

Right, me and my friend are considering setting up a webserver for a website/files, tbh i dont know too much about that part cuz its my job to maintain the thing and make sure it stays running, my friend can handle the software side of things. Anyways i got a few questions:

1. How would an old socket 7 or slot 1 pc do for this task?

2. Hows windows 2000 for a webserver?

3. Anything else i should know about this?

 

[Crusty]

On an old Socket 7 or slot 1 board, I would suggest Linux over windows.


What kind of webserving are you going to be doing?
Are you going to be using any scripting languages?
Are you going to be using any databases?

 

[JackMDS]

Q2. Windows 2000 is an OS.

Windows 2000 can run Software that would act as a Web server (even Win98se can do it).

Q1. Socket 7 or Pentium II can run Windows 2000 and thus can run a web server.

However, would such an arrangement stand the load that you are expecting?

Well, first you should figure out what is the load on this server?

How many connections? Bandwitdh that would be used? What is the Speed of Internet connection? etc.

Q3. It seems that there is a lot more that you need to know, may be a good book might help.

For rock bottom info you can look here: Simple Serving

Link to: Connecting through the Internet to a computer/network/server.

:sun:

 

[nweaver]

I would say go with apache on a *nix machine, especially if you are using older hardware. The important thing would be Ram I think, unless you have heavy scripting in which case the cpu might slow down the web server.

someone else said, it first, but I'll repeat it "Init3 sets your memory free"

 

[Maximilian]

Kewl, gd stuff guys. Btw i knew windows 2000 was an o/s 😛 i was just wondering how it would do on older hardware, but as youve said it will run it and i guess that 256MB ram would be a minimum for optimal performance.

It would be run off of my 1mbit ADSL connection or my friends connection which is exactly the same. Actually my aunts gone and stole my old pentium II to use it for online dating :frown: Im NOT impressed..... So looks as if im gonna have to build a new old computer or go with my friends daft idea of using his xbox... i told him dont be stupid.... dont care if that actually would work, we are NOT using a damn xbox for a webserver!

We aint expecting a huge demand to start with, but if bandwidth becomes a problem.. well thats not my department 🙂 friend can solve that problem.

 

[Nothinman]

So looks as if im gonna have to build a new old computer or go with my friends daft idea of using his xbox... i told him dont be stupid.... dont care if that actually would work, we are NOT using a damn xbox for a webserver!

Why not? If you don't mind using it for that instead of gaming it doesn't sound bad to me, you can put a 120G drive in there, it's a small form factor and quiet.

And bandwidth will be the problem long before CPU power. Memory and CPU will only be issues if you run some large scripts on the site, for static content a 486 would be more than enough.

 

[wkinney]

Just for clarification, ADSL = asynchronous = upload speed no good + webserver = sluggish performance

 

[blemoine]

if your using ADSL you may want to check and see if your isp allows webservers. i know most don't allow it on residential service.

 

[brockj]

I have been running a webserver on win 2000 with Apache for well over a year with no problems. Granted it does not get a lot of hits, but I am also running FTP and a MySQL db on the machine. It is only a 475 with 192 Ram. I have a nice compaq proliant just ready just have not had the time to transfer anything. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

 

[nweaver]

Again, why run 2K on an older box when 'nix with apache is easy (even RH can do this quickly) and you have TONS more head room.


I have 256 megs on my site, and it chokes, but mostly when uploading/converting/resizing photo's in my gallery site (20 meg tifs converted to png before upload). havn't checked it while someone is surfing it yet though. It's a p4 2.66 HP Craptastic running RH9 (please don't laugh, it's what I learned on, and I don't want to rebuild till it's pretty hosed, and it won't die)

 

[vegetation]

Pay the $20 a year and get a host (yes, it's that cheap). You can't beat a host's redundancy in both power and network coverage through your home cable modem, which will have such sluggish upstream that nobody will want to connect through it more than once.

 

[brockj]

Originally posted by: nweaver
Again, why run 2K on an older box when 'nix with apache is easy (even RH can do this quickly) and you have TONS more head room.

When I originally built the server I did not have much experience with *nix at the time. Since I have gotten much better. And like you said, the thing will just not die. It loses power occasianly (just the area I live in) and the thing always comes back. Like I said I have a nice proliant just waiting for action...

 

[brockj]

Originally posted by: vegetation
Pay the $20 a year and get a host (yes, it's that cheap). You can't beat a host's redundancy in both power and network coverage through your home cable modem, which will have such sluggish upstream that nobody will want to connect through it more than once.

