Setting up web hosting / server environment in your home?

[metroplex]

I am currently using an external/3rd party paid webhosting service. If I recall correctly, I can register a domain name and host my website directly using a PC but I'd have to keep it running.

I am interested in doing this because I prefer running my own email server.

What operating system and software is best suited for this task, assuming a limited budget (i.e. free is great, but I can certainly spend some money on this)?

I am on a broadband cable connection, and I think I saw some setting in my router that solves the problem of using a dynamic IP address.

I apologize for making any newbie comments. Thanks

 

[jlbenedict]

Some ISPs block certain ports that are common to many server services that run on the internet. (at least they block them to regular home accounts.. probably not business accounts).

If that is the case, you may have to do a little fiddling around with the Port Forwarding (or virtual server) features on your router.

If you have Windows XP Pro, you can use the included IIS for your web serving needs.
As for email on Windows XP, I've used MDaemon Email Server (not free) in the past for testing purposes, and it seemed to work very well.

 

[nweaver]

limited budget, assuming you arn't going to get tons of traffic....

older P3 5-1000 Mhz, 512 MB ram, 2 older drives (20GB or so) S/W raided into raid 1
Linux (Debian or Ubuntu server, no X server running most of the time)
Apache with other required components based on your site (PHP, MySQL, Ruby, etc)
Mail: Exim4, Postfix, or if you are brave, you could try something like zimbra (I just set this up) or Hula

 

[vegetation]

I would use extreme caution, especially for mail purposes. Most ISPs have anti-server policies, especially in the case of mail servers due to spam issues. It's a good way to get yourself permanently booted and blacklisted. Stick with a host, it's inexpensive and far more reliable than your system that's going to crash at 2am, without you knowing about it until come home half a day later.

 

[dBTelos]

First, as noted above find out what ports your ISP blocks. Assuming that they don't block the HTTP port, you can move on with a usually completely FREE process. First you would download an HTTP server, linux distro such as apache or some others. Then you would sign up at dyndns.com or no-ip.org for their dynamic IP plans to get you a static IP and domain. You then setup their HTTP tool on your HTTP server, and host your site from there.

 

[Nothinman]

I would use extreme caution, especially for mail purposes. Most ISPs have anti-server policies, especially in the case of mail servers due to spam issues.

But depending on the ISP and location they don't care as long as you don't do something stupid. I've been running my own mail server on Comcast cable for probably 4 or 5 years and they haven't said a word. Infact one of the reasons I started was because their mail servers were so unreliable so it's actually been better for me. But if your ISP does proactively block common ports like 25, 80, etc then there's not much you can do about that.

Stick with a host, it's inexpensive and far more reliable than your system that's going to crash at 2am, without you knowing about it until come home half a day later.

I don't know if I'd go that far. I run my own email server and can count the number of times I've had problems on one hand, even my 'consumer' level cable has only gone down like twice in the last two years and never for very long. And shutting down your mail server for a few hours is a great way to deter spammers, it seems that lots of spammer's mail tools stop attempting to use a host once they fail to connect to it a certain number of times. And you shouldn't lose any real mail because any well run mail servers will attempt redelivery every few hours for a couple of days before giving up and discarding the mail.

 

[Brazen]

I run a webserver from home. I just put it on a different port, cuz port 80 is blocked incoming, then I set up a dynamic ip domain name with dyndns.com and have my linksys router keep the ip updated (there are settings on the router). Then I set up a proxy domain name, also on dyndns, that redirects to the dynamic domain name with the port I put my webserver on. Does this make sense? Basically, it is how I got around the incoming port 80 block of my ISP.

For the webserver, you could use Windows XP and IIS if that is what you want, but IIS will only allow 10 concurrent connection on XP. A better idea would probably be to use Apache on XP. You could even use XAMPP to set up your Apache webserver, email server, ftp server, MySQL database server, and a few other useful tools on Windows XP. Using Apache or any of the servers that come with XAMPP will allow unlimited connections into your server.

However, the BEST solution would be to run Apache on a linux distro, preferably one with automated packagement management, such as Debian or CentOS, that can automatically keep Apache and the rest of your system updated. For the email server on linux, you'll probably want to use Postfix (Sendmail is usually default, mostly for legacy reasons) because Postfix is much easier to administer and configure than Sendmail. You could also install a program like zPanel that is sort of like a webserver configuration and monitoring software (free, too) that also would let you set up multiple sites with email and MySQL databases.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Brazen
I run a webserver from home. I just put it on a different port, cuz port 80 is blocked incoming, then I set up a dynamic ip domain name with dyndns.com and have my linksys router keep the ip updated (there are settings on the router). Then I set up a proxy domain name, also on dyndns, that redirects to the dynamic domain name with the port I put my webserver on. Does this make sense? Basically, it is how I got around the incoming port 80 block of my ISP.

For the webserver, you could use Windows XP and IIS if that is what you want, but IIS will only allow 10 concurrent connection on XP. A better idea would probably be to use Apache on XP. You could even use XAMPP to set up your Apache webserver, email server, ftp server, MySQL database server, and a few other useful tools on Windows XP. Using Apache or any of the servers that come with XAMPP will allow unlimited connections into your server.

However, the BEST solution would be to run Apache on a linux distro, preferably one with automated packagement management, such as Debian or CentOS, that can automatically keep Apache and the rest of your system updated. For the email server on linux, you'll probably want to use Postfix (Sendmail is usually default, mostly for legacy reasons) because Postfix is much easier to administer and configure than Sendmail. You could also install a program like zPanel that is sort of like a webserver configuration and monitoring software (free, too) that also would let you set up multiple sites with email and MySQL databases.

No no the best is definitely HP-UX, noob.

 

[ivwshane]

I do it. I run my own web/email server from home with no problems.

The easiest way to do it is on an old box (I'm using a pIII 700 and 256MB) and use something like clarkconnect for the OS and software. CC does everything I need and more
http://www.clarkconnect.com/

And the home version is free!

 

[EatSpam]

If you are going to run a Internet server in your home, you need business class Internet service that allows servers. Otherwise, you're asking to have your connection terminated, your email rejected because it comes from a dynamic IP, etc.

 

[ivwshane]

I haven't had any problems. I use sbc's out going smtp server and I use a dynamic ip redirection service.


Now if this is ment for professional use, meaning you plan on using your website as a means of business then I do not recommend running it from home. But for personal use, email, web server, you will be fine.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: ivwshane
I haven't had any problems. I use sbc's out going smtp server and I use a dynamic ip redirection service.

I've been able to use my ISP's home-level SMTP server as a SmartHost for my home's MS Small Business Server. And I can have SBS (Exchange) poll my ISP's POP server for email in various accounts and dump them into my Exchange mailboxes. So, basically, even ISPs that block incoming/outgoing Port 25 (like mine) can still be useable when hosting your own mail server.

Web servers, as noted, can be hosted on non-standard ports and using a redirection service to redirect queries from Port 80 to the non-standard port. The only problem is that it doesn't seem to work with Host Headers, so you lose the ability to host multiple sites on the same IP address.