Web Hosting & Home Network

I currently have my own domain name on the web, and also pay for web hosting. I want to set up my home computer as a file server in addition to the web hosting I am paying for. How can I bring both of these web servers under my single domain name? Or is this possible?

 

Ok to host from home gets complicated, your isp needs to allow you to use port 80, you have to run a webserver software on a local computer. Your probably gonna want to buy a static and make sure port 80 isn't blocked. Also some people will say its easy to do with out a static ip, it is doable, but not fun, and a bad idea if your trying to host anything worth while off it. Also do you use your paid domains email? If so you would also have to learn to configure a mail server, which isn't easy, and again if not using a static can cause you to loose mail. Basiculy your best bet is to just steup a simple file server and leave your website professionaly hosted. Hate to recommend that, but really its the best solution. In short yes you could host your file/web/email server at your place, but its a big hassle to do it right, and puts you in charge of maintence/security stuffs on that web/email server. Hope this helps and for more questions about hosting a web server at home feel free to post with any other questions, btw i do host both a professional server in a paid hosting and do have a simple webserver up for home use.

 

As an alternative to Colemanguy's recommendations, which I mostly agree with, I offer the following:

I am assigned a dynamic IP by my ISP. I happen to pay for a domain name, and manage the assignment of the IP to the domain name via a service offered by Dynamic Network Services, Inc. (http://www.dyndns.com/). The service is called Custom DNS. It is basically a GUI'd up way to manage A Name, C Names, MX Records, etc. I am not pushing there service, just stating facts. I configure the WAN IP to be pointed to my cable modem's ISP-assigned IP.

Now, what I have done on my LAN is a couple of different things. First, I set up all of my different boxes to be assigned specific LAN IPs from the router's DHCP server. They also have tight software firewalls, only allowing the required ports to be opened, blocking the rest, and also configuring the software firewall to block all apps except for the specific executable(s) that the service(s) uses (i.e. IIS for the web server). Then, on my router I point incoming port 80 request to my box running the HTTP server. I also point incoming port 25 & 110 requests to my other box running the POP3 & SMTP servers. Same thing with the other servers that I run on my network (FTP, Ventrilo, VNC, etc.). Once all of the ports are redirected, peeps typing in my domain name into their browser get pointed to the IP of my modem (& router) via the Internet's DNS servers and get forwarded to my web server (or mail server if they are connecting with a properly configured mail client, or the FTP server if they are connecting with a properly configured FTP client, or etc.etc.etc.).

Now, this all works fine and dandy, until the WAN IP Lease of the Router/Cable Modem expires - at that point someone trying to get to my servers may get unable to connect dialog, or worse, pointed to someone else's servers. The Dynamic DNS service provider I use (mentioned above) has web interfaces to update the IP. This interface can be manually updated if I happen to know that my IP changed. That is acceptable if I am always on-line and remember to keep checking my IP to see if it has changed or not - if not, no biggie, if so, then you would have to login to the dyndns service provider and update the IP so that the domain name resolves to the correct IP.

However, if I am not logged in and looking, at the IPs once in a while, my IP could change and the web's DNS tables would not be updated with my new IP and peeps trying to get to my resources would not be able to do so...

What to do about it??? Well, not to worry, because there are many utilities out there that can be ran on a computer that will go and check the WAN IP, and then update the Dynamic DNS service that you happen to subscribe to (there are free ones, and there are ones you have to pay for) automagically. The one I use is, as many are, designed to be used only when a user is logged onto a machine connected to the LAN. But what if you don't have a machine that a user is always logged onto??? Well, not to worry again, as many of these applications can be set to run as a service either manually using InstSrv.exe (or SC.exe in Win2k/xp) or via a GUI'd up application such as Fire Daemon (recommended).

Another consideration to having the DNS update utility running as a service, is that it needs to be running all of the time. If you have it on a box that you only power up when you are using it, then it will not be able to monitor and update as needed, when needed, if it is powered down and your IP is changed by the ISP. Another benefit of having it run as a service is that if you are away, and you have a power outage at the site, when the machines boot back up after power restoration, the WAN's DHCP Servers will be updated with your WAN IP. Finally, having it run as a service will allow you to log off of the desktop on the server and realize an additional layer of security by not having a user (or worse and administrator) being logged onto the desktop, possibly with 'root' privledges...

In order to address this concern, I actually have it running on my mail server box. That way, if my mail server box is on (it is 24/7/365...) then my WAN IP is being monitored and the domain name will be updated automagically whenever it changes.

Now, a note on the free vs. pay DNS services. Many of the free services do not have direct connection to the 'backbone' of the INTERNET. As such, IP changes for your domain name may take some time (up to 48 hours, I understand) for the change to propagate out to all of the DHCP servers on the INTERNET. With pay-for-service providers, quite often they have direct connection to many of the large 'cloud' backbone service providers out there. What this means is that an IP change can propagate VERY fast. I have experienced sub-minute propagation with the service provider that I use.

Another consideration that you must take into account is bandwidth. If you have a non-business-class agreement with your ISP, you may experience limitations on your UL and DL bandwidths. i.e. I get several hundred KB/s download speeds, but my UL speeds are in the 30-50 KB/s. If you do decide to run servers, make sure that you are not violating the terms of service that you agreed to when you executed your contract with the ISP. Also, they may have blocked specific ports as well. Also, regarding bandwidth, if you do decide to host on a non-business agreement, be sure to understand that if your site starts to become popular, that your ISP may very well be compliant with the TOS by blocking the traffic at their NOC. One way to try to keep this to a minimum is to design and deploy simplistic websites. This will keep traffic usage to a minimum and also allow more peeps to concurrently be connected with your server and not experience slow loading pages, or intermittent connectivity problems...

...

Well, I have touched on many different topics above. I did not know any of what I speak to, before I took on this endeavor. The only way I learned is by doing it, making mistakes, redoing it, making more mistakes, and finally nailing down what it is that I wanted to have happen.

My servers have been up and running for well over a year now, and I have only experienced connectivity issues when either my ISP was experiencing issues, or my residence was without power.

User Beware (disclaimer): I only briefly touched on INTERNET server security. Caution needs to be duly paid when considering exposing any machine to the INTERNET. Additionally, the information that I have provided herein is solely representative of my experiences. If you choose to try and implement what I have done and/or described herein, you do so at your own risk. I disclaim any and all responsibility for any damages that you may suffer...