Why? Chances are when you first get it up and going you will not get a ton of traffic. If you are noticing that you are having a problem then switch, otherwise save the $240 and start putting it towards other things. Plus for me it was fun to put it together and learn about DNS and what not. Yeah download speeds from the server are not great, but I still pull a steady 30kb/sec from it. As long as you are not transferring huge files it is fine. The biggest problems I have are blacklisted IPs for my exchange server and initial loading (which is not that bad)

 

[wkinney]

Also if its a residential ADSL line subscription, most have in their ToS that you cannot run any kind of server whatsoever, so if you start getting a lot of noticeable traffic, they have the right to terminate your line at any time.
I run apache and other services on a comcast (in the states) cable line and have yet to be terminated, so YMMV

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: brockj

Originally posted by: vegetation
Pay the $20 a year and get a host (yes, it's that cheap). You can't beat a host's redundancy in both power and network coverage through your home cable modem, which will have such sluggish upstream that nobody will want to connect through it more than once.

Why? Chances are when you first get it up and going you will not get a ton of traffic. If you are noticing that you are having a problem then switch, otherwise save the $240 and start putting it towards other things. Plus for me it was fun to put it together and learn about DNS and what not. Yeah download speeds from the server are not great, but I still pull a steady 30kb/sec from it. As long as you are not transferring huge files it is fine. The biggest problems I have are blacklisted IPs for my exchange server and initial loading (which is not that bad)

He said $20 a YEAR, which is very possible.

I think the main issue that needs addressing is whether or not his ISP TOS will even allow a webserver to be ran on his connection.

 

[brockj]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey

Originally posted by: brockj

Originally posted by: vegetation
Pay the $20 a year and get a host (yes, it's that cheap). You can't beat a host's redundancy in both power and network coverage through your home cable modem, which will have such sluggish upstream that nobody will want to connect through it more than once.

Why? Chances are when you first get it up and going you will not get a ton of traffic. If you are noticing that you are having a problem then switch, otherwise save the $240 and start putting it towards other things. Plus for me it was fun to put it together and learn about DNS and what not. Yeah download speeds from the server are not great, but I still pull a steady 30kb/sec from it. As long as you are not transferring huge files it is fine. The biggest problems I have are blacklisted IPs for my exchange server and initial loading (which is not that bad)

He said $20 a YEAR, which is very possible.

I think the main issue that needs addressing is whether or not his ISP TOS will even allow a webserver to be ran on his connection.

I did miss that, sorry. I agree that he does need to find that out. I use comcast and have never had any problems

 

[vegetation]

Originally posted by: brockj

Originally posted by: vegetation
Pay the $20 a year and get a host (yes, it's that cheap). You can't beat a host's redundancy in both power and network coverage through your home cable modem, which will have such sluggish upstream that nobody will want to connect through it more than once.

Why? Chances are when you first get it up and going you will not get a ton of traffic. If you are noticing that you are having a problem then switch, otherwise save the $240 and start putting it towards other things. Plus for me it was fun to put it together and learn about DNS and what not. Yeah download speeds from the server are not great, but I still pull a steady 30kb/sec from it. As long as you are not transferring huge files it is fine. The biggest problems I have are blacklisted IPs for my exchange server and initial loading (which is not that bad)

Not saying that setting up a server doesn't have educational merits, it sure does. But that's totally different from using a home cable modem setup with an intent to actually host visitors for a site.

The major problem with home servers is the upstream feed. It's slow. One doesn't realize how slow it really is because they are developing their site and viewing it through their browser and saying, 'wow, it's loading so fast!' well duh, you're viewing it on your lan connection so of course it's fast. To everyone else on a decent internet connection it's going to load slow. Of course, I'm talking about real websites with at least a fraction of something useful to contribute to the internet community. Just having a "Hello World" website showing off your resume and list of hobbies wouldn't apply (and in that case, you could host these simple types of sites for free at many places)

 

[nweaver]

I run a decent sized site, and it runs fine. most of the people who connect to it have a slower download pipe then my upload pipe.

 

[Maximilian]

Ok well i shoulda known this would happen.... my lazyass friend lost the motivation to set up a website and make money :frown: so ive decided to sell my friendship/ideas/genuine brittish dirt on ebay to make money instead 😀

Also the money i was gonna spend on building a new old computer got spent on a leather jacket. One day i WILL get my old pentium II back! As one day my aunt WILL find a man! If she dosent ill jus take my comp anyways 🙂