Setting up a server

[Reiyoku]

Hello I figured this will be the right place to put this as it does not fall into other sections, it's hardware related.

Well I am running a home network on a ZYXEL Prestige 324 router and I am one of those people on that router, I am gettting into hosting, such as hosting games and hosting my own websites, how would I go about setting a server up to host.


Would I get a spare pc and link it to mine some how or something, I take it I can't use this pc to host something so I take it I have got to get a spare computer to run as a server, if so can somone tell me how I would link this up, possibly how I would set it up too

Thank you

 

[DJ-CHRIS1]

Well first thing you guessed is right, you need a spare PC. For a webserver, just dedicate some Pentium 3 era machinne.

The next step is to determine your operating system that you want to run. You have two main choices, Windows + IIS or *Nix with Apache. These are the two most common configurations for webservers. However you can also run Apache on windows.

IIS comes with Server 2000 and XP PRO (With XP Pro you need to install it, doesnt come preinstalled) and I find IIS fairly easy to use . However people generally like Apache more, mainly because it's free and fast. For *Nix Ubuntu makes a great server, and Ubuntu comes with Apache pre-installed.

Okay now you install your operating system, whichever one you want. And you configure the webserver. Depending on what path you take, this step varies a bit.

Okay so your all ready to go, got a webpage on the server and it works. Now you plug it into any extra LAN port on your network. Set it to a static IP so that it's internal IP does not change.

Okay, now you have to do something called port fowarding on your router. You need to foward port 80 from the outside WAN interface to Port 80 on your server.

And optionally you may setup dynamicdns services to have a domain name that updates to your home IP.

 

[joxley1990]

That more or less tidies it up, nice guide there mate.

 

[Reiyoku]

When I have my spare pc etc do I just connect it to the network like normal or will I need to, Connect my host web machine to the router and connect all my pc's on my network to that pc, or can I just connect the machine to the network and leave all the others plugged in as normal,


I only want this extra server for just one of my pc's atleast, would I have to plug my pc into this server, could you give me any hardware guides,



Thanks for the guide on how to set it up by the way

Could you make one on how to set it up hardware wise?

 

[DJ-CHRIS1]

Just plug it normally into the network normally like any other PC for your situation

What do you want to know hardware wise, it's 99% software for setting up this server.

 

[rakedog]

It doesn't matter where on you network you plug it in, as long as it goes to the router somehow, because your router will give it an internal IP no matter what.

After that you should be able to go into your router and forward port 80 (for http) to that internal IP. And I would seriously reccommend getting Linux for this to work. Most dedicated gaming servers (you mentioned that on your post) are made exclusively for *nix kernel enviroments. Plus apache is great and not that hard to use.

As far as hardware, well, just make sure you have a decent connection and plenty of hard drive space. Servers and not very CPU/RAM intensive.

 

[Reiyoku]

ok I plug it in like a normal pc like I am adding a new pc to my network?

 

[rakedog]

Yes, that will work.

 

[Reiyoku]

Ok let me get this right, I download, Apached, what is the programme called?, also would I install Apached right ontop of Windows Xp on the machine I am using as a server?

 

[Reiyoku]

Would it work, were if my pc and all my other pc's we're connected to the home network, if I connect the machine that I am using as a server to my machine as a internet sharing?

Could I do that? or will I just have to connect it to my router directly?


Because it would be easier to just connect it to this machine and use it as a server for hosting games and websites.